∎ [PDF] The Night Life of the Gods Modern Library Paperbacks Thorne Smith Carolyn See Books

The Night Life of the Gods Modern Library Paperbacks Thorne Smith Carolyn See Books

Download As PDF : The Night Life of the Gods Modern Library Paperbacks Thorne Smith Carolyn See Books

The Night Life of the Gods Modern Library Paperbacks Thorne Smith Carolyn See Books

I had my eye on this book for a long time, and finally received it as a gift, so I jumped right in! The first half of the book focuses on setting the scene, introducing characters, and getting to know them. The scene is probably just prior to Prohibition, in New York; the characters are one-of-a-kind. I can't honestly say that any of the characters were likeable, but they were such rogues and scapegraces that you couldn't help but wanting to know what they were up to! The second half is where the real fun begins.

The main character invents a 'ray' that will turn statues to flesh (and one that will reverse it). He sneaks into the Metropolitan Museum of Art after hours and causes a select group of Greek gods (and one hero) to come to life. Mayhem ensues! The unclad gods must be clothed. They must eat. Venus (de Milo) has no arms. Mercury is a thief. Neptune wants fish, fish, FISH! Perseus insists on carrying Medusa's head with him everywhere. And, of course, they must drink.

I can't quite decide if this is satire or parody. Regardless, it's a delightful romp, despite the rather slow start. Recommended!

Note on Kindle formatting: Good, but not perfect. There were occasional instances where formatting could have been standardized, but nothing that would really impact reading. The most annoying - to me - were the occasional foreign words which, instead of being italicized, were displayed as "_(word)_" so your eyes sort of 'stumbled' over the understrikes. But there were only a few of those.


Tags : Amazon.com: The Night Life of the Gods (Modern Library Paperbacks) (9780375753060): Thorne Smith, Carolyn See: Books,Thorne Smith, Carolyn See,The Night Life of the Gods (Modern Library Paperbacks),Modern Library,0375753060,General,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction General,Fiction Humorous,Humorous,Modern fiction

The Night Life of the Gods Modern Library Paperbacks Thorne Smith Carolyn See Books Reviews

This is the funniest book I have ever read. I first read it as a teenager & actually laughed out loud at some parts. Thorne Smith was a genius of comedy!
Back over 30 years ago, my father gave me his copy of this book to read and as a 15 year old I remeber bursting into loud laughter at the representations of the gods and their doings. That book was read so often by various memebrs of our family it fell to bits - literally! Ten years later I came across another copy in a second hand store and now that one too has given up the ghost. And so I buy another copy. This is one that SHOULD be in the Gutenberg e library and saved for posterity. The fight between the snakes on Apollos Caedcus and those on the Medusa's head with the gods taking bets, The fish fight at the fish market, Hawke's stuffy sister and not so stuffy neice, a cow in a hotel room and Hebe bearing her "cup"!

Its a book I will be passing on to my children and hopefully their children too.
I first discovered Thorne Smith's books such as The Night Life of the Gods, when I was 11 years old in the family library. My parents and older brothers were amused that a child would laugh and chortle in delight while reading these books intended for adults. Today my purchase of the book is about reminiscing and recapturing. When I found this book on your web site, I bought it and found it still made me laugh although I now could place it in a historically relevant context. Thorne Smith protested the folly of prohibition, lampooned his own upper class and expressed that class's disdain for America's puritanical view of sex.
Very pleased to have it delivered so quickly! I was not aware the book was oversized with large print, which is PERFECT for my 79 year old aunt. This will be (hopefully) the first of many Smith books
I was about 13 years old when I discovered this book. It had been left with others on the third floor of our home. They belonged to an Uncle who was overseas during WWII. Had my parents been aware of just what I was reading, I am sure they would have confiscated the book. I was well into my 20's when I 're-discovered' Night Life of the Gods, among other Thorn Smith books, and read them again without the little girl giggles. We still laugh aloud over the delicious romps of Smith's characters. The tales are timeless and still a lot of fun. Not the least bit significant of anything; a leap from so much seriousness in print today. Read, laugh and enjoy a fine humorist.
This is the funniest book I have ever read. It is the funniest of Thorne Smith's books. It is easily as funny as P.G.Wodehouse's, Will Cuppy's, Frank Sullivan's or James Thurber's books written around the same time. The crazy characters and their crazy escapades in New York of the 1930s manage to curse without cursing, have sex without having sex, and have fun while having fun. It seems that the massive censorship of the time couldn't repress Thorne Smith's sense of fun and zaniness. Settle in a comfortable chair with "a bucket of martinis" and read this great book; I recommend it without reservation.
This book is one of the funniest I've read in a long time. A professor develops a ray that changes people to statues. He falls in love with the daughter of a Leprecaun who knows how to change statues to life. They go to the museum and select a number of old gods such as Neptune, Venus, Mercury, and even Medusa's head to turn to life - and ALL love a good time! They rustle a cow in downtown New York City and take it to the top floor of one of the city's largest hotels to hide it. And Baccus, the God of Wine, is determined to make a better drink than the mortals can - even though he never saw distilled liquor before.

This book does contain some sex, heavy drinking, and other situations but it is certainly funny!
I had my eye on this book for a long time, and finally received it as a gift, so I jumped right in! The first half of the book focuses on setting the scene, introducing characters, and getting to know them. The scene is probably just prior to Prohibition, in New York; the characters are one-of-a-kind. I can't honestly say that any of the characters were likeable, but they were such rogues and scapegraces that you couldn't help but wanting to know what they were up to! The second half is where the real fun begins.

The main character invents a 'ray' that will turn statues to flesh (and one that will reverse it). He sneaks into the Metropolitan Museum of Art after hours and causes a select group of Greek gods (and one hero) to come to life. Mayhem ensues! The unclad gods must be clothed. They must eat. Venus (de Milo) has no arms. Mercury is a thief. Neptune wants fish, fish, FISH! Perseus insists on carrying Medusa's head with him everywhere. And, of course, they must drink.

I can't quite decide if this is satire or parody. Regardless, it's a delightful romp, despite the rather slow start. Recommended!

Note on formatting Good, but not perfect. There were occasional instances where formatting could have been standardized, but nothing that would really impact reading. The most annoying - to me - were the occasional foreign words which, instead of being italicized, were displayed as "_(word)_" so your eyes sort of 'stumbled' over the understrikes. But there were only a few of those.