The Ferrari in the Bedroom [Paperback]

Jean Shepherd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 1986

Jean Shepherd was one of America’s favorite humorists, his most notable achievement being the creation of the indefatigable Ralphie Parker and his quest for a BB gun in the holiday classic A Christmas Story. But he was so much more, a comic Garrison Keillor–like figure whose unique voice transcended the airwaves and affected a whole generation of nostalgic Americans.
The Ferrari in the Bedroom is Shepherd’s wry, affectionate look at the hang-ups and delusions of Americans in the 1970s. From his sardonic assessment of fads such as the nostalgia craze (“Thinking that the old days were good is a terrible sickness. Everything was just as bad then as it is now.”) to a modest proposal for the foundation of S.P.L.A.T. (The Society for the Prevention of the Leaving of Animal Turds), Jean Shepherd provides a generous measure of his special brand of wise and warm humor as an antidote for some of America’s more ridiculous obsessions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“True genius.”
—Library Journal

“Shepherd is that very rare breed, a homespun humorist cut from the same Midwestern cloth as Mark Twain and George Ade.”
—Saturday Review

“[Shepherd’s] descriptions of the mores of today as seen through the perspective of a robust male provide many a chuckle . . . and the wish that life were simpler and people knew what and who they are.”
—Best Sellers

“[Shepherd’s] appeal rests securely on the metaphor that adult life is a continuation of a boys’ pickup sandlot game.”
—Commentary

About the Author

For many years a cult radio and cabaret personality in New York City, JEAN SHEPHERD was the creator of the popular film A Christmas Story, which is based on his books In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories and has become a holiday tradition on the Turner Network. He passed away in 1999.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (December 16, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385237928
• ISBN-13: 978-0385237925
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #737,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Shepherd's-eye view of America., January 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ferrari in the Bedroom (Paperback)

"In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash" and "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters" are two books where humorist Jean Shepherd shows his mastery of the nostalgic anecdote laced with satire. A third book, "A Fistful of Fig Newtons", is also anecdotal, but with a more cynical, adult twist. Except for an occasional trip or two down Memory Lane, "The Ferrari in the Bedroom" presents a series of droll observations Shepherd makes of contemporary America ("contemporary" meaning the early 1970s). In a style of sociological humor only his, Shepherd takes on basic components of the American psyche: cars, road travel, consumerism, the battle of the sexes, television, just to name a few. The author also shoots some salvoes at 1970s precursors to 1990s political correctness. Much of the material in this book, albeit dated, will still make some readers reminisce on younger days; references are made to Playboy bunnies, real service stations (i.e., before self-serve), hippies, and the Generation Gap. Shepherd also treats us to amusing travelogues about Maine and Alaska, plus a "critique" of the Johnson Smith novelty catalog which also appears in "A Fistful of Fig Newtons", but under another title. After reading Shepherd's four books, "In God We Trust" and "Wanda Hickey's" stand out as my favorites (coincidentally, these two are still in print).

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essays and Musings and Fiction from an American Master, February 15, 2000

By 

Douglas McIntyre - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ferrari in the Bedroom (Paperback)

Well, this isn't Shep's best, but it's still a hell of a good read. Not really a work of fiction, it's largely a collection of essays and musings on American culture. The stories are always funny and smart, and it's illustrated with Shepherd's own excellent pen and ink line drawings. Shep fans will love it and non-shep fans... Well, there aren't any non-Shep fans, only those who haven't read him yet.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Shepherd's-eye view of America., January 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ferrari in the bedroom (Hardcover)

"In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash" and "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters" are two books where humorist Jean Shepherd shows his mastery of the nostalgic anecdote laced with satire. A third book, "A Fistful of Fig Newtons", is also anecdotal, but with a more cynical, adult twist. Except for an occasional trip or two down Memory Lane, "The Ferrari in the Bedroom" presents a series of droll observations Shepherd makes of contemporary America ("contemporary" meaning the early 1970s). In a style of sociological humor only his, Shepherd takes on basic components of the American psyche: cars, road travel, consumerism, the battle of the sexes, television, just to name a few. The author also shoots some salvoes at 1970s precursors to 1990s political correctness. Much of the material in this book, albeit dated, will still make some readers reminisce on younger days; references are made to Playboy bunnies, real service stations (i.e., before self-serve), hippies, and the Generation Gap. Shepherd also treats us to amusing travelogues about Maine and Alaska, plus a "critique" of the Johnson Smith novelty catalog which also appears in "A Fistful of Fig Newtons", but under another title. After reading Shepherd's four books, "In God We Trust" and "Wanda Hickey's" stand out as my favorites.