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Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'
The Collected Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker, Brendan Gill
1 review
lauradoesnothing's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The first half of the book is a reprint of 1944's Portable Dorothy Parker, collecting short stories and poetry chosen by the woman herself; the second half is a selection of Dorothy Parker's play reviews from Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, and book reviews from The New Yorker and Esquire, which were added to the original in 1973.
The short stories are the highlight of this collection, for sure. Dorothy Parker has a knack for distilling a whole human life into one conversation, afternoon, or taxi ride; like a biopsy of the soul that contains everything you'd ever need to know about one person. She gives her female characters space to be emotional and messy without excusing their pettiness and other flaws; she writes about Spain during the civil war without fetishising the courage of the people; and, while her language around race is outdated 80 years later, the way she writes the casual racism of the liberal white upper-class is so perfect it could have been written last Tuesday.
The poetry quickly becomes a little samey if read all in one go: a lot of short verses with a glib punchline at the end, most with the same rhyme scheme. None of them are bad, but it's probably best to dip in and out of this section. Apparently that's the right way to read poetry though, so that's alright then.
I appreciate the addition of the reviews, as they show her in her element as an easy wit and work as a great palate cleanser from the emotionally raw short stories. The 1970s editors were very kind in their selections - they chose either iconic works (Lolita, Breakfast at Tiffany's, We Have Always Lived in the Castle), lesser-known works by famous names (J.M. Barrie, Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, Isadora Duncan), or reviews that, even if you've never heard of the book, are so hilarious, scathing or insightful that it doesn't matter that your only context is a brief footnote.
The short stories are the highlight of this collection, for sure. Dorothy Parker has a knack for distilling a whole human life into one conversation, afternoon, or taxi ride; like a biopsy of the soul that contains everything you'd ever need to know about one person. She gives her female characters space to be emotional and messy without excusing their pettiness and other flaws; she writes about Spain during the civil war without fetishising the courage of the people; and, while her language around race is outdated 80 years later, the way she writes the casual racism of the liberal white upper-class is so perfect it could have been written last Tuesday.
The poetry quickly becomes a little samey if read all in one go: a lot of short verses with a glib punchline at the end, most with the same rhyme scheme. None of them are bad, but it's probably best to dip in and out of this section. Apparently that's the right way to read poetry though, so that's alright then.
I appreciate the addition of the reviews, as they show her in her element as an easy wit and work as a great palate cleanser from the emotionally raw short stories. The 1970s editors were very kind in their selections - they chose either iconic works (Lolita, Breakfast at Tiffany's, We Have Always Lived in the Castle), lesser-known works by famous names (J.M. Barrie, Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, Isadora Duncan), or reviews that, even if you've never heard of the book, are so hilarious, scathing or insightful that it doesn't matter that your only context is a brief footnote.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, War, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Ableism, Classism, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, and Child death
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