Customer Reviews

Life in a Putty Knife Factory

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've read this -- as well as everything else the late author wrote. He's a forgotten treasure, who belongs, in his own way, with Benchley, Thurber, Perelman and the rest. I strongly recommend this book, even if you have to browbeat the publisher into republishing.

Smith has a gift for sharing that will keep you laughing and intrigued throughout the entire course of this book. Highly recommended for anyone that loves to read and would like a peek into the past.

H. Allen Smith was one of the funniest writers of the first half of the twentieth century.

He wrote about ordinary life, his ordinary life that is, in a collection of vignettes about life, the newspaper racket, and show biz. His wry voice still tickles the funny bone long after the formerly prominent of the day have faded beyond obscurity.

Smith, H. Allen (Harry Allen), 1907-1976.
Age of the tail [by] H. Allen Smith. Illustrated by Leo Hershfield.
1955

You are missing too many of H. Allen Smith's books. The Age of the Tail is one of his most bizzar and funniest books. In the Age of the Tail, humanity wakes up one morning having sprouted prehensile monkey tails. Mr. Smith dutifully tracks the social impact of this turn of evolution including changes in clothing and social custom.

Why mention this book here? Well, I hope that Amazon will go over the Library of Congress catalogue and list all of Mr. Smith's books. My parents had several of his slim hard back books one of which was this somewhat outrageous book. If Amazon decides to list it, then I may be able to order a copy for myself. This book is a must read for those who enjoy H. Allen Smith books.

Read H. Allen and Thorne Smith books during WWII while serving as a young Marine fighter pilot .. gave me a whole way of looking at life with humor and realization that we are characters in a play .. some drama, some comedy but always "Life in the Putty Knife Factory" or "Rain in the Doorway"

Hope that now they are again avoidable many, many young folks will read, laugh and think. Makes for a wonderful life of participation and observation.

Long live good humor for long living ..

Ed, who at 87 is the happiest guy alive.