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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: A New Musical Based on the Classic Story
Musical comedy Based on the story by James Thurber 5 male, 6 female, and as many extras as desired. Various simple sets (or one basic set). On his fortieth birthday Walter Mitty reflects on his drab, ordinary life. Defeated in his quest for wealth and glory by family responsibilities, a mortgage, and a routine job, he creates elaborate fantasies in which he is the hero. His secret world is so enticing that he often loses sight of the boundary between dream and reali
96 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2006
73 people want to read
About the author
James Thurber
360 books609 followersThurber was born in Columbus, Ohio to Charles L. Thurber and Mary Agnes (Mame) Fisher Thurber. Both of his parents greatly influenced his work. His father, a sporadically employed clerk and minor politician who dreamed of being a lawyer or an actor, is said to have been the inspiration for the small, timid protagonist typical of many of his stories. Thurber described his mother as a "born comedienne" and "one of the finest comic talents I think I have ever known." She was a practical joker, on one occasion pretending to be crippled and attending a faith healer revival, only to jump up and proclaim herself healed.
Thurber had two brothers, William and Robert. Once, while playing a game of William Tell, his brother William shot James in the eye with an arrow. Because of the lack of medical technology, Thurber lost his eye. This injury would later cause him to be almost entirely blind. During his childhood he was unable to participate in sports and activities because of his injury, and instead developed a creative imagination, which he shared in his writings.
From 1913 to 1918, Thurber attended The Ohio State University, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He never graduated from the University because his poor eyesight prevented him from taking a mandatory ROTC course. In 1995 he was posthumously awarded a degree.
From 1918 to 1920, at the close of World War I, Thurber worked as a code clerk for the Department of State, first in Washington, D.C. and then at the American Embassy in Paris, France. After this Thurber returned to Columbus, where he began his writing career as a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch from 1921 to 1924. During part of this time, he reviewed current books, films, and plays in a weekly column called "Credos and Curios," a title that later would be given to a posthumous collection of his work. Thurber also returned to Paris in this period, where he wrote for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers.
In 1925, he moved to Greenwich Village in New York City, getting a job as a reporter for the New York Evening Post. He joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1927 as an editor with the help of his friend and fellow New Yorker contributor, E.B. White. His career as a cartoonist began in 1930 when White found some of Thurber's drawings in a trash can and submitted them for publication. Thurber would contribute both his writings and his drawings to The New Yorker until the 1950s.
Thurber was married twice. In 1922, Thurber married Althea Adams. The marriage was troubled and ended in divorce in May 1935. Adams gave Thurber his only child, his daughter Rosemary. Thurber remarried in June, 1935 to Helen Wismer. His second marriage lasted until he died in 1961, at the age of 66, due to complications from pneumonia, which followed upon a stroke suffered at his home. His last words, aside from the repeated word "God," were "God bless... God damn," according to Helen Thurber.
Thurber had two brothers, William and Robert. Once, while playing a game of William Tell, his brother William shot James in the eye with an arrow. Because of the lack of medical technology, Thurber lost his eye. This injury would later cause him to be almost entirely blind. During his childhood he was unable to participate in sports and activities because of his injury, and instead developed a creative imagination, which he shared in his writings.
From 1913 to 1918, Thurber attended The Ohio State University, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He never graduated from the University because his poor eyesight prevented him from taking a mandatory ROTC course. In 1995 he was posthumously awarded a degree.
From 1918 to 1920, at the close of World War I, Thurber worked as a code clerk for the Department of State, first in Washington, D.C. and then at the American Embassy in Paris, France. After this Thurber returned to Columbus, where he began his writing career as a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch from 1921 to 1924. During part of this time, he reviewed current books, films, and plays in a weekly column called "Credos and Curios," a title that later would be given to a posthumous collection of his work. Thurber also returned to Paris in this period, where he wrote for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers.
