My Life and Hard Times
Encyclopedia
My Life and Hard Times is the 1933 autobiography
of James Thurber
. It is considered his greatest work as he relates in bewildered deadpan prose the eccentric goings on of his family and the town beyond (Columbus, Ohio
).
Characters include the maid who lives in constant fear of being hypnotised; a grandfather who believes that the American Civil War
is still going on; a mother who fears electricity is leaking all over the house and Muggs, an Airedale Terrier
that had a liking for biting people.
The book was a best seller and also achieved high critical praise. Russell Baker
writing in the New York Times said it was "possibly the shortest and most elegant autobiography ever". Ogden Nash
said it was "just about the best thing I ever read"', and Dorothy Parker
said "Mad, I don't say. Genius I grant you."
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
of James Thurber
James Thurber
James Grover Thurber was an American author, cartoonist and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine.-Life:...
. It is considered his greatest work as he relates in bewildered deadpan prose the eccentric goings on of his family and the town beyond (Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
).
Characters include the maid who lives in constant fear of being hypnotised; a grandfather who believes that the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
is still going on; a mother who fears electricity is leaking all over the house and Muggs, an Airedale Terrier
Airedale Terrier
The Airedale Terrier is a breed of the terrier type that originated in Airedale, a geographic area in Yorkshire, England. It is traditionally called the "King of Terriers" because it is the largest of the terrier breeds...
that had a liking for biting people.
The book was a best seller and also achieved high critical praise. Russell Baker
Russell Baker
Russell Wayne Baker is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning writer known for his satirical commentary and self-critical prose, as well as for his autobiography, Growing Up.-His career:...
writing in the New York Times said it was "possibly the shortest and most elegant autobiography ever". Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash
Frederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
said it was "just about the best thing I ever read"', and Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker was an American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist, best known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th century urban foibles....
said "Mad, I don't say. Genius I grant you."