Great humorist at his best — 39 prodigal pieces never before collected, all from Liberty Magazine in the early 30s. Gentle, urbane wit aimed at taxes, horse racing, Europeans who live their own stereotypes, sand kicked in one’s face at the beach, much more. Illustrations by Peter Arno.
Amazon.com Review: James Thurber once said that every humorist is haunted by the idea that the piece she is working on was done faster and better by Robert Benchley in 1919. And if Thurber said that, the scrubs that pass for wits today should be doubly scared. (Dave Barry once told me that Robert Benchley was his favorite humorist, and it shows, but we should give him points for honesty.) Benchley Lost and Found is a collection of pieces culled from the old Liberty Magazine, the work of those indefatigable scavengers, Dover Publications. This means that while the 39 pieces in the book aren't all of Benchley's gems, the volume is a nice introduction to one of America's true comic genii. Picking something at random: "'By George,' I said, examining it, 'it is not only a vitamin, but it is vitamin F! See how F it looks!' And, sure enough, it was vitamin F all over, the very vitamin F which had been eluding Science since that day in 1913 when Science decided that there were such things as vitamins. (Before 1913 people had just been eating food and dying like flies.)" Read Benchley. Make yourself happy.
Benchley's 1930s magazine pieces are still fresh and funny If you like Robert Benchley, you won't be disappointed by these 39 short stories which had never been anthologized before. If you don't know Benchley, you're in for a fun read, as Mr. B. shares his wistful memories (candy stores don't seem the same anymore; bicycles are due for a comeback); wishful thinking (why fog makes English racing a mockery, how to improve taxi service in the city); and pet peeves (why people spend so much time waiting in line, why modern children's books are so dull). Many of today's humorists owe a great deal to Robert Benchley's witty, slice-of-life style. The illustrations, typical of the '20s, are by Peter Arno and Adam John Barth, among others.
Thirty Nine Flavors of a Good Humor Man Like its cousin the comedic film the humorous essay rarely wins critical acclaim. Tragedy gets the Oscar, comedy a pat on the back. In the literary domain too tears of sorrow are more esteemed than tears of laughter.
Heaven save us from a world all somber. Give us more writers like Robert Benchley. BENCHLEY: LOST AND FOUND is an anthology of essays that details the plight of a modern everyday man pitted against social expectations and malicious devices.
"For a nation which has an almost evil reputation for bustle, bustle, bustle, and rush, rush, rush, we spend an enormous amount of time standing around in line in front of windows, just waiting." This is Benchley on people waiting for service. Benchley on gaining weight: "So many simple little actions have been recently discovered to be fattening, there is hardly any move we can make, voluntary or involuntary, which does not put on weight for us." And where political conventions are concerned: " . . . every four years a mysterious list of names appears in the papers, names of people who claim to be `delegates', seemingly empowered to go to the conventions, eat nuts, and vote for candidates for the Presidency." Although the essays were written in the 1930's, the topics are surprisingly apropos to our time. All writing is contemporary in execution but good writing is timeless in application.
Humorous essays are deceptive in that they look casual. That glib approach doesn't come easy as Benchley has attested. His pieces were revised several times to achieve the flippant tone they are noted for. The reader benefits from his care.
What might be considered a defect in this collection is the lack of a biographical preface. Perhaps the editors believed the essays themselves sufficed in that regard. In truth, Benchley was not quite the hapless persona depicted in his essays. He earned a livelihood as a dramatic critic for several leading magazines as well as stared in short comic films. He raised several boys (his great grandson Peter Benchley wrote JAWS). He hobnobbed with notable literary and cinematic figures of his day.
It is perhaps too much to hope for to expect persons of violent temper would read these droll essays. These days of road rage and random shootings in fast food restaurants need an epidemic of Benchley's attitude toward the flaws of man and machine. Men and women then might be less likely to go berserk because of inconvenience.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
