Customer Reviews

Viva la Repartee: Clever Comebacks and Witty Retorts from History's Great Wits and Wordsmiths

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Those who have already read Grothe's Oxymoronica will thoroughly enjoy this volume in which he shifts his attention from "paradoxical wit and wisdom from history's greatest wordsmiths" to "clever comebacks & witty retorts from history's great wits & wordsmiths." Not surprisingly and in fact inevitably, many of the same wordsmiths are represented in both volumes, notably Robert C. Benchley, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), Winston Churchill, W.C. Fields, Dorothy Parker, and Oscar Wilde.

In his introduction, Grothe defines two terms which certainly apply to the selections which follow: citing the OED, a retort is "a sharp or incisive reply, especially one by which the first speaker's statement or argument is in some way turned against himself" and repartee is "1. A ready, witty, or smart reply; a quick and clever retort" and "2. Sharpness or wit in sudden reply; such replies collectively; the practice or faculty of uttering them." With great skill, Grothe creates a context within which each selection is the response. Here are four examples:

During a noted opera singer's "perfectly dreadful performance," one of the guests leaned over and whispered in President Calvin Coolidge's ear, "What do you think of the singer's execution?" to which Coolidge replied, "I'm all for it."

Shortly before his death, W.C. Fields (a lifelong agnostic) was visited by a friend who was astonished when he entered the hospital room. "What are you doing reading a Bible?" to which Fields responded "I'm looking for loopholes."

After losing the Republican presidential nomination to George H.W. Bush, Robert Dole was asked by a reporter how he felt. "Contrary to reports that I took the loss badly, I slept like a baby -- every two hours I woke up and cried."

Paired with an inept bridge partner, George S. Kaufman fumed as the losses increased. At one point, his partner headed for the men's room. The frustrated Kaufman yelled after him, "For the first time tonight, I'll know what you have in your hand."

Of special interest to me is the structure by which Grothe organizes his material. There are fifteen chapters which range from "Classic Retorts, Ripostes, & Rejoinders" to "Risqué Repartee." He includes in each those selections which are most appropriate to the given chapter title, although the best of them could arguably be included in several (if not most) of the chapters. For example, one of my favorites. Here's the situation. Obviously annoyed by an inebriated Winston Churchill, Lady Astor said "Winston, if you were my husband, I'd put poison in your coffee" to which he responded, "Nancy, if you were my wife, I'd drink it." Here's another. When a female member of Parliament, Bessie Matlock, could no longer endure Churchill at a London party, she exclaimed "Winston, you're drunk!" to which he replied, "You're right Bessie. And you're ugly. But tomorrow morning, I'll be sober."

I hope these various examples correctly indicate how entertaining this book is. Credit Grothe with quality of his selections and the brilliance of their presentation. As another holiday season approaches, I cannot think of better books to give as gifts than the two Grothe has created, Oxymoronica and viva la repartee.

Whether for personal entertainment or plagarizing --- I mean, researching --- "memorable retorts, ripostes, combacks, quips, ad-libs, bon mots, off-the-cuff comments, wisecracks and other clever remarks," you'll find "Viva la Repartee" an invaluable source. Dr. Grothe has done considerable research of his or her own and assembled quite a collection.

Far more than once, I found myself spontaneously laughing at some of the clever wit on display in this relatively thin book. Dr. Mardy's commentary is also not only insightful, but amusing as well.

Put some brightness in your day and get this book. And if you're a writer of any kind, definitely get this book: it is a rich resource.

