From the wild and wacky world of a favorite funnyman, a dozen truer-than-life tales of tailgating on the Jersey Tumpike, infuriating infants, and other everyday catastrophes, defeats, and humiliations that are the familiar fate of Americans everywhere.
A Fistful of Fig Newtons
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“One of our great major humorists . . . [Shepherd] writes about our life and times, the ordinary bits and pieces that every American recognizes and that are loaded with meaning for us all.”
—New York Times Book Review
“Shepherd has a style and a vision all of his own . . . A Fistful of Fig Newtons is as bright and pleasant a diversion as one is likely to encounter.”
—Library Journal
“Certainly the greatest American humorist of the last twenty years, and arguably one of our best writers, period . . . A Fistful of Fig Newtons is an excellent introduction to those who know no Shepherd, and refreshment to those who do, and who would trade almost anything to be able to read him again for the first time.”
—National Review
—New York Times Book Review
“Shepherd has a style and a vision all of his own . . . A Fistful of Fig Newtons is as bright and pleasant a diversion as one is likely to encounter.”
—Library Journal
“Certainly the greatest American humorist of the last twenty years, and arguably one of our best writers, period . . . A Fistful of Fig Newtons is an excellent introduction to those who know no Shepherd, and refreshment to those who do, and who would trade almost anything to be able to read him again for the first time.”
—National Review
From the Publisher
From the wild and wacky world of a favorite funnyman, a dozen truer-than-life tales of tailgating on the Jersey Tumpike, infuriating infants, and other everyday catastrophes, defeats, and humiliations that are the familiar fate of Americans everywhere.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good bye, Indiana. Hello, New Jersey.,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Fistful of Fig Newtons (Paperback)
Only the fertile mind of humorist Jean Shepherd could have thought of it. His Hoosier alter ego Ralph Parker reminisces on past events in his life once again, but this time against the backdrop of a rush-hour traffic jam in the famed Lincoln Tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey. In "A Fistful of Fig Newtons", Ralph's memories are not limited to any particular period in his life, as was the case with "In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash" (childhood) and "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters" (adolescence). Rather, he spans a wider field including summer camp, his first day of high school, Army life, and college. The reader will also enjoy a "critique" of the legendary Johnson Smith novelty catalog plus an amusing look at New Jersey. While still very witty and entertaining so as to earn a 9, "A Fistful of Fig Newtons" is more caustic and saltier than Shepherd's previous two books, mainly when Ralph's adult life is profiled. This book holds its own well as a work by a master satirist. Coming soon, my review of the fourth and last installment in the "tetralogy" of Shepherd books: "The Ferrari in the Bedroom".
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not his best, but still better than anybody else.,
This review is from: A Fistful of Fig Newtons (Paperback)
Four stars out of five? By what standard? Well, anything by Shepherd is a five star read, but when judged against "In God We Trust" and "Wanda Hickey", "A Fistful of Fig Newtons" doesn't quite rise to his own very high standards. Still, don't let this turn you off to this fine little book. While the stories (some are really essays) are not as consistantly good as some of his earlier efforts, "Lost at C" is as good (and funny!) a short story as has ever been written. All of us can identify with the poor slobs stuck in the back row of the classroom, (the "alphabetical ghetto") struggling to comprehend algebra. "The Whole Fun Cataloge of 1929" is a brilliant essay which nails American culture better than any Harvard sociologist ever has. Jean illustrated this book with his own excellent and charming line drawings...another talent not many people knew Jean had. So, for dedicated Shep fans, by all means read "Fig Newtons", and for anyone interested in a funny book, you won't be dissapointed.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fist Full of Fig Newtons,
By
This review is from: A Fistful of Fig Newtons (Paperback)
a review of early life while setting in a traffic jam. Not on the level of "In God We Trust" but a good lite read and a review of New York traffic and life in general
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
The squat, chunky glass nestled chill and reassuring in my hand. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Big Al, Johnson Smith, New Year, Captain Crabtree, Fig Newton, Lieutenant Cherry, Mole Lodge, Happy Cow, The Van Culture, Colonel Bullard, The Camper Crowd, The Manager, White Sox, Helen Weathers, Kit Kat Klub, Signal Corps, Lieutenant Kneecamp, Big Ten, Harding School, Jake Brannigan, Margate Elephant, Miss Shields, Pabst Blue Ribbon, The Georgia Peach, Morey Partridge New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!
The squat, chunky glass nestled chill and reassuring in my hand. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Big Al, Johnson Smith, New Year, Captain Crabtree, Fig Newton, Lieutenant Cherry, Mole Lodge, Happy Cow, The Van Culture, Colonel Bullard, The Camper Crowd, The Manager, White Sox, Helen Weathers, Kit Kat Klub, Signal Corps, Lieutenant Kneecamp, Big Ten, Harding School, Jake Brannigan, Margate Elephant, Miss Shields, Pabst Blue Ribbon, The Georgia Peach, Morey Partridge New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 10
books:
See all 10 books this book cites
3
books
cite this book:
- Gun Control (Lucent Overview Series) by Neal Bernards on page 134
- Cape Cod (Penguin Nature Library) by Henry David Thoreau on page 136
- Pride and Prejudice (Bloom's Guides) by Harold Bloom on page 20
- Jane Austen (Bloom's Modern Critical Views) by Pamela Loos on page 20
- Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations) by Harold Bloom on page 20
See all 10 books this book cites
- Excelsior, You Fathead!: The Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd by Eugene B. Bergmann on 7 pages
- The Signet Book of American Humor by Regina Barreca in Back Matter
- A Christmas Story: The Book That Inspired the Hilarious Classic Film by Jean Shepherd in Back Matter
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