Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories

By:

Synopsis
A bestselling classic of humorous and nostalgic Americana, reissued in a strikingly designed trade paperback edition.Before Garrison Keillor and Spalding Gray there was Jean Shepherd: a master monologist and writer who spun the materials of his all-American childhood into immensely resonant--and utterly hilarious--works of comic art. Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories is a universal (and achingly funny) orchestration of Midwestern puberty rites, from the gut-wrenching playground antics of one Delbert Bumpus, to the supernal glow surrounding unapproachable high school beauty Daphne Bigelow, to the memorable disaster that was Shepherd's (and everyone else's) junior prom.A comic genius who bridges the gap between James Thurber and David Sedaris, Shepherd may have accomplished for Holden, Indiana, what Mark Twain did for Hannibal, Missouri.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Copyright:
1971

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:
9780307575364
Related ISBNs:
9780385116329
Publisher:
Crown Publishing Group
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Jean Shepherd
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Literature and Fiction, Humor
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

Reviews

5 out of 5

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This all-time classic followed five years after the equally timeless "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash." The stories continue as Shepherd's boyhood moves along. first, a hysterical account of the Bumpus family--the entire inbred mob, thousands of them, tossing out garbage and raising Cain, as the saying went then. The people were bad enough--their smelly hounds were a million times worse. Next comes a tale of a county fair, highlighted by a description of a dirt track race of the '30s or '40s vintage. no real names are used, but a racing nut could recognize Lou Myer, Floyd Roberts, Wilbur Shaw or any of the greats of that day in the story. The entire fair is laid out before us, and those of us who went to fairs in our childhood remember the fun we had as we read this. Next, maybe the weakest link here, a tale of top spinning where we meet Scutt Farkess, well known from "A Christmas Story." Next come two highly funny dating stories-one of which especially struck home with me. I think every male has a Daphne Bigelow in his life. Mine was a Princeton student I met walking across campus to a football game. God only knows why I asked for a date with somebody so clearly past my reach, and God knows why she said yes. The date happened, and Shepherd's account of his date with Daphne parallels my date with she who shall not be named. Next comes the only story of Shepherd the adult, in which his sainted Mom sends him a giant carton of his boyhood toys--some of which are still in working order after almost 40 years. Last but not least, the title tale, a tale of every junior or senior prom any young man ever went to--except me who blew the whole thing. Memo to boys of 16 or 17--don't plan on taking a girl to the prom, and not have a backup plan if she dumps you. Shepherd played it right--after not being brave enough to risk another disappointment with Daphne, he settles for Wanda Hickey, and pretty much gets what he pays for. Some of these stories, particularly the title tale, appear on film in "The Phantom of the Open Hearth," which can be seen in full on youtube. Enjoy, in print or on film.