A misplaced point is like a glass of lukewarm water: not exactly great, but not the end of the world either. Leading and trailing characters, on the other hand, which embrace a word that doesn’t need this affection at all, cause laughter at best, and consternation at worst. Hans Rusinek captures the absurdity, wickedness and rebellion in between for his Instagram account @awkward_anfuehrungszeichen. When Rusinek is not working as a publicist, organizational researcher or consultant, he goes on the hunt for the most absurd goose-stepping phrases in the German language. The collection of over 1,000 images is quite handsome in digital form, but even prettier in hardback, which is why “Das Buch der absurden Anführungszeichen” not only pays homage to the German language, but also to the printed word. Hans Rusinek, “Das Buch der absurden Anführungszeichen”, Seltmann Publishers, hardcover, clothbound, 176 pages, approx. 28.-
