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katieadaniel's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
Generally, not worth the read. Hardly any stand out stories, much preferred the poetry to the prose but all in all it was a slog to get through. Lots of the stories felt very samey about privileged housewives complaining about their lack of a man and/or children, which I'm sure was great for a certain woman at the time, but not for me and now. There were a handful of highlights like Verse for a Certain Dog, Incurable, Coda and the line "[she] was a short woman who accepted the obligation borne by so many short women to make up the vivacity what they lack in number of inches from the ground" which made me chuckle.
adam_armstrong_yu's review against another edition
5.0
Prose so sharp you'd slice your eye just from glancing at the page.
fevvies's review against another edition
4.0
This is a wonderful book to dip in and out of every so often. It's filled with pretty much everything Dorothy Parker ever wrote, and I loved it all. Her sharp-witted short stories, her poems, her reviews of plays and books, articles she wrote for the New Yorker and Esquire. In my eyes, she was a fantastic journalist and writer.
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
phil_abernethy's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
latelykate's review against another edition
2.0
I expected to love this but I got the feeling from the stories that Dorothy Parker doesn't like women very much. Her female characters were written so unflatteringly and with very little compassion. In fact, I misplaced this book halfway through the last story and didn't even bother trying that hard to find it. Despite the fact that scathing wit is usually my favourite thing to read, I was disappointed by these stories.
gingerholli's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing. I suggest listening to narration by Elaine Stritch. Makes it even better
prosewhore's review
4.0
I am so mad that I had never heard of Dorothy Parker before accidentally stumbling on this book at a secondhand shop.
She was such a brilliant lady, a talented, sharp author but also a terrific human being from what I can gather. I was surprised to find most of her writing to be still so relevant and relatable today. I really liked some of her poetry but her short stories really were what most appealed to me.
I'm glad to have bought this lovely edition but kind of sad that I've now read all we have of hers. I wish there was more to be found!
She was such a brilliant lady, a talented, sharp author but also a terrific human being from what I can gather. I was surprised to find most of her writing to be still so relevant and relatable today. I really liked some of her poetry but her short stories really were what most appealed to me.
I'm glad to have bought this lovely edition but kind of sad that I've now read all we have of hers. I wish there was more to be found!