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Add a Dash of Pity
Peter Ustinov was revered as one of the world's truly legendary entertainers. As an actor, producer, director, novelist, playwright, and columnist, his body of work was not only vast and thoroughly impressive, but enduring. Add a Dash of Pity, a superb collection of short stories, shows Sir Peter at his narrative, perceptive best.
Ustinov possessed the uncommon ability to amuse and touch readers simultaneously, a talent which has nowhere been better displayed than in this fascinating array of short stories, which includes: "The Man Who Took It Easy," "The Wingless Icarus," "The Man in the Moon," "A Place in the Shade," "A Word in the World's Ear," "There Are 43,200 Seconds in a Day," "The Aftertaste," and the title piece, "Add a Dash of Pity."
"[Ustinov] has the rarest of the satirist's gifts that of using mockery to build character and to express compassion. . . . His sympathy goes to weak, likeable people struggling to keep in step with the demands of social convention; it is against these . . . that he directs his most savage comedy." -The Times Literary Supplement
"[The title story is] superb, moving, intriguing. Ustinov, with perfect timing and detail, has here written a great short story, and from this point his book does not falter." -The Daily Express
"Ustinov writes with great wit and fills these memorable tales with clever, parenthetical insights along with a clear moral thrust." -Publishers Weekly
". . . sprightly, brightly written stories. Ustinov has a pleasantly light touch, both with his graceful, comma-sprinkled sentences and his characterization. . .It's almost surprising that Ustinov isn't a staple in creative writing classes; these carefully conceived slices of life are models of the 20th-century short story." -Sacramento News & Review
". . . intelligent, philosophical and satirical. The characters are astonishingly vivid and dynamically presented. . . The writing is intensely detailed, journalistic, and yet Ustinov lets dialogue do what it should doshow rather than tell the unilluminated facts about characters and situations." -Small Press Magazine
Ustinov possessed the uncommon ability to amuse and touch readers simultaneously, a talent which has nowhere been better displayed than in this fascinating array of short stories, which includes: "The Man Who Took It Easy," "The Wingless Icarus," "The Man in the Moon," "A Place in the Shade," "A Word in the World's Ear," "There Are 43,200 Seconds in a Day," "The Aftertaste," and the title piece, "Add a Dash of Pity."
"[Ustinov] has the rarest of the satirist's gifts that of using mockery to build character and to express compassion. . . . His sympathy goes to weak, likeable people struggling to keep in step with the demands of social convention; it is against these . . . that he directs his most savage comedy." -The Times Literary Supplement
"[The title story is] superb, moving, intriguing. Ustinov, with perfect timing and detail, has here written a great short story, and from this point his book does not falter." -The Daily Express
"Ustinov writes with great wit and fills these memorable tales with clever, parenthetical insights along with a clear moral thrust." -Publishers Weekly
". . . sprightly, brightly written stories. Ustinov has a pleasantly light touch, both with his graceful, comma-sprinkled sentences and his characterization. . .It's almost surprising that Ustinov isn't a staple in creative writing classes; these carefully conceived slices of life are models of the 20th-century short story." -Sacramento News & Review
". . . intelligent, philosophical and satirical. The characters are astonishingly vivid and dynamically presented. . . The writing is intensely detailed, journalistic, and yet Ustinov lets dialogue do what it should doshow rather than tell the unilluminated facts about characters and situations." -Small Press Magazine
218 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1958
1 person is currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Peter Ustinov
148 books55 followersSir Peter Alexander Ustinov, CBE, was a English actor, writer and dramatist.
He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, director, stage designer, screenwriter, comedian, humorist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter.
A noted wit and raconteur, he was, for much of his career, a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits, as well as a respected intellectual and diplomat who, in addition to his various academic posts, served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and President of the World Federalist Movement.
Ustinov was the winner of numerous awards over his life, including Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards, as well the recipient of governmental honours from, amongst others, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. He displayed a unique cultural versatility that has frequently earned him the accolade of a Renaissance Man.
He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, director, stage designer, screenwriter, comedian, humorist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter.
A noted wit and raconteur, he was, for much of his career, a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits, as well as a respected intellectual and diplomat who, in addition to his various academic posts, served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and President of the World Federalist Movement.
Ustinov was the winner of numerous awards over his life, including Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards, as well the recipient of governmental honours from, amongst others, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. He displayed a unique cultural versatility that has frequently earned him the accolade of a Renaissance Man.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 23, 2022
Quite simply amazing. What a cast of characters.
March 28, 2011
These short stories are so brilliantly written, that you really forget, they are half a century old. Sir Peter Ustinov was the last true renaissance man.
His witty, insightful, smart and very dark humorous looks at the world and its nonsense are amazing. His understanding of the mechanisms in politics and history are perceptible in every short.
The only reason for not rating it 5 stars, is that I haven't read it in 10 years.
His witty, insightful, smart and very dark humorous looks at the world and its nonsense are amazing. His understanding of the mechanisms in politics and history are perceptible in every short.
The only reason for not rating it 5 stars, is that I haven't read it in 10 years.
June 26, 2017
Про военного историка-журналиста, который случайно наткнулся на один эпизод в войне, когда столкнулись два военных – один из них смелый и т.п., а второй – трус и т.д.
Трус написал книгу и выставил себя суперменом, а второго, храброго – пьяницей, который не подчинялся приказом. А журналист встретился со всеми сторонами (в том числе и с немцами) и выяснил, что все было наоборот, и "пьяница" - храбрец ))
И все же он решил не трясти старое, и оставить все как есть. Потому как у храбреца «достаточно широкие плечи, чтобы нести это бремя, а у Крауди – нет». В общем, храбрец посоветовал журналисту завести детей и добавить немного жалости в свои статьи… Чем, журналист в скором времени и занялся ))
Может быть и не особо интересный сюжет, но написано очень хорошо – очень проникновенно передаются настроения героев – какой-то жалобный рассказ...
Трус написал книгу и выставил себя суперменом, а второго, храброго – пьяницей, который не подчинялся приказом. А журналист встретился со всеми сторонами (в том числе и с немцами) и выяснил, что все было наоборот, и "пьяница" - храбрец ))
И все же он решил не трясти старое, и оставить все как есть. Потому как у храбреца «достаточно широкие плечи, чтобы нести это бремя, а у Крауди – нет». В общем, храбрец посоветовал журналисту завести детей и добавить немного жалости в свои статьи… Чем, журналист в скором времени и занялся ))
Может быть и не особо интересный сюжет, но написано очень хорошо – очень проникновенно передаются настроения героев – какой-то жалобный рассказ...
March 13, 2022
As an Actor Mr. Ustinov was marvellous! As a writer he has such a perception of Human character his observations are amazing and sometimes very amusing!
May 30, 2022
3 1/2. Sort of a mish mash of ideas. Not up to his normal level.
August 13, 2016
This is a book of short stories that are written with great wit and intelligence. They are also remarkable in that they are strangely current for stories written in the 1950's. What I mean by that is that he is very good at capturing and relating timeless ideas in regards to war, politics, psychology, courts, and family relationships. Although I found the first couple of stories rather incomprehensible and thought I wouldn't enjoy the book, but as I continued to read Add a Dash of Pity I was beginning to catch on to his writing style and to understand his witticisms. His endings were often, if not always, depressing, but all in all I found it enjoyable to immerse my mind in the clever stories of this author.
October 14, 2013
Brilliant
October 16, 2015
This book is recommended reading by Edith Ronald Mirrielees' Story Writing for Ustinov's impressive ability to create characters.
May 1, 2013
Bored beyond belief
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews