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Big Blonde and Other Stories
Three brilliant tales by a master 'Big Blonde', 'The Sexes'and 'Dusk Before Fireworks'.W. Somerset Maugham on 'Dorothy Parker has a wonderfully delicate ear for human speech .... Her style is easy without being slipshod and cultivated without affectation. It is a perfect instrument for the display of her many-sided humour, her irony, her sarcasm, her tenderness, her pathos.'
58 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1929
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About the author
Dorothy Parker
313 books2,020 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
Dorothy Parker was an American writer, poet and critic best known for her caustic wit, wisecracks, and sharp eye for 20th century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhappy childhood, Parker rose to acclaim, both for her literary output in such venues as The New Yorker and as a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table. Following the breakup of the circle, Parker traveled to Hollywood to pursue screenwriting. Her successes there, including two Academy Award nominations, were curtailed as her involvement in left-wing politics led to a place on the Hollywood blacklist.
Dismissive of her own talents, she deplored her reputation as a "wisecracker." Nevertheless, her literary output and reputation for her sharp wit have endured.
Dorothy Parker was an American writer, poet and critic best known for her caustic wit, wisecracks, and sharp eye for 20th century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhappy childhood, Parker rose to acclaim, both for her literary output in such venues as The New Yorker and as a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table. Following the breakup of the circle, Parker traveled to Hollywood to pursue screenwriting. Her successes there, including two Academy Award nominations, were curtailed as her involvement in left-wing politics led to a place on the Hollywood blacklist.
Dismissive of her own talents, she deplored her reputation as a "wisecracker." Nevertheless, her literary output and reputation for her sharp wit have endured.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
April 24, 2025
I think I might have enjoyed this if I'd read it when it was written, in 1929, during Prohibition. But with all the self-medicating, depressed, lost souls that populate the real and literary landscape now, I found it hard to get interested in Hazel Morse. Drinking then would have been a bit like recreational drugs now - against the law, but available for those who want it.
I think Hazel just felt like a familiar stereotype to me, with little to admire and not enough to feel sorry for. But at least three stars because, well, Dorothy Parker.
It's free online, if you'd like to take a look yourself.
https://www.fadedpage.com/books/20180...
I think Hazel just felt like a familiar stereotype to me, with little to admire and not enough to feel sorry for. But at least three stars because, well, Dorothy Parker.
It's free online, if you'd like to take a look yourself.
https://www.fadedpage.com/books/20180...
August 16, 2018
Dorothy Parker's short-story about the suppression of women in society (especially the society of the day in which it was written) and their relationship to men. The men in this story appear to recognize only two kinds of women, wives and mistresses, and Hazel Morse drifts from being a good-time girl to being a wife to being a mistress, without really understanding how or why. She is expected in all these roles to be uncomplaining, fun and without need.
She is seen as an object, rather than a person, by the men who come through her life. They use her, they pay her, and they expect her to be up and laughing all the time. Her life, on the other hand is empty, and empty lives lead to depression. The descent is difficult to watch, but easy to understand.
I like the non-judgmental way Parker writes the story. She doesn't display any sentiment toward Hazel and hardly seems to sympathize with her...it is just the way it is. We are left to draw the conclusion ourselves whether it is unfair or lamentable, or simply the life of a woman.
She is seen as an object, rather than a person, by the men who come through her life. They use her, they pay her, and they expect her to be up and laughing all the time. Her life, on the other hand is empty, and empty lives lead to depression. The descent is difficult to watch, but easy to understand.
I like the non-judgmental way Parker writes the story. She doesn't display any sentiment toward Hazel and hardly seems to sympathize with her...it is just the way it is. We are left to draw the conclusion ourselves whether it is unfair or lamentable, or simply the life of a woman.
April 12, 2013
Descorazonadora historia la de nuestra rubia imponente... aunque más que imponente es tonta y del montón. No sabemos si tiene sentimientos porque los oculta. No sabemos si es luchadora, porque se deja llevar por la ignorancia de los hombres que la acompañan. ¿Es ella también una ignorante? ¿Qué ocurre cuando una mujer que podría tenerlo todo decide quedarse escondida, alimentarse de sus problemas, y finalmente no tener nada? Una ignorante, quizá, o una infeliz. Una mujer corpulenta, sexual, con problemas mentales ¿fingidos?, con dificultad para mantener a sus amigas, adicta a la bebida, adicta al juego, adicta a los hombres que le harán daño, y lo peor: adicta a que le hagan daño. Podría ser un retrato de época (de hecho lo es), de cuando ellas buscaban la independencia a tientas y se encontraban consigo mismas y sus futuros destrozados. Podría ser un retrato de época y sin embargo es un retrato tan actual. Dorothy Parker da voz aquí (con ironía y también con compasión) a lo que será el modelo heroína de nuestros días: esa persona (ya da igual hombre o mujer, aunque intuyo que ocurre más en el segundo caso) trastornada con ganas de explotar su tristeza y de demostrar al mundo que su rostro es el más demacrado. Recordemos: la enfermedad está de moda. Recordemos: la ignorancia está de moda. Recordemos: aquí sólo vale el que mejor se lamenta.
