Publication
Penguin Books, Limited (UK) (2007), 640 pages
Collections
Genres
Awards
Uncovered Classics (1973)
Description
Dorothy Parker was the most-talked-about woman of her day, notorious as the hard-drinking bad girl with a talent for stinging repartee and endlessly quotable one-liners. In the bitingly witty poems and stories collected here, along with her articles and reviews, she brilliantly captures the spirit of the decadent Jazz Age in New York, exposing both the dazzle and the darkness. But beneath the sharp perceptions and acidic humour, much of her work poignantly expresses the deep vulnerability of a troubled, self-destructive woman who, in the words of philosopher Irwin Edman, 'could combine a heartbreak with a wisecrack'.
User reviews
LibraryThing member figre
Who, what, where, why, how (did I get them all) are your influences. I thought I knew a lot of mine. However, I just received a slight shock to my core by finding the influence to my influence. And that influence of the influencer has had as much impact on my writing as the influencer.
Sorry, let me
I consider Harlan Ellison to be one of the greatest writers of our time. His essays, in particular, have influenced the way I write (when I’m allowed to write that way.) I knew one of his influences, and one of the first people with any gravitas to speak kindly about his writing, was Dorothy Parker. So, I finally picked up this volume of collected writings – short stories, poetry, reviews, and essays.
The short stories are fine. Some have particular impact, some are dated. They are not a bad read, and often a good read. If the collection was just these stories, a 3 – maybe 3-and-a-half – star rating would be warranted. The poems suffer. They all rhythmically rhyme as much poetry did back then. (Yes, incredible changes in poetry had already happened, but much of the poetry for the masses still had to sound like a song with no music.) Most are clever. Some laugh out loud funny. But the theme of “who needs a man”, as well as a couple of others, wear thin. And there just isn’t that far you can go when restricted by rhythm, rhyme, and wit. Poems alone, this might garner 2 or, if in a particularly good mood, 2-and-a-half stars.
But then the reviews. Biting, witty, praise where it is due, condemnation when warranted, as much about the writer as what is being written about. Almost every one is a jewel and almost every one has some quick turn of phrase that hits home while being worth every word expended. And in so much of this, I saw the influence it had on Harlan Ellison. Even some phrases he used were nigh-on verbatim (whatever that means) phrases I found in the book.
All to say that I am now a devotee of Dorothy Parker. And my strong rating for the book is based on my strong (not strong enough a word, but we’ll move on) adoration of the essays and reviews.
Sorry, let me
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see if I can sort that out.I consider Harlan Ellison to be one of the greatest writers of our time. His essays, in particular, have influenced the way I write (when I’m allowed to write that way.) I knew one of his influences, and one of the first people with any gravitas to speak kindly about his writing, was Dorothy Parker. So, I finally picked up this volume of collected writings – short stories, poetry, reviews, and essays.
The short stories are fine. Some have particular impact, some are dated. They are not a bad read, and often a good read. If the collection was just these stories, a 3 – maybe 3-and-a-half – star rating would be warranted. The poems suffer. They all rhythmically rhyme as much poetry did back then. (Yes, incredible changes in poetry had already happened, but much of the poetry for the masses still had to sound like a song with no music.) Most are clever. Some laugh out loud funny. But the theme of “who needs a man”, as well as a couple of others, wear thin. And there just isn’t that far you can go when restricted by rhythm, rhyme, and wit. Poems alone, this might garner 2 or, if in a particularly good mood, 2-and-a-half stars.
But then the reviews. Biting, witty, praise where it is due, condemnation when warranted, as much about the writer as what is being written about. Almost every one is a jewel and almost every one has some quick turn of phrase that hits home while being worth every word expended. And in so much of this, I saw the influence it had on Harlan Ellison. Even some phrases he used were nigh-on verbatim (whatever that means) phrases I found in the book.
All to say that I am now a devotee of Dorothy Parker. And my strong rating for the book is based on my strong (not strong enough a word, but we’ll move on) adoration of the essays and reviews.
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Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9780141182582
Physical description
640 p.; 5.08 inches
Pages
640