Dorothy Parker

By: Marion Meade

Narrated by: Grace Conlin

She was known for her outrageous one-liners, her ruthless theater criticism, her clever verses and bittersweet stories. But there was another side to Dorothy Parker, a private life set on a course of destruction. She suffered through two divorces, a string of painful affairs, a lifelong problem with alcohol, and several suicide attempts.

In this lively, absorbing biography, Marion Meade illuminates both the dark side of Parker and her days of wicked wittiness at the Algonquin Round Table and in Hollywood.

©1987 Marion Meade (P)1995 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Interesting read

Good narration but at some basic mispronunciation even Ms. Parker would have blanched. Otherwise, the timbre suited the theme and the writing was interesting. Clearly the research for the book was in depth.

heartbreaking and hilarious

the writer did a great job of capturing the dry caustic wit of parker, and all that it cost her through the years of her life. sometimes this audio book was laugh-out loud hilarious, as the writer sprinkled the text with actual quotes from parker, and sometimes heartbreaking as her life fell apart again and again, only to be remade with style and courage and too much to drink.

the reader gives it a very sympathetic voice and at the end of the book her voice matched my emotion perfectly, which was satisfying.

i first loved parker´s short stories, then her poetry, and now her biography. i wish audibles had many other biographies of writers from the 20th century. glad they have this one ! i highly recommend it.

Delightful!

Any additional comments?

What a joy to listen to! The narrator was excellent. The book was as witty and clever as Dorothy Parker herself.

Witty, informative biography

In spite of Dorothy Parker's sad, tragic life, her point of view gives a cynical, humorous twist to all the tragedies she encounters. I've heard this book many times and I always enjoy it because of Dorothy's complexity (insanity?) and the people she knew: Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Gerald and Sara Murphy, and, of course, the Algonquin Round Table (Robert Benchley, Alexander Woolcutt, etc.). Dorothy's sarcastic quips are a quick relief from the heartbreaking choices she makes as a pre-feminist writer: hiding her Jewish background, selecting handsome (gay?) men that she emasculates, attempting suicide several times, embracing the fast life of NYC and Hollywood, naively supporting Communistic causes, and failing to complete a long-awaited book. However, Dorothy Parker's short stories and poetry are still relevant today, especially for feminists and literature lovers. Narration is fine, but a couple of phrases like "turn over the tape for side 2" can be jarring. I hope you enjoy this audiobook. I did and still do.

HUH!

Witty, Clever, Fascinating, Funny, Intelligent, Complicated... I could go on and on - these are some of the things that Dorothy was - and all the things that this book isn't.
How does someone write so unemotionally and without any sympatico for her subject?
I was looking for more - I was sadly disappointed.

Good bio, but I didn't care for the narrator

The author succeeds in creating empathy for Dorothy Parker, a very talented but very troubled woman. Her career spans four decades of American history, including the Jazz Age, the War Years and the McCarthy Era, and her life intersects with many other famous American authors. However, the narrator sounds rather bored and snobbish, and pauses often. Increasing the speed helped somewhat.

Disappointing

For such a fabled writer, this book challenges the notion positing she was neither prolific nor brilliant. she may have been the first entertainment figure who became famous for being famous. What we think of as witty bon most, may really have just been the original mean girl screaming to be noticed.

Dorothy Parker is Brilliant! What a quick wit!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! If you are interested in literary history and the people who's talent made it so wonderful, this is a book to read.

What did you like best about this story?

The stories of the Algonquin Round Table and the brilliant and talented minds that sat around it.

What about Grace Conlin’s performance did you like?

She made Dorothy come alive!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed out loud at times. There will never be another like Dorothy Parker.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book and I've listened to it a total of 3 times.Wish I could have met the woman.

What fresh hell avoids the bone.

Beautifully written and read. Thank you so much!!! Marion and Grace, Dottie would have squirmed and loved every delightful revelation… and there are many I did not know about.

Dorothy Parker biography

Fascinating tale of a very clever tortured writer and the many famous people she ran with.