My Life and Hard Times (Perennial Classics)

James Thurber was a cartoonist and writer for the New Yorker for many years. In cartoons and writing, Thurber possessed a dry, matter-of-fact wit.I first read My Life and Hard Times--an ostensible Thurber autobiography--in seventh grade. I found it roll-on-the-floor funny then, and mostly do so still today.Thurber takes the eccentricities of everyday life and family and draws them out just short of the absurd. The humor is droll. And wonderful. A fabulously funny book.I bought the book to read to my grandchildren. Though wonderful for early teens, this book will amuse and delight readers of any age.

This gem of a book takes us back to a time when humor was not forced, but honored for its presence in everyday life, if you had the gift of giving voice to it. Such a creature was Thurber. His drawings convey a maximum of meaning, with a minimum of detail. So does his prose. In this book, the visit of the ghost is a perfect example. A rare reading delight.

A reread of a classic James Thurber's view of his life with humor and wit. James Thurber 1894-1961 lived through some momentous times in our country and became one of its greatest writers. His writings are as readable today as then.I read these stories thirty five years ago and still they are vivid in memory. Rereading is a nostalgic trip for me. His views of his family life, in this slim volume, are hilarious and provides one a feeling of good cheer for an afternoon. He said of himself on writing this book: I myself have accomplished nothing of excellence except a remarkable and, to some of my friends, unaccountable expertness in hitting ginger ale bottles with small rocks at a distance of thirty paces.He was the first editor of the New Yorker magazine and contributed many books for our enjoyment

This is my favorite book of all time. Whenever I need a laugh, I take this out and read it….again. My husband and I know parts of it by heart and use phrases from this book as shorthand to describe events around us or some activity we intend to pursue. The illustrations are like old friends because I've seen them so many times. You can show me a drawing from this book and I will know what story it illustrates, what action is taking place, and sometimes I can give you the caption verbatim. The reason I bought this book at this time was that my paperback copy is falling apart and I thought it was high time I had a hardback copy for safety's sake.I will comment that the printing in this particular edition is blurry in several places.

A great Thurber book. Not to give the Kindle edition a hard time, but the title of the book is wrong. It’s supposed to say hard times, not hard time. Apparently this is the abridged edition. Can’t we at least get the title right?

it's james thurber....what more could you want or say? takes you to another time when the world was much simpler , more family oriented and gentler.

A very entertaining read; recalling a simpler time, even though most readers will have been born long after the times these short stories recall. Thurber is a master with the written word, painting details of his memories so that even younger readers will be transported back to these magical times and places. The author describes incredible characters and impossible events, yet as the page reveals them, they come to life in believeable and full life form. My Life and Hard Times (Perennial Classics)  Highly recommended for the busy reader, who is forced to read in short, interrupted spurts of time. The reader will easily pick up the entertaining stories even after having left them for days.

Excellent read! These stories are nearly 100 years old but do not suffer with age. I laughed out loud and even googled the "flood" event because the story seemed too outlandish to be real. Thurber was a comic genius.

Simply one of the funniest, cleverest books I’ve ever read. Better part of a century old, but that just goes to show you how little human nature has changed. The simple, incisive line drawings are woven perfectly into the text for even more belly laughs.

Enjoy to read it. Funny stories, imagination at the top.

Excellent service

Good book. Individual interesting short stories.

A very funny and charming book!