Cassell's Colloquial Spanish

Book Review

Title:	Cassell's Colloquial Spanish
Author:	A. Bryson Gerrard
Publisher:	Collier Books, New York, NY
ISBN:	0-02-079430-4
Reviewed By:	Frank Fogg
Review Date:	April, 2000
Rating:

Cassell's Colloquial Spanish is a dictionary for those Spanish words you don't find in a normal dictionary. The book lists the Spanish words, then provides a description in English.

All of the words are in the book alphabetically, just as in a dictionary. The translations for idiomatic expressions used in the Latin-American countries are also included where appropriate. Some of the translations run almost a page long, although commonly, at least two sentences are provided to give an indication of the word's meaning.

This book did not meet my needs. Most of the descriptions are too long-winded and the cross-reference index at the rear of the book seems more useful in its presentation. The author spends a lot of time beating around the bush trying to explain what certain terms mean. There does not seem to be any organization in the presentation as to which words should never be used in polite situations.

This book will provide a limited cross-reference for colloquial and idiomatic Spanish words. It is far from being a complete authority on the subject. It does provide the meaning of some words that are not available in other books or dictionaries.

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