Me ha parecido, en definitiva, un libro alucinante sobre los límites de la tristeza y sobre el fracaso personal. Esta edición de Una rubia imponente publicada por Nórdica es además preciosa, y hace llevadera con sus ilustraciones la crueldad que el libro esconde... Y pienso... No seamos rubias imponentes. Seamos Dorothy Parker.
http://www.lunamiguel.com/2013/04/muj...
Me ha parecido, en definitiva, un libro alucinante sobre los límites de la tristeza y sobre el fracaso personal. Esta edición de Una rubia imponente publicada por Nórdica es además preciosa, y hace llevadera con sus ilustraciones la crueldad que el libro esconde... Y pienso... No seamos rubias imponentes. Seamos Dorothy Parker.
http://www.lunamiguel.com/2013/04/muj...
December 11, 2018
Un buen relato que cuenta la historia de una mujer vanidosa y superficial que lleva una vida regalada, pasando de hombre en hombre, cayendo en el alcoholismo, victima de una inmensa tristeza, ella no sabe porqué es tan infeliz, nosotros los lectores, sí. Pero lo que mas me ha gustado del libro son las ilustraciones de Elisa Arguilé que reflejan a la perfección los estados de ánimo por los que pasa la rubia y potencian los efectos que causa el relato.
December 23, 2024
I simply cannot resist anything written by Dorothy Parker. The first work I read from her was ENOUGH ROPE, peppered with witty lines that reached up and slapped my face, and it was enough to catapult me into Parker mania.
BIG BLONDE is no different. The author is unapologetic in her depiction of the hollow Hazel Morse, a poster-child for the suppression of women during that era. She is everything to everyone... and yet she is nothing to herself. Empty. A shell. It alludes happiness can be a facade to cover something much darker such as depression and low self-esteem. To watch Hazel's descent is... sad. Good-time girl... popular... wife... mistress... alcoholic... spiralling.
The author does not hold back (something she never does in her in-your-face writing). I like the internal buttons Parker presses and enjoyed BIG BLONDE very much despite it being laced with a sadness that made me reflect how life can spiral downward if one isn't in tune with their own goals and self-worth. 4/5
BIG BLONDE is no different. The author is unapologetic in her depiction of the hollow Hazel Morse, a poster-child for the suppression of women during that era. She is everything to everyone... and yet she is nothing to herself. Empty. A shell. It alludes happiness can be a facade to cover something much darker such as depression and low self-esteem. To watch Hazel's descent is... sad. Good-time girl... popular... wife... mistress... alcoholic... spiralling.
The author does not hold back (something she never does in her in-your-face writing). I like the internal buttons Parker presses and enjoyed BIG BLONDE very much despite it being laced with a sadness that made me reflect how life can spiral downward if one isn't in tune with their own goals and self-worth. 4/5
August 17, 2018
Here follows a free online link to the story: https://www.fadedpage.com/books/20180...
Other formats are available here: https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.ph...
"This ebook is made available at no cost and with very few restrictions. These restrictions apply only if (1) you make a change in the ebook (other than alteration for different display devices), or (2) you are making commercial use of the ebook. If either of these conditions applies, please check with an FP administrator before proceeding. "
"This work is in the Canadian public domain, but may be under copyright in some countries. If you live outside Canada, check your country's copyright laws. If the book is under copyright in your country, do not download or redistribute this file."
*****************************
Review:
This is a sad story. It is a description of life for many down and out people, and by this I mean those without anchor.
A cheery demeanor, jokes and drinks in a bar become a life of emptiness, of booze and barbiturates.
Happiness—what is it, how do you achieve it, does it just drop on you from heaven or must you work to achieve it? This is what I think the story is about.
Who is at fault and who is to blame are the questions one asks next. To what extent is it your own responsibility to care for yourself?
It is a bit long. Much of it is told. At the end there is dialog, and it here the prose improves.
Try it. See what you think.
I prefer the author's story Arrangement In Black and White more. I have given that four stars.
Other formats are available here: https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.ph...
"This ebook is made available at no cost and with very few restrictions. These restrictions apply only if (1) you make a change in the ebook (other than alteration for different display devices), or (2) you are making commercial use of the ebook. If either of these conditions applies, please check with an FP administrator before proceeding. "
"This work is in the Canadian public domain, but may be under copyright in some countries. If you live outside Canada, check your country's copyright laws. If the book is under copyright in your country, do not download or redistribute this file."
*****************************
Review:
This is a sad story. It is a description of life for many down and out people, and by this I mean those without anchor.
