Archyology : The Long Lost Tales of Archy and Mehitabel

by Don Marquis, ed frascino (Illustrator), Jeff Adams (Editor)

"Archy and his racy pal Mehitabel are timeless," noted E. B. White in his essay on Don Marquis and his famous creations, and the undimmed enthusiasm of several generations of fans -- who every year buy thousands of copies of Marquis' earlier collections -- testifies to their appeal. A whimsical and sophisticated sage, archy the cockroach entertained readers with iconoclastic observations on pretensions, politics, and our place in the cosmos during Marquis' career as a New York newspaper columnist in the 1920s and 30s.

Allegedly tapping out stories at night by leaping from key to key on Marquis' typewriter, archy couldn't quite manage the shift key for capital letters. Although his tales appeared in lower case, his views achieved a level grand enough to solidify Marquis' reputation as an American humorist in the tradition of Mark Twain, Joel Chandler Harris, and Ring Lardner. archyology brings together selected "lost" tales that were literally rescued from oblivion by Jeff Adams, who found them among papers stored in a steamer trunk since Marquis' death.

And so archy emerges from his long silence. Whether reporting on characters like emmet the ghost, sailing to Paris to visit the insects of Europe, being trapped for days in a New York subway train, or hanging out in a Long Island orchard enjoying fermented cherries, archy is always both provocative and inimitable. With illustrations by Ed Frascino, a New Yorker regular, this collection reintroduces a delightful cast of characters who reconfirm archy's view of the world: "the only way to live with it is to laugh at it.

Genres: Poetry, Humor, Cats, Fiction

103 pages, Hardcover

Published February 15, 1996

About the author

Donald Robert Perry "Don" Marquis was a newspaper columnist as well as a playwright, novelist, and poet, best known for his "Archy and Mehitabel" free verse and his "Old Soak" anti-Prohibition play.

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

These lost poems are a delightful addition to the "Archy" canon. Very little Mehitabel here, but on the other hand Archy goes to Paris, and gets decidedly more political than in the more famous Archy and Mehitabel, (most of these poems were apparently written shortly after WWI - although the poems were only found and published in the mid-90s).

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first introduction to Archy and he quickly became one of my idols. So much sass from a little cockroach with a typewriter!
It amazed me that simple things written in the early 1900s can be so relatable to today. His attitude, sass and perspective on the world were a treat to read. I hope to read more soon!

[Josiah Peachey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilarious.

[Steven Scribner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming humor from about 100 years ago. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but subtle wit that brings on a smile and a chuckle long after reading. I would have liked an explanation of how the cockroach learned to jump-type (read the book if you don't know what I mean by that), but there are hundreds of these little story-poems and so I'm assuming that that's covered in another anthology.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author may have died 70 years ago, but archy and his pal, mehitabel, live on and on. No capital letters because no shift key for the little cockroach archy, a reincarnated poet, who jumps around on a columnist's typewriter, leaving missives after hours. His pal, mehitabel, is a street wise, street walking cat. A whimsical and wise pair who see the world surprisingly clearly. Don Marquis wrote these stories originally as a column - how wonderful they've survived and been reprinted all these many years later.

[Frances Sawaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight. For years I have enjoyed the antics and musings of archy and mehitabel. My favorite from this collection has to be "diplomacy," especially in light of the historic meeting this weekend between the Koreas.
Would that some in the US administration had the wisdom of the cockroach/hero of this book.

[Thannasset · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun! All questionable insects and alleycats should read, as well as all who think they don't like them!

Enjoy!

[Joshua McCune · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters of Archy and Mehitabel (hereafter, in keeping with the poetic licence, referred to as archy and mehitabel) were introduced to me by a friend. I was initially sceptical, as one might naturally be - how could I possibly be interested in a cockroach and a cat?

Well, it’s safe to say, after I’ve just finished reading all 103 pages in one sitting, that you really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (although it is a wonderful cover)! The preface is well worth reading, as it sets out directly what the roles are in the story, making it a really fluid, easy-to-read book of poetry. The cockroach archy, an inquisitive and excitable little insect, is clearly engaged with the world around him. In archyology, we see archy travel to Paris, after some apprehension from the ‘boss’ (Don Marquis), who acts both as a ruler and as a friend, and, humorously, the Cunard lines company. It’s easy to imagine archy “bumping” about on the typewriter, scribing his story as he travels and discovers the world around him.

More than that, though, the storyline encourages some thought about how the world is viewed by us all. In the same way as archy and mehitabel are interconnected, and further the interactions that archy has with other cockroaches, with people, with his own discoveries... maybe we are even more interconnected and should be more amiable than we perhaps are.

Once you’ve begun following archy’s journey, you don’t want to stop halfway through - and you won’t. I thoroughly enjoyed archyology, and I look very forward to delving into more tales and adventures of archy and mehitabel.

[Brian Hutzell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have way too many books to fit in my small apartment, so I'm instituting a rule that for however many books come into the apartment, that same number must go out. I'm also starting to get rid of a book as soon as I finish reading it. I'll be keeping this one though, because it's small and fun and could come in handy for those evenings when I just need to dip into something enjoyable. That isn't to say that some of Archy's commentary isn't biting. He is a very perceptive cockroach!

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmmm....less humorous yet at the same time more historically interesting than I was expecting.

[NDB · Rating 3 out of 5]

a number of unpublished poems from various times.
good but would have been better if more context was provided

[Tim Poston · Rating 5 out of 5]

More archy

More mehitabel

You could say "more of the same", and that would be true,
but it would not be negative ... after years without a masala dosa,
would you refuse delight because you had already tasted some?
These are not discarded scraps.

I doubt if I will find myself reciting bits of these verses
the way the older-published ones are settled in my brain,
but that is just my memory turning older.

[Robin Scanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved and was inspired by this book.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who thinks newsroom cockroaches aren't big enough to press typewriter keys never worked for some of my former employers.