In 1925, he moved to Greenwich Village in New York City, getting a job as a reporter for the New York Evening Post. He joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1927 as an editor with the help of his friend and fellow New Yorker contributor, E.B. White. His career as a cartoonist began in 1930 when White found some of Thurber's drawings in a trash can and submitted them for publication. Thurber would contribute both his writings and his drawings to The New Yorker until the 1950s.
Thurber was married twice. In 1922, Thurber married Althea Adams. The marriage was troubled and ended in divorce in May 1935. Adams gave Thurber his only child, his daughter Rosemary. Thurber remarried in June, 1935 to Helen Wismer. His second marriage lasted until he died in 1961, at the age of 66, due to complications from pneumonia, which followed upon a stroke suffered at his home. His last words, aside from the repeated word "God," were "God bless... God damn," according to Helen Thurber.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 15, 2019
This is a little illustrated book that has 2 James Thurber stories in it: ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ and ‘The Secret Life of James Thurber”. I have read Walter Mitty in 8th grade and back then I loved that story. I was a daydreamer and I loved this story about someone who daydreamed all the time. I related. I don’t think this is the whole story, just the first portion of the story.
The second book is more an autobiography of sorts. James speaks to the reader and talks about his life. He always admired Salvador Dali and he had a book called ‘the Secret Life of Salvador Dali’. James constantly compares his life growing up to Dali’s life growing up. Nothing exciting came out of this story about who James was. He had a normal upbringing in Ohio where people did not encourage creativity. The two stories work well together.
I read this to the niece over 2 nights. I think it was too soon. She said the story was rather slow. I was older when I read it and it’s still to early. She did seem bored, but she did try. She gave it 2 stars for now. I hope she can revisit the story someday.
The artwork is just a bubble here or there on the page to go with the text and it’s not very exciting either so the illustrations didn’t help.
The second book is more an autobiography of sorts. James speaks to the reader and talks about his life. He always admired Salvador Dali and he had a book called ‘the Secret Life of Salvador Dali’. James constantly compares his life growing up to Dali’s life growing up. Nothing exciting came out of this story about who James was. He had a normal upbringing in Ohio where people did not encourage creativity. The two stories work well together.
I read this to the niece over 2 nights. I think it was too soon. She said the story was rather slow. I was older when I read it and it’s still to early. She did seem bored, but she did try. She gave it 2 stars for now. I hope she can revisit the story someday.
The artwork is just a bubble here or there on the page to go with the text and it’s not very exciting either so the illustrations didn’t help.
June 29, 2013
Walter Mitty is a mild-mannered little man with an overbearing wife, a she-who-is-to-be-obeyed type. However Walter has a rich life in daydreams, and herein lies the fun of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Quite charming and fun.
The Secret Life of James Thurber find the author lamenting the paucity of exotic background which keeps him from achieving the fame and fortune of Salvadore Dali. He then expounds on the imagery brought to the child's mind by such terms as "skeleton key," "the man who could not put his foot down," "the old lady who was always up in the air," "the man who lost his head in a fire," and many others. Amusing and fun and left me wanting more.
The Secret Life of James Thurber find the author lamenting the paucity of exotic background which keeps him from achieving the fame and fortune of Salvadore Dali. He then expounds on the imagery brought to the child's mind by such terms as "skeleton key," "the man who could not put his foot down," "the old lady who was always up in the air," "the man who lost his head in a fire," and many others. Amusing and fun and left me wanting more.
November 2, 2018
Reasons why I loved this book.
First off, I never watched the movie. And today, I'm still not inclined too. I originally picked up this WISP version, however, with the realization that "this was a book??!". Of course it was. A short story. As many movies seem to be these days.
Anyway. I was taken in. However brief the story. It's easy to see how. The life we dream up for ourselves is almost certainly more pleasing, entertaining, and satisfying than what we have. So Mr. Mitty was guilty of spending the bulk of his time in a dream world that was a lot better than reality. Who can blame him, really? In my dream world, I'd be a hero too!
A quick read with brilliant illustrations. Don't forget about this classic.