A cheery demeanor, jokes and drinks in a bar become a life of emptiness, of booze and barbiturates.
Happiness—what is it, how do you achieve it, does it just drop on you from heaven or must you work to achieve it? This is what I think the story is about.
Who is at fault and who is to blame are the questions one asks next. To what extent is it your own responsibility to care for yourself?
It is a bit long. Much of it is told. At the end there is dialog, and it here the prose improves.
Try it. See what you think.
I prefer the author's story Arrangement In Black and White more. I have given that four stars.
July 3, 2023
Todo mundo sabe que a Dorothy Parker é a rainha dos one liners, mas ela se segura nos contos? Não só se segura como são impecáveis, não são apenas espirituosos, como também de uma passivo-agressividade bem nova-iorquina e em alguns pontos beiram a tragédia pela via da tragicomédia. Um sucesso.
Cineastas que recomendo para quem gosta de Dorothy Parker: Whit Stillman e Woody Allen, do próprio coração de Nova York, mas a diferença mais gritante é que Parker adota sempre o ponto de vista das mulheres, o que nem sempre acontece com esses cineastas.
Cineastas que recomendo para quem gosta de Dorothy Parker: Whit Stillman e Woody Allen, do próprio coração de Nova York, mas a diferença mais gritante é que Parker adota sempre o ponto de vista das mulheres, o que nem sempre acontece com esses cineastas.
February 20, 2022
Mi primera lectura de Dorothy Parker y seguro que no va a ser la última. Me ha encantado esta historia de Hazel, la rubia imponente, una mujer hueca, superficial que -cuando es joven- lo apuesta todo a su belleza y gana... hasta que empiezan a aparecer las primeras arrugas.
Un retrato demoledor, sin compasión, de una mujer como tantas que se sabe bonita, que disfruta de las fiestas y cuya única aspiración en la vida es conseguir en "buen" marido que se ocupe de ella, la mantenga y -obvio- pague una asistenta que se encargue del hogar. Y cuando lo consigue, se cuestiona si esa vida es la que realmente la hace feliz, si no tendrá un coste muy elevado seguir siendo esa chica rubia, guapa, divertida y complaciente que consiguió el buen marido.
Y ese cuestionamiento y su deriva (que no desvelo) se acompaña de una forma magistral, casi angustiosa, por las ilustraciones de Elisa Arguilé, que muestran la doble cara de Hazel, la social y la íntima, y el proceso de autodestrucción en el que se adentra, simbolizado por esa muñeca desmembrada que ilustra la historia.
En estos dias, no podemos obviar que Hazel no es una rareza; muy al contrario, es una más de tantas mujeres alienadas que se han creido ese sueño de felicidad que pasa por ser bonita, divertida, complaciente para conseguir un hombre, y así tener un hogar y la vida resuelta. ¿Y después, qué?
El después de Hazel asusta, entristece, pero también indigna, por la falta de conciencia de nuestra rubia imponente, por su aceptación del rol (auto)impuesto y porque no toma la decisión de cambiar. Lo que nos lleva a pensar en qué será de ella cuando hayan pasado 10 años más...
Una lectura altamente recomendable
Un retrato demoledor, sin compasión, de una mujer como tantas que se sabe bonita, que disfruta de las fiestas y cuya única aspiración en la vida es conseguir en "buen" marido que se ocupe de ella, la mantenga y -obvio- pague una asistenta que se encargue del hogar. Y cuando lo consigue, se cuestiona si esa vida es la que realmente la hace feliz, si no tendrá un coste muy elevado seguir siendo esa chica rubia, guapa, divertida y complaciente que consiguió el buen marido.
Y ese cuestionamiento y su deriva (que no desvelo) se acompaña de una forma magistral, casi angustiosa, por las ilustraciones de Elisa Arguilé, que muestran la doble cara de Hazel, la social y la íntima, y el proceso de autodestrucción en el que se adentra, simbolizado por esa muñeca desmembrada que ilustra la historia.
En estos dias, no podemos obviar que Hazel no es una rareza; muy al contrario, es una más de tantas mujeres alienadas que se han creido ese sueño de felicidad que pasa por ser bonita, divertida, complaciente para conseguir un hombre, y así tener un hogar y la vida resuelta. ¿Y después, qué?
El después de Hazel asusta, entristece, pero también indigna, por la falta de conciencia de nuestra rubia imponente, por su aceptación del rol (auto)impuesto y porque no toma la decisión de cambiar. Lo que nos lleva a pensar en qué será de ella cuando hayan pasado 10 años más...
