Disappointing. I had read two Dorothy Parker stories, "But The One On The Right" and "The Telephone Call." Both were examples of interior monologue in the book Points of View (5 stars, if you enjoy reading about the craftsmanship of writing). The first was entertaining, the second not so much. Unfortunately, Dorothy Parker Stories is filled with more like the second and few like the first.

What I knew of the author was her celebrated wit. We have a cocktail napkin with an example:

I like to have a martini,
Two at the very most,
Three I'm under the table,
Four I'm under my host.

I'd also read where some snarky woman had paused to let her walk through a doorway first, saying, "Age before beauty." Without missing a beat Parker retorted, "Pearls before swine" and breezed through the doorway. Little of that wit is on display in this collection, just a lot of stories comprised mainly of dialogue between a weak, clingy woman and either a heartless cad or a bored and boring husband.

We bought this book when we were decorating because it has a yellow spine and we wanted colorful books, not the monotone white monstrosities you see for sale in furniture stores. Well, it's back on the shelf under the television, yellow and often overlooked, as seems appropriate. ( )

I adore Dorothy Parker, adore adore adore. Whether it's such an agreeable edge of things as in "The Short Story, Through The Ages", or an apropos nod to Tolstoy's "All happy families are alike..." as in "The Wonderful Old Gentleman", the racist's "I swear I'm not racist, but" as in "Arrangement In Black and White", the heartbreaking saga of "Horsie", or the fit of laughter that accompanies "The Waltz" or "The Little Hours"; Parker's just GOT it. It's human and you can see it, one of the best combinations I can look for in a read. ( )

Witty and funny. ( )