The culling of the best, the choicest passages, from the famous Prejudices, which in their day made Mencken leader of the iconoclasts, shocker of the conservatives, and favorite of the younger generation. Today, the essays, the passages, the epigrams and maxims, make good reading, but somehow we take him in our stride. He has made few alterations- some elisions- but in the main they stand as written. Since the series of Prejudices, six in all, have been unavailable, many will welcome the accessibility of this material in one weighty tome. His ribaldry, his refusal to accept the orthodox, his puncturing of frauds, his gift for the pat phrase, the colorful figure of speech, all make for refreshing reading. His views on women, on sex, on religion, on morals, on government, on democracy have been much quoted, frequently misquoted. Here's a chance to read him for yourself. He will endear himself to few, for he debunks pretensions, and shows the clay feet of idols. Even his obituaries make no concessions. Urbane and witty, he is frequently a healthy irritant. Economics, pedagogy, psychology, science come in for some subtle dissection. There are bits of personal history- polemics against the New Deal- commentary on modern criticism and its shortcomings- buffooneries (including the bathtub hoax)- rich choice for varied moods. And an excellent introduction for this generation to a man who loves life.
Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 0394752090
Page Count: -
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1949
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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