First off, I never watched the movie. And today, I'm still not inclined too. I originally picked up this WISP version, however, with the realization that "this was a book??!". Of course it was. A short story. As many movies seem to be these days.
Anyway. I was taken in. However brief the story. It's easy to see how. The life we dream up for ourselves is almost certainly more pleasing, entertaining, and satisfying than what we have. So Mr. Mitty was guilty of spending the bulk of his time in a dream world that was a lot better than reality. Who can blame him, really? In my dream world, I'd be a hero too!
A quick read with brilliant illustrations. Don't forget about this classic.
December 24, 2017
I watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty movie a few years ago. Its my favorite movie, so I wanted to read the short story book. My local library only had Secret Lives of Walter Mitty and of James Thurber. I enjoyed this VERY SHORT story of Walter Mitty. I am not familiar with James Thurber, so I didn't like the Secret Life of James Thurber.
February 13, 2015
I've always wanted to watch the Secret Life of Walter Mitty and because of my movie book club that I participating in, they showed that the movie is based from a short story so I looked up the story and found this only copy at my local library.
The illustrations by Marc Simont are fantastic and makes the story more enjoyable with having the graphic depictions to be exact to the storytelling. The story though very short, is about an old man named Walter Mitty, who drives into town with his wife and starts having day dream adventures with certain actions. For example, when he wears his glove to drive and he takes them off, he imagines that he is a doctor performing a rare surgery. Overall it was good but I felt that this story was extremely short and didn't give you enough about Walter or supply more actions to his day dreams.
The illustrations by Marc Simont are fantastic and makes the story more enjoyable with having the graphic depictions to be exact to the storytelling. The story though very short, is about an old man named Walter Mitty, who drives into town with his wife and starts having day dream adventures with certain actions. For example, when he wears his glove to drive and he takes them off, he imagines that he is a doctor performing a rare surgery. Overall it was good but I felt that this story was extremely short and didn't give you enough about Walter or supply more actions to his day dreams.
January 19, 2015
The Secret life of Walter Mitty is a very creative and interesting book, to me it is a slow reader because of the fact that you have to pay attention to the ... before each of his imaginations. The general setting and plot of the story I read is: ...Mitty is driving a boat in a storm. Comes back to real life, drops wife off at store. drives past hospital ... Mitty is a surgeon etc.
“Not so fast! You’re driving too fast!” said Mrs. Mitty. Is one of many verbal announcements after him having one of his hallucinations, usually his imaginations start with a "We’re going through!”(Thurber) or . . . “It’s the millionaire banker, Wellington McMillan,”(Thurber)
James, Thurber. "The secret life of Walter Mitty." The New Yorker (1939): Web. 19 January. 2015.
“Not so fast! You’re driving too fast!” said Mrs. Mitty. Is one of many verbal announcements after him having one of his hallucinations, usually his imaginations start with a "We’re going through!”(Thurber) or . . . “It’s the millionaire banker, Wellington McMillan,”(Thurber)
James, Thurber. "The secret life of Walter Mitty." The New Yorker (1939): Web. 19 January. 2015.
May 23, 2014
A humorous look at mid-life marriage, and Thurber's character Mitty, who who is always day dreaming, and imagining himself as someone else. It was the perfect short story to read before seeing the new movie with Ben Stiller based loosely on this Thurber classic. The photography and landscapes were awesome in the movie!
I remember my parents saying Thurber was hilarious and trying to get me to read him when I was a teenager, but I never appreciated his humor until I grew up. I have to admit I really liked this story. A little late, but thanks, Dad and Mom! Read it on a Kindle download, in just an hr or so--but laughed out loud at the end.
I remember my parents saying Thurber was hilarious and trying to get me to read him when I was a teenager, but I never appreciated his humor until I grew up. I have to admit I really liked this story. A little late, but thanks, Dad and Mom! Read it on a Kindle download, in just an hr or so--but laughed out loud at the end.
