The Annotated Archy and Mehitabel (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Don Marquis (Author), Michael Sims (Introduction)

Book Description

Release date: August 1, 2006 | Series: Penguin Classics

Generations of readers have delighted in the work of the great American humorist Don Marquis, who was frequently compared to Mark Twain. These free-verse poems, which first appeared in Marquis's New York newspaper columns, revolve around the escapades of Archy, the philosophical cockroach who was once a poet, and Mehitabel, a streetwise alley cat who was once Cleopatra. Reincarnated as the lowest creatures on the social scale, they prowl the rowdy streets of New York City in between the world wars. The antics of these two immortal characters are now made available for the first time in their original order of publication in this unique, comprehensive collection, which features many poems never before reprinted.

• First time in Penguin Classics
• Archy and Mehitabel is considered the inspiration for E.B. White's Charlotte's Web
• Features many new poems never reprinted since they were first published early in the twentieth century
• Introduction places Marquis in the context of American humor and the history of satire

Editorial Reviews

Review

Archy and Mehitabel is, to my mind, a distinguished work in American letters. -- E. B. White

Don Marquis is our closest spiritual descendant of Mark Twain. -- Christopher Morley

About the Author

Don Marquis (1878–1937) was a newspaper columnist, poet, novelist, dramatist, and popular author.

Michael Sims is the author most recently of In the Womb: Animals (adapted from two National Geographic Channel documentaries); he is also the author of Apollo's Fire: A Journey through the Extraordinary Wonders of an Ordinary Day, which NPR chose as one of the best science books of 2007; Adam's Navel: A Natural and Cultural History of the Human Form, which was a New York Times Notable Book and a Library Journal Best Science Book; and Darwin's Orchestra: An Almanac of Nature in History and the Arts. For Penguin Classics he also edited The Annotated Archy and Mehitabel and Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Thief, and he is currently editing The Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime. He has written for many periodicals, from the Washington Post to New Statesman.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014303975X
• ISBN-13: 978-0143039754
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The literate cockroach August 10, 2006

By Richard M. Schweid

Format:Paperback

Generations go by, but Don Marquis's cockroach Archy and his pal, the cat Mehitabel, who originally occupied Marquis's New York newspaper columns nearly a century ago, still have the power to move and amuse, and to speak to us about the human condition. This wonderful roach, a free verse poet's soul in a roach's body, wholly deserves the excellent job that Michael Sims has done in providing us with facts about both Marquis's life and his times. Sims's carefully crafted introduction and annotations serve to put Archy's poems in both the context of their era and of their creator's biography. Michael Sims manages here, as he does so skillfully in his other books, to blend erudition and readability in an engaging and intruiging fashion.

For those who are unacquainted with Archy and Mehitabel, the poems will be a welcome and wonderful discovery. For those who already know and enjoy Marquis's work, Sims's edition will provide a fresh and deeper appreciation.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming! May 6, 2007

By S. Replogle

Format:Paperback

Archy is a familiar character in an unfamiliar situation, a witty and sympathetic poet stuck in the body of a cockroach thanks to reincarnation. His cat friend Mehitabel is equally interesting, claiming she is actually the reincarnated Cleopatra, which I think most cats believe. Each poem is funny and memorable, made all the more charming by their e.e. cummings style of writing...because Archy the bug is too small to hit the shift key of his unknowing human's keyboard. He's always in character, which is pretty impressive to write as though one were a cockroach...it almost makes you believe in Archy at any age, and that is a treasure.

I cannot recommend this book enough, though I do say that often in my reviews...because I only review books I love or hate. I LOVE this book. I performed parts of it for competitive Speech in high school and a great many people who hear a great deal of poetry thought it was great. It stands alone in terms of style and subject. I haven't read the annotated version, but I think it should be reviewed because it contains all the original poems and extra material. The extra material is new to me, but the poetry is well worth it and the prices are similar. Just buy this book already! You won't regret it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Laugh-out-loud cockroach capers! October 5, 2008

By The bookish

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I first read an excerpt from the "Archy and Mehitabel" series of newspaper columns (written by the exceptionally dry wit and skilled humorist Don Marquis back in the early 1900s, around the time of World War I) in an old American literature anthology owned by my mother, and remember that as I read it aloud with my mother listening, I had to stop several times because my laughter was making it impossible to keep speaking. That same column, and probably all the others in the series, are presented in this annotated collection. The 'poems' are presented in order for probably the first time since they were originally printed in Don Marquis's original newspaper column. Archy can only type one key at a time on the typewriter, literally by thrusting himself headfirst onto the key. He cannot operate a shift key to create capitalization or punctuation, so the effect of his "vers libre" (free verse) poems are--at least to his mind--unintentionally hilarious. What a great collection! And the annotations add to the background information in helpful ways, giving context to Don Marquis's world of prohibition, WWI, speakeasys, and the slang of the day. A masterpiece of early twentieth-century humor!