Una lectura altamente recomendable
May 7, 2019
Fue hace cosa de un mes cuando durante un capítulo de “las Chicas Gilmore” escuché el nombre de Dorothy Parker por primera vez. La admiración que la joven Rory parecía sentir por esta escritora despertó mi curiosidad y decidí buscar en Internet algo sobre ella. Escritora de cuentos, teatros y poemas, formó parte de la plantilla del New Yorker y fue premiada por algunas de sus obras (esta fue una de ellas). Desarrolló una fuerte actividad política, ayudando a fundar la liga Antinazi en Hollywood, por lo que fue acusada de pertenecer al Partido Comunista. También defendió la causa Republicana en nuestro país a dónde incluso llegó a viajar para documentar uno de sus relatos. Después de conocer un poco más sobre ella, TENÍA que leer algo de esta mujer enseguida. Así fue como llegó a mis manos este libro, considerado uno de los mejores de la autora.
Y no me ha defraudado. Este cuento permite al lector imaginar cómo debía ser la propia Dorothy Parker, una mujer inteligente, muy adelantada a su tiempo, con una visión crítica de la sociedad burguesa de los años 20 y una gran capacidad para describirla de forma satírica.
Quiero hacer una mención especial también a las ilustraciones que acompañan la edición de Nórdica, pues son una maravilla que permite al lector adentrarse aún más en la desapacible vida de la pobre Hazel Morse.
Y no me ha defraudado. Este cuento permite al lector imaginar cómo debía ser la propia Dorothy Parker, una mujer inteligente, muy adelantada a su tiempo, con una visión crítica de la sociedad burguesa de los años 20 y una gran capacidad para describirla de forma satírica.
Quiero hacer una mención especial también a las ilustraciones que acompañan la edición de Nórdica, pues son una maravilla que permite al lector adentrarse aún más en la desapacible vida de la pobre Hazel Morse.
December 27, 2024
Entertaining relationship listening 🤔😆
This kindle e-book novella was free from Amazon.
Miss Morse becomes friends with the lady next door. It changes her life.
I would recommend this novella and author to readers of older authors novels 👒🤗 2024 .😉😮
This kindle e-book novella was free from Amazon.
Miss Morse becomes friends with the lady next door. It changes her life.
I would recommend this novella and author to readers of older authors novels 👒🤗 2024 .😉😮
January 27, 2019
The Sexes-1927
This reminded me of young adolescent love. A young girl, my assumption, is jealous of the perceived attention her boyfriend gave to another girl at a party. The boy is at a loss to understand what has caused her to be upset. He is desperate to find out what is the matter, so he can make amends.
Big Blonde-1929, Winner of the O Henry Short Story Competition 1929
Hazel is a big blonde. A better description is that she is a voluptuous woman “of the type that incites some men when they use the word ‘blonde’ to click their tongues and wag their heads roguishly.” Hazel works as a model, gets married and dreams of future happiness. Life turns out differently, she becomes an alcoholic and lives on the good will of men who appreciate a “Big Blonde.” This is a great story and a must read.
Dusk Before Fireworks-1932
I may not have the relationship between the man and woman in this story correct. I take the man to be a gigolo, who seems to have several older women at his beck and call. The woman apparently loves him and is willing to put up with his lifestyle. She becomes jealous over the other women calling his apartment while she is trying to win him to be hers exclusively, she realizes this kind of relationship may not work.
These are just three of the many stories Dorothy Parker wrote during her life. These stories are focused on the differences of gender and the social dynamics for both. Using straight forward language Ms. Parker is an excellent story teller. With a “just the facts” type of style she tells us a story without championing a cause or character. The reader decides how to interpret the story. My way of seeing the characters and situations will not be the same as others, making them fruitful for discussion.
This reminded me of young adolescent love. A young girl, my assumption, is jealous of the perceived attention her boyfriend gave to another girl at a party. The boy is at a loss to understand what has caused her to be upset. He is desperate to find out what is the matter, so he can make amends.
Big Blonde-1929, Winner of the O Henry Short Story Competition 1929
Hazel is a big blonde. A better description is that she is a voluptuous woman “of the type that incites some men when they use the word ‘blonde’ to click their tongues and wag their heads roguishly.” Hazel works as a model, gets married and dreams of future happiness. Life turns out differently, she becomes an alcoholic and lives on the good will of men who appreciate a “Big Blonde.” This is a great story and a must read.
Dusk Before Fireworks-1932
I may not have the relationship between the man and woman in this story correct. I take the man to be a gigolo, who seems to have several older women at his beck and call. The woman apparently loves him and is willing to put up with his lifestyle. She becomes jealous over the other women calling his apartment while she is trying to win him to be hers exclusively, she realizes this kind of relationship may not work.
These are just three of the many stories Dorothy Parker wrote during her life. These stories are focused on the differences of gender and the social dynamics for both. Using straight forward language Ms. Parker is an excellent story teller. With a “just the facts” type of style she tells us a story without championing a cause or character. The reader decides how to interpret the story. My way of seeing the characters and situations will not be the same as others, making them fruitful for discussion.
December 14, 2022
Los cuentos de Dorothy Parker son irónicos y mordaces.
