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bookpossum's review
5.0
Anyone who has ever read anything by Thurber knows that he is perfect. If you haven't read him, here is a short sample of his lovely quirky style:
The Weaver and the Worm
A weaver watched in wide-eyed wonder a silkworm spinning its cocoon in a white mulberry tree.
"Where do you get that stuff?" asked the admiring weaver.
"Do you want to make something out of it?" inquired the silkworm, eagerly.
Then the weaver and the silkworm went their separate ways, for each thought the other had insulted him. We live, man and worm, in a time when almost everything can mean almost anything, for this is the age of gobbledygook, doubletalk, and gudda.
MORAL: A word to the wise is not sufficient if it doesn't make any sense.
The Weaver and the Worm
A weaver watched in wide-eyed wonder a silkworm spinning its cocoon in a white mulberry tree.
"Where do you get that stuff?" asked the admiring weaver.
"Do you want to make something out of it?" inquired the silkworm, eagerly.
Then the weaver and the silkworm went their separate ways, for each thought the other had insulted him. We live, man and worm, in a time when almost everything can mean almost anything, for this is the age of gobbledygook, doubletalk, and gudda.
MORAL: A word to the wise is not sufficient if it doesn't make any sense.
theilliteratebookseller's review against another edition
5.0
Thurber’s quality of wit and absurdity is scarcely prevalent in today’s humor writing. He’s a legend and will continue to be a beloved writer of mine for the entirety of my sojourn on Earth!!
eely225's review
4.0
Best read in short bursts, this collection of Thurber's fables, some more sincere than others, is certainly worthwhile. I think my favorite part might be how modern these lessons are, even after 50 years. It's helpful to know that he found language in his time to be doubletalk, suspicious of truth. He also found pacifism, anti-nationalism, and individuality challenges that deserved comment. They still do. It is good for me to read the urgent wisdom of the recent past to make the stresses of the current day seem less unique.
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