Appearance
A Mencken chrestomathy,
Most human beings can't write worth a damn. Mencken was an anomaly--a once-in-a-generation anomaly. This book represents over six-hundred pages of his best work, culled (by Mencken himself) from a fifty-year career in journalism. It is enjoyable and educational, and you can't ask for much more than that. Of course, Mencken allows his fulsome personality free rein, and hypersensitive, humorless, religious, and/or idealistic folks may be put off. Mencken needed those people to make fun of, to pinpoint their hypocrisy, silliness, uselessness to society, etc.; ergo, they may feel roughly used. Everyone else should have a good laugh.
A Mencken chrestomathy,
Well, here is the real literary tabasco sauce, with a sprinkle of Darwin, Twain and Nietzche thrown in for good measure. Mencken was America's greatest prose stylist, and an amateur musician, Nietzche translater and gadfly to boot. To read his prose is sheer joy, and this is the place to begin.
A Mencken chrestomathy,
Well-written, occasionally pedantic, insightfully predictive of America's current circumstances. Mencken had a gift for telling it straight and getting it right (most of the time.)
A Mencken chrestomathy,
This book changed my life. It is the first of the dozen or so books that I have read by Mencken, but still my favorite. Mencken has opened up a whole new world for me. His irreverent debunking of favorite quacks have prompted me to look anew at a few of my own. His incredible knowledge of the English language has raised the standards I expect others to meet, not a little. And my vicarious contact with his world has made me work to improve my own.Mencken, I am convinced, was a genius whose writings will live long even into the next century. His writing is the only one that I feel compelled to read aloud to my wife, arms raised in excitement and for emphasis, daring her to contradict the glory of his prose.What contemporary American writer can match his mastery? I've read a lot, but I can't give even an approximation. His style is elegant, distinctively American, and a joy to read. Something like listening to a singer who you know has an absolute control of her material, a voice that does exactly what she intends, and the aesthetic sense of an angel.
A Mencken chrestomathy,
Since Mencken was writing at the turn of the Century, some of these brief essays are a bit dated (duh!), but still well written and quite clever. His views on Religion and Government are quite thought provoking. This isn't the kind of book that you necessarily would want to read straight through at one sitting, but seems more appropriate for passing the odd half hour that you don't want to waste in front of the TV. A Good Libertarian book...
A Mencken chrestomathy,
This book is an excellent item for the individualist who knows how to appreciate a critical thinker. It's hard to put down.