En todos ellos se da luz a la sociedad americana de los años de principios del siglo XX. La mujer que parece más libre porque comienza a ser independiente, pero sigue a la figura del hombre. A una llamada de teléfono, a los quehaceres diarios o a una promesa. La sociedad rica, superficial y clasista. Las fiestas y borracheras de un grupo de personas perdidas.
No me suena lejano. No me suena a otro siglo. En todo hay pinceladas de la sociedad actual. Lo que me gusta es conocer a través de su escritura cómo era la sociedad de entonces.
Mis preferidos: El señor Durant que me recordaba una y otra vez a una de mis series preferidas Mad Men. El pequeño Curtis porque en él, Dorothy retrata muy bien el personaje de la madre: su clasismo, su egoísmo lleno de prejuicios e ideas pobres. También me gustó mucho Woman with a lamp, ese discurso ante un segundo personaje que nunca interviene y al que se le ve en acción a través de lo que este mismo personaje expresa. Me gustó la estructura y lo bien que se plasma, de una forma original, el perfil de ambos personajes. También la crítica de la dependencia de la mujer a la figura del hombre como si solo él pudiera salvarla del desastre.
Cotilleando por internet encontré el relato, Una llamada telefónica, un soliloquio en el que se muestra el monólogo interior del personaje. Se puede leer de forma gratuita y es muy cortito. Lo recomiendo mucho. Me recordó al comienzo de Pura pasión de Annie Ernaux.
Eso sí, leer a Dorothy en inglés me ha parecido difícil. Si puedes, mejor en español ;).
En todos ellos se da luz a la sociedad americana de los años de principios del siglo XX. La mujer que parece más libre porque comienza a ser independiente, pero sigue a la figura del hombre. A una llamada de teléfono, a los quehaceres diarios o a una promesa. La sociedad rica, superficial y clasista. Las fiestas y borracheras de un grupo de personas perdidas.
No me suena lejano. No me suena a otro siglo. En todo hay pinceladas de la sociedad actual. Lo que me gusta es conocer a través de su escritura cómo era la sociedad de entonces.
Mis preferidos: El señor Durant que me recordaba una y otra vez a una de mis series preferidas Mad Men. El pequeño Curtis porque en él, Dorothy retrata muy bien el personaje de la madre: su clasismo, su egoísmo lleno de prejuicios e ideas pobres. También me gustó mucho Woman with a lamp, ese discurso ante un segundo personaje que nunca interviene y al que se le ve en acción a través de lo que este mismo personaje expresa. Me gustó la estructura y lo bien que se plasma, de una forma original, el perfil de ambos personajes. También la crítica de la dependencia de la mujer a la figura del hombre como si solo él pudiera salvarla del desastre.
Cotilleando por internet encontré el relato, Una llamada telefónica, un soliloquio en el que se muestra el monólogo interior del personaje. Se puede leer de forma gratuita y es muy cortito. Lo recomiendo mucho. Me recordó al comienzo de Pura pasión de Annie Ernaux.
Eso sí, leer a Dorothy en inglés me ha parecido difícil. Si puedes, mejor en español ;).
January 28, 2022
Preciosidade da biblioteca.
Ouvi falar desse livro através da Luara, ficou no meu radar mas é um livro esgotado de uma autora de quem pouco se fala. Tinha ficado com a ideia que era um livro "pra rir", que os contos seriam divertidos. E são, mas não no sentido engraçado, pelo contrário. A não ser que possa se achar graça na desgraça.
Traz histórias de mulheres vivendo na Nova York dos anos 20 ou 30 e tentando se firmar frente aos vários desafios, talvez o maior, de como conseguir viver bem sozinha. Ou viver bem, acompanhada. Ambos aparecem situações igualmente desafiadoras na época. Ou até hoje?
Os contos são carregados de um tom melancólico, deixa aquele gostinho amargo no fundo.
E as poesias são incrivelmente simples, contundentes e atuais.
Histórico de leitura
15/01/2022
"23) Lolita" excluir | editar
"22) Sr. Durant"
"21) Uma Folga Adorável"
"20) Que Pena"
"19) Soldados da República"
"18) Coração em Creme"
"17) As Brumas Antes dos Fogos"
"16) Em Função das Visitas"
"15) De Noite, na Cama"
"14) A Visita da Verdade"
"13) Só Mais Uma"
"12) Nova York Chamando Detroit"
"11) O Último Chá"
"10) Big Loira"
"9) Diário de uma Dondoca de Nova York"
"8) E Aqui Estamos!"
"7) Primo Larry"
"6) Um Telefonema"
"5) O Padrão de Vida"
"4) Você Estava Ótimo"
"3) Os Sexos"
"2) Arranjo em Preto e Branco"
"1) A Valsa"
Ouvi falar desse livro através da Luara, ficou no meu radar mas é um livro esgotado de uma autora de quem pouco se fala. Tinha ficado com a ideia que era um livro "pra rir", que os contos seriam divertidos. E são, mas não no sentido engraçado, pelo contrário. A não ser que possa se achar graça na desgraça.
