Hoboken Fish and Chicago Whistle [Paperback]

Daniel Manus Pinkwater (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 398 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris Corp; 1 edition (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738804258
• ISBN-13: 978-0738804255
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,452,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel Pinkwater lives with his wife, the illustrator and novelist Jill Pinkwater, and several dogs and cats in a very old farmhouse in New York's Hudson River Valley.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Essays: Deep, varied, humane and humorous, November 9, 1999

By 

Stefan Jones (Suburbs of Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hoboken Fish and Chicago Whistle (Hardcover)

A lot of the short essays and stories in these two books started out as commentaries on NPR's "All Things Considered."

To say they cover a lot of territory is a terrible understatement. Read them and learn about art, big malemute dogs, pudding, writing for kids, African safaris, hot peppers, Chicago, Hoboken, being fat, being weird, living in bohemia, living in the boondocks, and more!

Truly wonderful stuff. Literally wonderful. The image of Pinkwater memorizing passages from Homer while operating a machine tool is hard to forget.

The only thing better than reading these is hearing Pinkwater read them. If you can get your paws on the OOP two-tape "Fishwhistle" audio book, do so. I have had friends seriously damage their bodies convulsing in laughter after hearing a few pieces.

In any case . . . buy the book. The price is steep, but you won't be sorry.

And . . . "eat pudding!"

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable, December 15, 1999

By 

Shaenon K. Garrity (Pacifica, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hoboken Fish and Chicago Whistle (Hardcover)

Both of Mr. Pinkwater's essay collections in one handy volume: this is a deal not to be missed. Fans of his children's books will discover the true inspirations for the Chicken Man, the Boy from Mars, and friendly lizards; fans of The Afterlife Diet will receive more witty and wise insights into the life of the modern downscale gourmet and fat American, as well as the secret to a happy life ("Somewhere, there is a chili you cannot eat"). In between, there's a little bit of everything else: big dogs, tough cats, African safaris, Japanese delis, Chicago street characters, inscrutable art dealers, and parrots. Even if you haven't yet been introduced to the joys of Pinkwater's endlessly inventive deadpan prose, these hilarious essays are sure to contain something that will leave you rolling on the floor, aching with laughter, possibly rupturing something in your abdomen. Highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great to grow up with Pinkwater, November 9, 1999

By 

Nungesser (The USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hoboken Fish and Chicago Whistle (Hardcover)

As a wee child, I loved "The Big Orange Splot". As a youngster, I loved "Fat Men From Space". As a slightly older child, I loved "Lizard Music" and all the rest. And now I can enjoy all of those books, as well as Pinkwater's short-story collections. It's great to see this stuff back in print. I hope the trend continues...I'd love to see new editions of "Lizard Music", "The Worms of Kukumlima", and "Wingman".