Lady and the Tramp

by Ward Greene, Joe G. Rinaldi (Illustrator)

Some years ago James Thurber remarked, "I am not a dog lover. To me a dog lover is a dog who is in love with another dog."

This book is about dog lovers in the Thurber sense. It is about a carefully nurtured, beautifully pedigreed little cocker spaniel named Lady, and a raffish, freedom-loving wanderer of a dog who wares no man's collar named Tramp.

There are several other minor characters, such as human beings, but they are really important only to advance the plot.

You will find out yourself that it is a wonderful story, but if you need any proof, Lady and the Tramp is going to be Walt Disney's major full-length feature picture next year.

Genres: Animals, Fiction, Childrens, Dogs, Classics

140 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Ward Greene was an American writer, editor, journalist, playwright, and general manager of the comic syndicate King Features Syndicate. He is known for overseeing the works of Alex Raymond and other writers and artists at King Features Syndicate, as well as writing Raymond's Rip Kirby comic strip from 1946 until his death.

Reviews

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of this book's publication is really fascinating; I'm surprised I only just learned about it this year. Many thanks to the University of Minnesota for loaning out their copy of this stupid-rare and consequently expensive title via Interlibrary Loan so I could satisfy my curiosity about its contents.

Lady and the Tramp is one of those Disney films that I always THINK is a favorite, because animals > princesses, but in reality I saw it so young that I started sobbing when the dogcatcher takes the Tramp away and cried myself to sleep before finishing it. I read the ending in a Disney anthology but never actually finished the film.

Regardless, I have always cherished the story, so having it in proper book form was great. It's not a novelization, but rather a story written based on the outline of the movie to come, and it does read like a book first and foremost -- very close but not quite identical to the movie, and just as anthropomorphic.

The writing style is simple -- it's definitely a children's story -- but it's very sweet, if a bit sadder for including a death. Reading it really made me want a Cocker Spaniel...so it was super convenient that this loan came in while I was dog-sitting a Golden Retriever/English Cocker cross who basically looked like the latter, with Lady's coloring.

[Maja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preslatko, opuštajuće, ali i ozbiljno na momente. Bajkovita priča o tome kako se odnosimo prema bićima koja su nam 100% predana.

[Tim O'neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've gotta stop reading books of which I've already seen adaptations. But this was an interesting case in that, at the behest of Disney, an author combined and expanded a short story he'd wrytten (i.e. the Tramp) with a half-baked movie idea from the studio (i.e. Lady), all for the express purpose of being adapted. Some parts, like the beaver encounter and the car chase seem particularly proto-cinematic.

Trying to think of it just as a book, it was good: strong characterization and a set of societal rules followed. It did bother me a little that the same basic unfortunate misunderstanding happened to Lady and then to Tramp, as if there were no other way things could go wrong.

[Lucy (El cielo literario) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bueno, he terminado este cuento/historia corta de aquí
Cómo pueden ver, es la historia en la que se basaron para hacer la película de Disney: La dama y el vagabundo, y aunque es muy similar a la película, hay varios cambios que hicieron para mejorarla. El final es bastante similar, solamente que en el libro pasa algo que sí hirió un poco mis sentimientos 🥺
Si quieren conocer la historia original, se los recomiendo, aunque no sé si sólo esté disponible en inglés (yo lo leí en ese idioma, y la verdad hay expresiones que me costó trabajo entender, pero bueno...)
4/5 ⭐

[Anthony · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like lady and the Tramp movie because is based on a book

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very fun because I liked that part where Tramp whistled. I didn't like the part where the crib fell and the baby cried.

[Rosemary Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but feels very incomplete. A lighthearted companion piece to the film, but lacks the depth to stand on its own as a novella. The illustrations are lovely.