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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
This review is housed on my Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge site.
Dorothy Parker, renowned wit, critic, poet and short-story writer. Take note of that order.
Picasso once said of Cézanne that he was 'the father of us all'. Well, in similar terms, Dorothy Parker is my biological mother. Which makes me Picasso I guess, which I'll take.
Parker's book reviews are the finest of the form. She was truly the queen of mean. As 'The Constant Reader' she praised and demolished the latest novels with such wit and grace that oftentimes the review was better than the work is discussed. She often filled her reviews with stories of her personal life or stray observations on society. Despite dying in 1967, her vicious tongue has never been equalled. I view Dorothy Parker as my greatest influence. As many people light candles in front of the Sacred Heart, I follow a similar regime with Parker, muttering incantations in front of her image and never gazing too long into her eyes.
Thus The Portable Dorothy Parker is a volume which I believed would be a fitting replacement for the Holy Book. Which it somewhat is. In that it only gets really good near the end and you spend most of your time skipping over the bad bits.
You see The Portable Dorothy Parker would be better titled The Short Stories of Dorothy Parker, interspersed by her Poetry with a paltry sampling of her Criticism, Reviews, Letters and Interviews.
I am first to admit that I am not a huge fan of Parker's short stories. Don't get me wrong, she had many wonderful stories: Big Blonde, Arrangement in Black and White, The Waltz, From the Diary of a New York Lady and The Game are some shining examples. But almost five-hundred pages of this six-hundred page volume are dedicated to her stories, many of which are just not good. There's a reason why we don't immediately think 'short story writer' when we hear Parker's name.
I feel the term 'hit and miss' was coined specifically for her short fiction. Those that hit are blinding critiques of early-20th century society, full of one-liners and characters which are equally as devastating. The misses are unreadable. Nothing much being written about nothing much. Therefore at time this volume is an absolute pain to get through, whilst at other times you want to rip each page out and frame them along a staircase.
Most of my praise for this volume comes from the measly hundred pages dedicated to her non-fiction. This is where Parker Comes Alive! Such glittering meanness from the mouth of the poison Madonna. It depresses me so much. I'll never be her. The best I can do is plagiarise, which has served me quite well for many years. Sometime during my twenties I'll probably get a Dorothy Parker quote tattooed onto my skin, right next to my stigmata.
Overall The Portable Dorothy Parker is a somewhat skewed collection of her finest writings. There is absolute gold in here, but one must sift through the mud first. Perhaps it is one for the fans.
Picasso once said of Cézanne that he was 'the father of us all'. Well, in similar terms, Dorothy Parker is my biological mother. Which makes me Picasso I guess, which I'll take.
Parker's book reviews are the finest of the form. She was truly the queen of mean. As 'The Constant Reader' she praised and demolished the latest novels with such wit and grace that oftentimes the review was better than the work is discussed. She often filled her reviews with stories of her personal life or stray observations on society. Despite dying in 1967, her vicious tongue has never been equalled. I view Dorothy Parker as my greatest influence. As many people light candles in front of the Sacred Heart, I follow a similar regime with Parker, muttering incantations in front of her image and never gazing too long into her eyes.
Thus The Portable Dorothy Parker is a volume which I believed would be a fitting replacement for the Holy Book. Which it somewhat is. In that it only gets really good near the end and you spend most of your time skipping over the bad bits.
You see The Portable Dorothy Parker would be better titled The Short Stories of Dorothy Parker, interspersed by her Poetry with a paltry sampling of her Criticism, Reviews, Letters and Interviews.
I am first to admit that I am not a huge fan of Parker's short stories. Don't get me wrong, she had many wonderful stories: Big Blonde, Arrangement in Black and White, The Waltz, From the Diary of a New York Lady and The Game are some shining examples. But almost five-hundred pages of this six-hundred page volume are dedicated to her stories, many of which are just not good. There's a reason why we don't immediately think 'short story writer' when we hear Parker's name.
I feel the term 'hit and miss' was coined specifically for her short fiction. Those that hit are blinding critiques of early-20th century society, full of one-liners and characters which are equally as devastating. The misses are unreadable. Nothing much being written about nothing much. Therefore at time this volume is an absolute pain to get through, whilst at other times you want to rip each page out and frame them along a staircase.
Most of my praise for this volume comes from the measly hundred pages dedicated to her non-fiction. This is where Parker Comes Alive! Such glittering meanness from the mouth of the poison Madonna. It depresses me so much. I'll never be her. The best I can do is plagiarise, which has served me quite well for many years. Sometime during my twenties I'll probably get a Dorothy Parker quote tattooed onto my skin, right next to my stigmata.