Traz histórias de mulheres vivendo na Nova York dos anos 20 ou 30 e tentando se firmar frente aos vários desafios, talvez o maior, de como conseguir viver bem sozinha. Ou viver bem, acompanhada. Ambos aparecem situações igualmente desafiadoras na época. Ou até hoje?
Os contos são carregados de um tom melancólico, deixa aquele gostinho amargo no fundo.
E as poesias são incrivelmente simples, contundentes e atuais.
Histórico de leitura
15/01/2022
"23) Lolita" excluir | editar
"22) Sr. Durant"
"21) Uma Folga Adorável"
"20) Que Pena"
"19) Soldados da República"
"18) Coração em Creme"
"17) As Brumas Antes dos Fogos"
"16) Em Função das Visitas"
"15) De Noite, na Cama"
"14) A Visita da Verdade"
"13) Só Mais Uma"
"12) Nova York Chamando Detroit"
"11) O Último Chá"
"10) Big Loira"
"9) Diário de uma Dondoca de Nova York"
"8) E Aqui Estamos!"
"7) Primo Larry"
"6) Um Telefonema"
"5) O Padrão de Vida"
"4) Você Estava Ótimo"
"3) Os Sexos"
"2) Arranjo em Preto e Branco"
"1) A Valsa"
November 16, 2022
For Karen and Simon's #1929Club, I read Dorothy Parker’s Big Blonde, an excellent short story that traces the sad and unfulfilling life of an ageing good-time girl as she slides into alcoholism and depression. This striking tale reflects how the society of the day made certain assumptions about women based on their appearance and situation; and while things have undoubtedly changed significantly since then, Parker’s story still has a degree of resonance with certain attitudes today.
Central to the story is Hazel Morse, a large, fair-haired woman ‘of the type that incites some men when they use the word ‘blonde’ to click their tongues and wag their heads roguishly’. Hazel is in her twenties when we first meet her, working as a model in a wholesale dress business. Through her work, she has the opportunity to meet various men, many of whom find her attractive and are keen to take her out.
Right from the very start, we see how Hazel is defined by her appearance, especially her blonde hair. Men tend to assume she is a good-time girl, fun and easy-going in company and an all-round ‘good sport’. At first, Hazel responds well to this attention, enjoying her popularity and the various benefits this confers.
Her job was not onerous, and she met numbers of men and spent numbers of evenings with them, laughing at their jokes and telling them she loved their neckties. Men liked her, and she took it for granted that the liking of many men was a desirable thing. Popularity seemed to her to be worth all the work that had to be put into its achievement. Men liked you because you were fun, and when they liked you they took you out, and there you were. So, and successfully, she was fun. She was a good sport. Men liked a good sport. (p. 13-14)
Nevertheless, the situation changes somewhat when she marries Herbie Morse, a ‘quick, attractive man’ with a fondness for drink. With her thirties looming on the horizon, Hazel is keen to settle down to a life of cosy domesticity. Herbie, however, has other ideas, choosing instead to stay out drinking till late at night. Consequently, the couple often argue when Herbie gets home…
She fought him furiously. A terrific domesticity had come upon her, and she would bite and scratch to guard it. She wanted what she called ‘a nice home’. She wanted a sober, tender husband, prompt at dinner, punctual at work. She wanted sweet, comforting evenings. The idea of intimacy with other men was terrible to her; the thought that Herbie might be seeking entertainment in other women set her frantic. (p. 18)
In truth, Herbie still sees Hazel as a specific personality type – a carefree, easy-going blonde who enjoys a bit of fun – rather than an individual with needs and desires of her own. (Significantly, Hazel is referred to as Mrs Morse throughout the story, characterising her identity through her role as a wife.) In particular, Herbie fails to see that Hazel craves some love and affection, especially when she’s feeling low. As such, his tolerance is tested by this change in his wife’s behaviour – as far as Herbie is concerned, Hazel is no longer the good-time girl he signed up for in their marriage, but he makes no attempt to understand her feelings or situation.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2022...
Central to the story is Hazel Morse, a large, fair-haired woman ‘of the type that incites some men when they use the word ‘blonde’ to click their tongues and wag their heads roguishly’. Hazel is in her twenties when we first meet her, working as a model in a wholesale dress business. Through her work, she has the opportunity to meet various men, many of whom find her attractive and are keen to take her out.
Right from the very start, we see how Hazel is defined by her appearance, especially her blonde hair. Men tend to assume she is a good-time girl, fun and easy-going in company and an all-round ‘good sport’. At first, Hazel responds well to this attention, enjoying her popularity and the various benefits this confers.
Her job was not onerous, and she met numbers of men and spent numbers of evenings with them, laughing at their jokes and telling them she loved their neckties. Men liked her, and she took it for granted that the liking of many men was a desirable thing. Popularity seemed to her to be worth all the work that had to be put into its achievement. Men liked you because you were fun, and when they liked you they took you out, and there you were. So, and successfully, she was fun. She was a good sport. Men liked a good sport. (p. 13-14)
Nevertheless, the situation changes somewhat when she marries Herbie Morse, a ‘quick, attractive man’ with a fondness for drink. With her thirties looming on the horizon, Hazel is keen to settle down to a life of cosy domesticity. Herbie, however, has other ideas, choosing instead to stay out drinking till late at night. Consequently, the couple often argue when Herbie gets home…
She fought him furiously. A terrific domesticity had come upon her, and she would bite and scratch to guard it. She wanted what she called ‘a nice home’. She wanted a sober, tender husband, prompt at dinner, punctual at work. She wanted sweet, comforting evenings. The idea of intimacy with other men was terrible to her; the thought that Herbie might be seeking entertainment in other women set her frantic. (p. 18)
In truth, Herbie still sees Hazel as a specific personality type – a carefree, easy-going blonde who enjoys a bit of fun – rather than an individual with needs and desires of her own. (Significantly, Hazel is referred to as Mrs Morse throughout the story, characterising her identity through her role as a wife.) In particular, Herbie fails to see that Hazel craves some love and affection, especially when she’s feeling low. As such, his tolerance is tested by this change in his wife’s behaviour – as far as Herbie is concerned, Hazel is no longer the good-time girl he signed up for in their marriage, but he makes no attempt to understand her feelings or situation.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2022...
September 1, 2018
I found this short story on the internet after listening to a history podcast about the author, Dorothy Parker. The main character was described as a sort of washed-up party girl, and I'd say that description is mostly right.
Despite the parties, this is a sad story that doesn't get much happier at the end, and it mirrors the author's own pitfalls: descent into alcoholism culminating in suicidal ideation (and attempts), recurrent depression, and a revolving door of men.
What resonated the most with me was how the main character, Hazel, often hides her true thoughts and feelings when she's with people, especially guys, to seem like she's easy-going: she loves being told what a "good sport" she is. Hazel knows how to play the game, up until a point: society responds kindly to those who toe the line of what constitutes acceptable women's behavior.
But, sadly, the deception is never complete. She is a human, complicated person, who needs love and affection and understanding. And when she doesn't get it, she cannot hide her sorrows, which grows to infuriate her husband. She has chosen someone who fell for a caricature, and is now surprised that there's more to Hazel than meets the eye.
Over the years, her repeated relationships with a series of similar men - who never see the "real" her - wear Hazel down. She's tired of always having to be a good sport, when what she really needs is someone who will accept her for who she really is.
Even in her despairing attempt to go back to a place where she can no longer feel pain, she is thwarted: her housemaid, worried, calls for a doctor for her and they save her life. In the end, we're left with a lady who feels used up and unsure about her future.
The power in this short piece is in the heavy blanket of dread it leaves over the reader. One can only hope that things will eventually get better for Hazel, but the world she lives in (and especially the social circles she runs in) seems to preclude any possibility of that.
Despite the parties, this is a sad story that doesn't get much happier at the end, and it mirrors the author's own pitfalls: descent into alcoholism culminating in suicidal ideation (and attempts), recurrent depression, and a revolving door of men.
What resonated the most with me was how the main character, Hazel, often hides her true thoughts and feelings when she's with people, especially guys, to seem like she's easy-going: she loves being told what a "good sport" she is. Hazel knows how to play the game, up until a point: society responds kindly to those who toe the line of what constitutes acceptable women's behavior.
But, sadly, the deception is never complete. She is a human, complicated person, who needs love and affection and understanding. And when she doesn't get it, she cannot hide her sorrows, which grows to infuriate her husband. She has chosen someone who fell for a caricature, and is now surprised that there's more to Hazel than meets the eye.
Over the years, her repeated relationships with a series of similar men - who never see the "real" her - wear Hazel down. She's tired of always having to be a good sport, when what she really needs is someone who will accept her for who she really is.
Even in her despairing attempt to go back to a place where she can no longer feel pain, she is thwarted: her housemaid, worried, calls for a doctor for her and they save her life. In the end, we're left with a lady who feels used up and unsure about her future.
The power in this short piece is in the heavy blanket of dread it leaves over the reader. One can only hope that things will eventually get better for Hazel, but the world she lives in (and especially the social circles she runs in) seems to preclude any possibility of that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2019
No conocía de nada a esta autora pero hay un dicho que dice que los libros nos eligen a nosotros y en esta ocasión ocurrió eso. Había visto un vídeo de Mikey F. en el que hablaba de este libro y justo al día siguiente cuando fui a devolver unos libros a la biblioteca me encuentro sin buscarlo en una estantería de recomendados la portada con la potente ilustración de Elisa Arguilé que me hizo llevármelo a casa.
