Jen's review
Complete Stories
by Dorothy Parker
Jen's review
Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker
Jen's review
rating:
recommended for: women, feminists, cool men
Whew! I'm a born-again Parker fan. This collection of short stories is the editor's attempt to prove she deserves critical acclaim and inclusion in the male-centric literary canon, and I, for one, am sold!
Most of the included stories were written in the 1920s-40s, and they are an illuminating peek at the prevailing pretensions of the time - she skewers societal affectations as well as the battle between the sexes (and the unfortunate lack of open communication between them). "Too Bad," for example, starts with neighbors gossiping about a married couple that is separating - no one can guess that the reason why is that they are just too damn polite to one another and cannot imagine a lifetime of boredom. In "The Lovely Leave," a woman almost sabotages her visit with her military husband, who's on a short leave, because she misses him so much. Women are meant to be "good sports" to such a degree in "Big Blonde" that the protagonist, who usually ...more
Most of the included stories were written in the 1920s-40s, and they are an illuminating peek at the prevailing pretensions of the time - she skewers societal affectations as well as the battle between the sexes (and the unfortunate lack of open communication between them). "Too Bad," for example, starts with neighbors gossiping about a married couple that is separating - no one can guess that the reason why is that they are just too damn polite to one another and cannot imagine a lifetime of boredom. In "The Lovely Leave," a woman almost sabotages her visit with her military husband, who's on a short leave, because she misses him so much. Women are meant to be "good sports" to such a degree in "Big Blonde" that the protagonist, who usually ...more