Overall The Portable Dorothy Parker is a somewhat skewed collection of her finest writings. There is absolute gold in here, but one must sift through the mud first. Perhaps it is one for the fans.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
Long flight to Spain - incredible reading material.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not everything in this collection is worth five stars, but a good lot of it is worth six, so there you are.
This 600-page tome is really something. On the one hand, I think Dorothy Parker's verse/poetry is inane, dull, repetitive, complacent, whiny, and unoriginal. Every single poem followed the same pattern, every other line rhymed, and the subjects have been covered over and over for centuries. Over all, not that enjoyable. The short stories varied on my "Enjoyability Scale", because some were funny or shocking, and others were just plain depressing. I mean, it makes sense because Parker attempted suicide at least three times. However, there didn't seem to be a message or turn or anything, just an overwhelming hopeless attitude or feeling. In certain cases, such as The Big Blonde, the hopeless feeling speaks to the 20s and 30s boozy times and belief that women were supposed to be happy and pretty. God forbid you have negative feelings or aren't in a good mood. All women should cater to men's feelings and just make them feel happy! Antiquated, disgusting, and so sexist. It's not that shocking considering men's attitude toward women hadn't really changed throughout the 50s and 60s (at least in terms of the workforce and homemaking).
In this way, Dorothy Parker's poems and short stories speak to the time and act as a snapshot of men and women's attitudes in those eras. I can't begrudge her society's expectations while she was alive. Having heard about her sharp and caustic wit, however, I didn't quite see it in many of her short stories. It doesn't help that all these stories of boozing, women subjugated to men, and feeling depressed perpetrates the majority of these stories, and the monotony is enough to sour my opinion of the overall collection.
However, the Other Writings Section in the back of the book (the last 150 pages or so) is where she truly shines. These writings include her letters, a few great short stories, a journalism piece or two, personal letters and an interview. Dorothy Parker emerges as this powerhouse voice, and her voice is so witty and real. Her short stories act more as stories and less like journal entries, and the journalism pieces (especially the one about the interior decorator) are hilarious. Her letters display the more personal side of her life, and the book/theater critiques and essays are so dry and funny, especially when they're scathing. I would probably advice most people to skip right to the end, but I wanted to full experience.
In this way, Dorothy Parker's poems and short stories speak to the time and act as a snapshot of men and women's attitudes in those eras. I can't begrudge her society's expectations while she was alive. Having heard about her sharp and caustic wit, however, I didn't quite see it in many of her short stories. It doesn't help that all these stories of boozing, women subjugated to men, and feeling depressed perpetrates the majority of these stories, and the monotony is enough to sour my opinion of the overall collection.
However, the Other Writings Section in the back of the book (the last 150 pages or so) is where she truly shines. These writings include her letters, a few great short stories, a journalism piece or two, personal letters and an interview. Dorothy Parker emerges as this powerhouse voice, and her voice is so witty and real. Her short stories act more as stories and less like journal entries, and the journalism pieces (especially the one about the interior decorator) are hilarious. Her letters display the more personal side of her life, and the book/theater critiques and essays are so dry and funny, especially when they're scathing. I would probably advice most people to skip right to the end, but I wanted to full experience.
funny
informative
slow-paced
3.5 stars
Both beautiful and frustrating to read. I enjoyed most of the stories...but eventually grew weary of perpetually nagging, depressed women longing for an unattainable man. Or those women now older, deadened, walking through life without a spark of hope. Intermixed with these stories occasionally pops out something unique, amusing yet mocking, and totally memorable.
Her play and book reviews were fun to read. It made my own writing feel...normal. She is quirky. Occasionally speaks in parentheses. Throws quips out there. I enjoyed it.
The poetry? Well, I'm not much of a poetry reader. I made it through several pages and finally skimmed. In my way of thinking, though, that's pretty good. Most poets don't hold me that long.
Worth reading yet maybe not within 48 hours like I did.
Both beautiful and frustrating to read. I enjoyed most of the stories...but eventually grew weary of perpetually nagging, depressed women longing for an unattainable man. Or those women now older, deadened, walking through life without a spark of hope. Intermixed with these stories occasionally pops out something unique, amusing yet mocking, and totally memorable.
Her play and book reviews were fun to read. It made my own writing feel...normal. She is quirky. Occasionally speaks in parentheses. Throws quips out there. I enjoyed it.
The poetry? Well, I'm not much of a poetry reader. I made it through several pages and finally skimmed. In my way of thinking, though, that's pretty good. Most poets don't hold me that long.
Worth reading yet maybe not within 48 hours like I did.
thought it would be a bit more engaging, brash, and with more biting witticisms. but overall glad I read it...well, read most of it. not the best vacation reading on the beach.