Customer Reviews

The Life and Rhymes of Ogden Nash

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The struggle with my totally unique high school insecurities was confined by my introduction to Ogden Nash's "The Hippopotamus." In the early days of "60 Minutes," Harry Reasoner and Andy Rooney compiled a presentation entitled, "An Essay on Ugly." Their work provided a profound (but light) insight into the feelings of physical inferiority. At the end, they appropriately encapsulated their presentation with "The Hippopotamus." Their 10-minute offering had a surprisingly strong influence for years to come. For example, I never understood poetry in my high school literature classes until "The Hippopotamus" induced me to read other of Nash's work. My interest in Nash's writing prompted me to appreciate poetry in general. I would have never survived reading T.S. Elliot's "The Wasteland" without the influence of Nash. As a result (and 30 years later), I was excited to learn about David Stuart's THE LIFE AND RHYMES OF OGDEN NASH.

Anyone who has ever smiled after reading a Nash poem will enjoy Stuart's offering. Stuart has a vivid writing style that might be considered overly sophisticated for a Nash biography. Upon reading the first 10 pages, I thought the book was appalling shabby. I soon realized the problem was not Stuart's writing, but Nash's early life. His early life was uneventful (understatement)! Nash's life becomes more interesting during his persistent courtship with his beloved Frances. Stuart offers an unflattering portrayal of Frances. With his lifestyle, the reader will wonder how Ogden was able to remain devoutly faithful to her. He was. Frances wasn't a "witch," but might have been a word that rhymes with it. Frances' personality and influence on Ogden will remain undocumented. I get the impression that she is still alive, but was not interviewed as part of Stuart's research. In addition, Mrs. Nash requested that the Curtis Brown collection be unavailable to Stuart. Perhaps all of Ogden's dirt is housed with Curtis Brown collection?

Readers under the age of 30 might find sections of this biography difficult to follow. Today's generation of poets use a word processor. I doubt that Ogden ever saw one. Yet, the word processor has had a profound effect on the composition of poetry. I wish Stuart would have addressed or described Nash's writing process. Nash didn't have a database to seek out rhymes as today's writers. In addition, younger readers will have difficulty in understanding poetry payments and cost of living during and after the Great Depression. A footnote about the value of the dollar during Nash's life would have been most helpful.

David Stuart's THE LIFE AND RHYMES OF OGDEN NASH is a wonderful contribution. Anyone who likes Nash's work will thoroughly enjoy this volume.