February 28, 2023
This is another of the series, Wonderfully Illustrated Short Pieces. I like this series and I want to find more of it. The publishers have taken short stories and essays from the past and teamed up the pieces with a suitable illustrator to make a, yes, Wonderfully Illustrated Short Piece. This is the second book in the series that I’ve read and I loved. I’m raving about it. I have put the other two in the series on my wishlist and I hope the publishers will continue to find great short works for this series.
October 26, 2011
"The beloved works of one of America's most celebrated writers is ... gorgeously illustrated in this collector's edition. Illustrator Marc Simont imaginatively renders the fantastic adventures of the famed protagonist in Thurber's beloved story and his tongue-in-cheek autobiographical essay 'The Secret Life of James Thurber', which first appeared in The New Yorker."
A charming book -- the drawings are whimsical and delightful. And of course the stories are well-known and indeed beloved.
A charming book -- the drawings are whimsical and delightful. And of course the stories are well-known and indeed beloved.
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September 7, 2013Favorite passage...
"There were many other wonderful figures in the secret, surrealist landscapes of my youth... It was a world that, of necessity, one had to keep to oneself and brood over in silence, because it would fall to pieces at the touch of words. If you brought it out into the light of actual day and put it to the test of questions, your parents would try to laugh the miracles away, or they would take your temperature and put you to bed."
"There were many other wonderful figures in the secret, surrealist landscapes of my youth... It was a world that, of necessity, one had to keep to oneself and brood over in silence, because it would fall to pieces at the touch of words. If you brought it out into the light of actual day and put it to the test of questions, your parents would try to laugh the miracles away, or they would take your temperature and put you to bed."
March 9, 2015
When they say that The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a short story, they mean short. It seemed like it ended just as it was getting started, but I enjoyed the simple premise that grown-ups can daydream and imagine, too. The Secret Life of James Thurber was not my favorite, and as someone who is not really familiar with his works it just seemed kind of strange to me. C'est la vie.
July 10, 2013
Walter Mitty is a treasured story of mine and this edition is enhanced by Marc Simont's wonderful color illustrations. I had not read the essay The Secret Life Of James Thurber, so it was a treat to read his skewering of the publishing business and his cock-eyed reminiscences of his childhood. He will always be my favorite humorist.
November 16, 2009
Wonderful illustrations combined with one of my favorite Thurber stories. I highly recommend this book and also recommend tracking down the episode of "Selected Shorts" where this story was read by Dick Cavett.
January 19, 2013
I am amazed at how short this is! I remember as a child watching the movie with Danny Kaye and had no idea it came from such a short story. I think it took me about 5 minutes to read this and I had to check to see if it was an abridged version.
January 26, 2015
THis is a fun little book. Thurber's classic story is worth rereading and his short take on his own life is pretty funny. He compares himself to Salvador Dali. Enough said. Oh, and the illustrations by Marc Simont are darling.
January 13, 2016
Delightful! I often wonder about my appreciation of humour being a bit under developed. No more.
Could no doubt be taken like a daily tonic to brighten any old day up.
This is in particular a exceptional edition.
Could no doubt be taken like a daily tonic to brighten any old day up.
This is in particular a exceptional edition.
November 13, 2013
It's a cute little read. Quixotic.
May 25, 2013
This is a very imaginative and charming book! The illustrations by Marc Simont make it an even more enjoyable journey. I highly recommend this quick read to everyone.
January 2, 2014
loved the Walter Mitty story, didn't really care for the one of James Thurber. i am really excited to watch Ben Stiller's version of Walter Mitty at the movies. the 1940s version was kind of boring
December 3, 2014
Enjoyed Walter Mitty, but really laughed out loud over Thurber's auto-biographical essay. The illustrations were humerous, even if they weren't Thurbers.
March 24, 2016
50 States and at least 50 authors 2016 Reading Challenge. OHIO.
August 25, 2016
Mr. Mitty clearly lives in a dream world. No one can fault him when you realize what his actual life is like. I found it a quick read that truly kept my interest.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews