The Dorothy Parker Audio Collection

By: Dorothy Parker

Narrated by: Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Alfre Woodard, Shirley Booth

A variety of work from one of the most quotable of all twentieth-century authors—the inimitable Dorothy Parker

Author, poet, screenwriter and outstanding member of the legendary Algonquin Round Table, Dorothy Parker was known for her quick wit, keen observations, and remarkable insight into the human condition. Regarded as brilliant, but known to be an alcoholic and often depressed, Parker’s work pushes all buttons at once: humor, anger, love, pity and everything in bewteen…she pulled no punches, writing with pure, unadulterated passion; her work is timeless and as pertinent to today’s society as it was to that of the time she wrote.

Among the gems included in this collection are her first published short story, Such a Pretty Little Picture and her O. Henry Award winner Big Blonde, several other short stories, and, unlike other audio collections, some of her work, including her 1918 New Yorker piece on Tolstoy’s play Redemption and a 1927 Vanity Fair review of Emily Post’s Ettiquette.

©2004 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; (P)2004 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Great Stories and Great Narrators!

I really enjoyed this book. The short stories and reviews were smart and humorous. I thought all the narrator's did a great job but particularly loved Shirley Booth's acting on the last few stories. I recommend anyone that enjoys intelligent humor and great narration to check this out.

Snitty but interesting --- mostly

Dorothy Parker has a witty voice attuned to nasty characters. This particular compilation has short vignettes, all of which were previously printed in newspapers or magazines, I assume. she is always funny and biting. she is not always gratifying.

enjoyed the performance very theatrical

well done by excellent actors, I'm not a New Yorker or have much interest in the NY scene but the performance was so lively I was very engaged, until the last story which although well done was the most pathetic example of womanhood. which I guess was the point. I wish I could borrow a quote from the critic chapter, that guy hated everything and so witty too. I just hate women being pathetic. without the poor woman waiting for the phone to ring it would have been 5 stars all the way.

Great narration of a timeless gal’s stories

Cynthia Nixon was my favorite for sure, although Shirley Booth was pretty amazing, too. I had heard about Dorothy Parker from a girlfriend and had to check her out when I learned of her witty style. I’m gonna listen again, right now!

loved it!

A THOROUGHLY entertaining listen! I could listen to it over and over again! Parker was a wonderful storyteller.