El libro en realidad es un relato corto en lo que mas destaco es el retrato que hace de la sociedad americana justo del momento del crack del 29. Para mi gusto se queda corto en la creación de los personajes que hubieran dado para una obra mayor pero es interesante su lectura y si es en esta edición con las ilustraciones que lo acompañan mejor.
El libro en realidad es un relato corto en lo que mas destaco es el retrato que hace de la sociedad americana justo del momento del crack del 29. Para mi gusto se queda corto en la creación de los personajes que hubieran dado para una obra mayor pero es interesante su lectura y si es en esta edición con las ilustraciones que lo acompañan mejor.
January 31, 2024
"Era una delicia, un nuevo juego, una fiesta dejar de ser una mujer alegre y despreocupada".
Wow, una lectura muy corta y sencilla pero que expresa un montón. Me parece que de este relato que se lee en una hora, puede sacarse una tremenda crítica de una sociedad de apariencias y de esos estigmas que muchas veces nos ponemos y otros ponen sobre nosotros, que nos lleva a ese "ser como otros quieren que seamos".
Conozco a muchas Hazel y también lo he sido en muchas ocasiones. Es una historia bien triste la de la protagonista y que nos hace cuestionarnos un montón. Muy, muy recomendable.
Wow, una lectura muy corta y sencilla pero que expresa un montón. Me parece que de este relato que se lee en una hora, puede sacarse una tremenda crítica de una sociedad de apariencias y de esos estigmas que muchas veces nos ponemos y otros ponen sobre nosotros, que nos lleva a ese "ser como otros quieren que seamos".
Conozco a muchas Hazel y también lo he sido en muchas ocasiones. Es una historia bien triste la de la protagonista y que nos hace cuestionarnos un montón. Muy, muy recomendable.
February 22, 2022
Here's a charming, little gathering of three stories that bring to mind the Roaring Twenties but for all the wrong reasons. Ms. Parker is a master painter of her times and lives and challenges of ordinary people, specially women. How much has changed in the last 100 years! But then again, how little too...
August 2, 2024
A nice little selection of short stories, some better than others of course. The title story was an intriguing look at femininity in 1920's America, and typical interactions between sexes. My first taste of her work, I think this is a nice introduction.
September 10, 2017
Auge i caiguda d'una rossa imponent. Amics, amats i whisky. I depressió.
No m'ha canviat la vida.
No m'ha canviat la vida.
March 12, 2018
Pequeño y entretenido relato, que no entra en profundidades psicológicas pero que muestra un retrato muy crítico de una sociedad construida a base de mentiras y engaños.
June 17, 2021
FA-BU-LO-SAAAAA. ¡Qué tal relato para comenzar a conocer a Parker!!! ❤❤❤
February 16, 2023
finished it in one sitting, loved the writing style but slightly boring :/
November 24, 2023
Refreshing to read social commentary without moralizing. Three short stores of couples and humans caught in a rut, "what can come next?"
February 23, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
Think it would of made more sense if it was reading when it was written. The story of Big Blonde i found interesting, but a lot of the short stories before were slightly dull. Wish that the stories had somewhat connected even if it was only loosely.
Think it would of made more sense if it was reading when it was written. The story of Big Blonde i found interesting, but a lot of the short stories before were slightly dull. Wish that the stories had somewhat connected even if it was only loosely.
May 16, 2018
Maybe not the right time..
April 8, 2025
Unfortunately, I didn't much enjoy the titular short story, but all the other ones were excellent!
December 26, 2024
On jeez, I read the first story and couldn’t read the others. Dorothy Parker was one profoundly depressing writer!
February 16, 2025
Una mujer vacía. Llevada de lo superficial que cae en el alcoholismo y no sabe cómo sobrellevar su vida ... ¿Qué mejor argumento para un libro? 🤘🏼
April 24, 2008
One of the local second-hand bookstores had a stack of those little Penguin 60s, so we grabbed most of them. A good chance to try authors we hadn’t read before, or catch on authors we hadn’t read for years. I’ve just finished the Dorothy Parker one, Big Blonde and other stories. The title story is about a woman whose life just doesn’t seem to work out for her, and she doesn’t really understand why that is. Her relationships with men all end badly, not surprising since the men she gets involved with are men whose lives revolve around boozing and bars. Her life slowly drifts towards despair, and her thoughts turn to suicide. Very depressing, but a fine story. The other two stories, The Sexes and Dusk Before Fireworks are both about communication or the lack thereof, about people failing to understand what their lovers want or how their lovers feel, about people talking without really communicating, and relationships that go nowhere. Not a lot happens in the stories, they’re more brief glimpses into everyday lives. And very effective they are. I need to read more Dorothy Parker.
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