Description

A must-have for language lovers, this compendium contains hundreds of mind-stretching observations that are contradictory or illogical on one level, yet true, witty, and often profound on another.

ox-y-mor-on-i-ca (OK-se-mor-ON-uh-ca) noun: Any variety of tantalizing, self-contradictory statements or observations that on the surface appear false or illogical, but at a deeper level are profoundly true.

For example:

"Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad."
—Victor Hugo

"To lead the people, walk behind them."
—Lao-tzu

"You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap."
—Dolly Parton

For over a decade Dr. Mardy Grothe has delighted readers with this collection of 1,400 of the most provocative quotations of all time. From ancient thinkers like Confucius, Aristotle and Saint Augustine, to great writers like Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and G. B. Shaw, to modern social observers like Woody Allen and Lily Tomlin, Oxymoronica celebrates the power and beauty of paradoxical thinking. All areas of human activity are explored, including love, sex, romance, politics, the arts, marriage and family, and, of course, the literary life. Sure to grab the attention of language lovers everywhere, the wise and witty observations in this book are as entertaining as they are intellectually nourishing. 

About the Author

 Dr. Mardy Grothe is a retired psychologist, management consultant, and platform speaker; the author of six books on words and language; the creator of Dr. Mardy’s Dictionary of Metaphorical Quotations; and one of America’s most beloved quotation anthologists. He lives in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with his wife, Katherine Robinson.

Praise For…

“As addictive as a bowl of peanuts--you can’t stop after just one paradox from Oxymoronica!” — A. Ross Eckler, author of Making the Alphabet Dance

“Truly the most comprehensible collection of contradictions around.” — Erin McKean, Editor of Verbatim: The Language Quarterly

Promises to engage you for long moments -- or short hours -- in its paradoxical simplicity. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel