Gullible's Travels

by Ring Lardner

Gullible's Travels is a satirical novel written by Ring Lardner. The book follows the adventures of a naive and gullible man named Gullible Jones as he travels across America in the early 20th century. Along the way, Gullible encounters a variety of characters, each with their own unique quirks and personalities. As Gullible journeys from town to town, he becomes increasingly entangled in a series of absurd and hilarious situations. He falls for various scams and cons, gets involved in a bank robbery, and unwittingly becomes a part of a traveling medicine show. Throughout the novel, Lardner uses humor and satire to comment on the social and political issues of the time, including the rise of consumer culture and the changing role of women in society. Overall, Gullible's Travels is a witty and entertaining novel that offers a humorous and insightful look at life in early 20th century America.The Poinciana station's a couple hundred yards from one end o' the hotel, and that means it's close to five miles from the clerk's desk. By the time we'd registered and been gave our key and marathoned another five miles or so to where our room was located at, I was about ready for the inquest. But the Missus was full o' pep and wild to get down to breakfast and look over our stable mates. She says we would eat without changin' our clo'es; people'd forgive us for not dressin' up on account o' just gettin' there.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Short Stories, Humor, Fiction, Ebooks

Paperback

First published January 1, 1917

About the author

Ringgold Wilmer Lardner was an American sports columnist and short story writer best known for his satirical takes on the sports world, marriage, and the theatre.

Father of author Ring Lardner Jr.

Reviews

[Bill on GR Sabbatical · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to Winston Tharp perform this early effort of humorist and sportswriter Ring Lardner on the free LibriVox audiobook. The narrator sardonically relates the ill-fated odyssey he and his wife take to move up into higher society from their Chicago apartment, including adventures in opera, travel to Palm Beach, and joining a bridge club. The dialog is very funny, although there are a few ethnic terms and stereotypes from the WWI-era of publication.

[Robert Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’da ast me who this Ring Lardner feller was, I’da said it was some variable of horseshoes. I’da been mistook. He was a writer for the funny papers, and on the side he done some serious funny writing. He wrote short stories, which is like novels only smaller. So bein’ that I love learnin’, I took it upon myself to sample the wares.

Well, I got to be truthy on this. I didn’t like it. Not one bit. If I'da met him I'da give him what for. Ya see, his made-up folks talk just like me. I think he was funnin’ with me and the missus, but I can’t figger how in heck he were able to spy on us.

Well, long story shorter, I give the flivver a chance, and after a few tiny novels, I sorta took a hankerin’ to him. I mean, it’s kinda flatironin’ to see me and the missus in print, for all the world to see, especial the Hatches. A course, the missus was just jubeelant. I didn’t mention to her that probly only a couple people atchully read Ring, ‘cause like I said, I never heard a him.

So's I need a favor, not on my beehalf, but for the missus. Read a couple a these mini-novels just so’s if we have you over for a game o’ Whist, you can pretend you read about her in the Ring stories, and if I know the missus, she’d be so full of herself that, next eve, me and Hatch could sneak off to Andy’s for some likwid refreshers and she wouldn’t even know we wasn’t there ‘cause she’d be on the phone braggin’ to Mrs. Hatch.

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bottom Line First:
Ring Lardner's Gullibles Travels is a collection of 1920's era humor. He may have had a good ear for mid-western accents but his over use of that language and his over use of what may have been common expression can make for difficult reading. His narrator has a jaundiced outlook, penny pinching attitude and a wise acre manner of expression. It can get to be too much for too little. The plot twists do not provide much comedic tension. This is a short collection and is the better for this fact.


Ring Lardner was an author of light humor from the average guy point of view. He writes in the tradition of Mark Twain and Damon Runyon. Gullible, that is the narrator of these few short stories is the husband of a would be social climbing woman and her husband seeking sister. While he seems to have the time and money to indulge his wife and sister-in law, he regards every demand on his pocket as extravagant (unless it is for his drinks) and trusts no one, except his bartender. This is not the world of flappers and pre-crash brokers, these are working people in the bare middle class of Middle America,

Lardner is capable of some very funny comments. He describes a skinny man as so thin that "were his collar to fall over his shoulders he could step out of it." On the other hand he describes his sister in law in a bathing suit as looking like "an upside down Y'- not as clear as the statement that a person is "all Longitude and no latitude."

Damon Runyon who also wrote at about the same time invented the street language of his Broadway "Guys and Dolls". Yet I find his speakers easier to understand and more creative in their use of slang expressions. Lardner may have done a better job of recording the spoken language of his time and place, but sometimes it limits his humor to his time and place.

Gullible's Travels, Etc. is my second selection by Ring Lardner. This book added little to what I can expect from his line of jokes and variations in plot. I suspect there are better examples of his work but it may be awhile before I return to find out.

[David Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lardner is neglected, but he's worth seeking out. These five connected stories, about a lower-class Chicago couple circa 1916 with pretensions of upward mobility, are narrated by the husband in vernacular, a Lardner specialty. They're a delight to read, as the husband skewers much of what he encounters, and as we see what he doesn't, which is that people are laughing at him and his wife. Often laugh-out-loud funny.

[Chuck LoPresti · Rating 4 out of 5]

My guess is that by the time you've stumbled across this - you're pretty familiar with Ring Lardner Sr. I absolutely love his sense of humor and the local referrences to my home, Chicago are pleasing. Knowing also that Groucho Marx loved his writing cements the deal for me. Lardner's humor is stark and smart, but hardly subtle. Lines like "..the day he got mad at his kid and christened him, Kenneth." suit me just fine. The stories here march in lock-step with Lardner's popular style of social criticism. Snollygostering and social climbing, the same targets at the Marx Brothers in general, are the consistent themes troughout Gullible's Travels and the incisive wit that is Larder's trademark is present throughout. Easy reading and great fun - what's not to love about Ring Lardner Sr.? His vernacular style is probably what is most remembered for amongst the literary minded - but Lardner's work will probably appeal mostly to those that hold irreverent and intelligent humor most dear.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Ring Larnder. Enough said.

[Olea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sint unele povestiri - parca numai una, totusi - al caror sens/poanta imi scapa (“Lady Perkins”).
Dar povestiri ca “Faptele”, “In tren”, “Calatoriile lui Gullible”..., fiecare are cite ceva surprinzator si atractiv (“catchy”, in atit de sintetica limba a autorului) – vreo intorsatura, stilul narativ (repetarile obsesive si identice in scop persuasiv sau dintr-un automatism aproape inconstient, relatarea la persoana intii – monolog, scrisoare s.a.), deznodamintul, altceva - care “fac” tot timpul petrecut cu cartea asta (adica “face toti banii”, ca sa fim in spiritul autorului).
”In sedinta” vine in plus cu o nota de absurd de cea mai buna calitate – m-as duce s-o vad la teatru, daca ar pune-o cineva in scena, la noi.
As compara experienta lecturii acestei carti cu rontaitul, in fiecare zi, a doua-trei tablete de ciocolata amaruie, fina, alegeti-va marca...

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the few Ring Lardner books that I hadn't read. It's typical Ring: it's the story of the unnamed narrator and his wife, who aim to achieve a higher social status by frequenting the right people in the right situations. It's similar to Lardner's novel "The Big Town". And like in "The Big Town", the Missus embarks on the endeavor in earnest, while the skeptical husband cracks wise. There are plenty of good laughs, although it's pretty standard Lardner. I would have given the full five stars, except for a lot of bridge-related jokes in one of the chapters, none of which I understood.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously dated - but an enjoyable read. I especially liked his opera interpretations.

[Novalee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Divertente e scorrevole, ottimo per trascorrere del tempo con leggerezza

[Robin Paull · Rating 5 out of 5]

If, like me, you're living in the past, you will laugh out loud. Highly recommended!

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was inspired to read something by Ring Lardner after watching a very funny silent movie that was based on one of his stories. This book is a collection of five short stories from 1917 narrated by the same character, a married man from Chicago. He and his wife have some aspirations to high society but don't really fit in. Lardner rings much humor out of the culture clash. Several stories include the character's misunderstanding of various famous operas. The title story, the longest in the collection, deals with a dream vacation to Palm Beach, Florida, where everything costs more than expected. No exaggeration, Lardner's writing is the funniest I've read this side of Mark Twain or Philip Roth. I will definitely seek out more of his books!

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not anything

[Mariella · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abbandonato. Non mi è piaciuto. Protagonista noioso e petulante...

[Emilia Pacurar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A scrie in mod constant da senzatia de valoros, dar de fapt doar unele bucati sunt valoroase.