Jerry

Viva La Repartee is one of the most strangely crafted books that I have ever encountered. The prose in the Introduction, and to a lesser extent each of the individual chapter introductions, is very clunky with strange segways and poor organization. The author's use of the first person combined with the textbook/vocabulary lesson feel of the introductions (including a ridiculous textbook-style excercise in the Introduction) is extremely grating. There are far too many definitions (straight from the OED and other dictionaries) and at least one is repeated, verbatim, in a subsequent chapter. The author even defines the word classic. How stupid must he believe me, and the rest of his audience, to be? In Chapter 1, the author includes a self-aggrandizing anecdote about watching Frasier with his wife that seems to have no purpose other than serving as a demonstration of the author's intelligence. It was appalling, insultingly condescending, and arrogant, thus serving as a short demonstration of all that is wrong with the author's overall style.
That being said, the anecdotes that make up the bulk of the work are, for the most part, extremely well-written and enjoyable to read. They are succinct, interesting, and well-formulated. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the book.

Much as overindulgence on bon-bons can lead to deleterious effects, so can feasting on too many bon mots. After staying up late and stuffing myself on the witticisms of George Bernard Shaw, Dorothy Parker, and company, I found myself looking for any angle to slip in a quip. And after reading this amusing and well-researched book, I am loaded with ammo.

The format of this book is patterned after Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor, a short paragraph establishing a joke or anecdote with the punchline indented below in bold face. Unfortunately, most of the anecdotes also seem to be borrowed from Asimov's treasury as well as its sequel, Asimov Laughs Again, and Dr. Grothe almost uniformly chooses the most well-known, least amusing witticisms for his book. Added to this fact is Dr. Grothe's tendency to talk down to his readers and laboriously explain why a joke is funny. Bill Watterson wrote once that the essence of humor is surprise, and there are very few surprises in Viva La Repartee.

_Viva la Repartee: Clever Comebacks and Witty Retorts from History's Great Wits and Wordsmiths_ by Dr. Mardy Grothe celebrates the art of the ingenious reply. Grothe distinguishes between various kinds of witty comments -- for example, the retort, which is a response to an insult, and a quip, which is a clever remark prompted by a situation.

In _Viva la Repartee_ Grothe follows the format that served him well in his previous books, _Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You_ and _Oxymoronica_. He begins each chapter with a discussion of that chapter's theme illustrated by a few examples. Then he provides additional examples without discussion. Themes include repartee in the following areas: stage and screen, literature (one chapter being devoted to the Algonquin Round Table), politics, relationships, senior citizens, and sports. Other chapters feature chiasmus and oxymoron, the literary devices celebrated in Grothe's earlier books. The ultimate example of laconic repartee, in the chapter with that theme, is an exchange of telegrams, each consisting solely of one punctuation mark.

The gems in Grothe's earlier books could stand alone as brief quotations -- often no more than a sentence. However, in order to appreciate a reply, one must know the words and the situation that prompted it. _Viva la Repartee_, then, is a collection of anecdotes. Grothe masterfully crafts the set-ups for his rejoinders. In taut prose that could well serve as models for aspiring writers, he provides the details of time, place, and circumstance.

Most of the remarks featured in _Viva la Repartee_ were uttered by celebrities. Grothe's collection, which includes a helpful index of names, gives us personal glimpses that bring these people to life for us.

Whether you want to become better acquainted with the notables mentioned in this volume, hone your own wit and writing style, or simply revel in the ingenious use of language, you're sure to enjoy _Viva la Repartee_.

What fun it is to read some of the best comebacks in history -- in a format that is well-organized and makes for a very enjoyable experience in a single reading, or as a book to browse through, time and again. The author has grouped the "repartees" into such useful categories as stage and screen, literary, political, sports, and so on (for those readers who like things neatly classified). Each repartee is preceded by a well-written and frequently charming vignette that provides just the right context for the punch line.

Clearly, the author loves language -- and you will too, when you read "Viva la Repartee."

Entertaining little book packed full of examples of great comebacks and wit from a variety of different times, different people, and different circumstances. The book is broken down into chapters focusing on a specific type of repartee, such as "Classic Quips," "Laconic Repartee," "Stage & Screen Repartee," and "Inadvertent Repartee" (as well as many others). Some of them made me laugh out loud, and usually those were coming from the same three people: Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill, and Dorothy Parker. But there were a gazillion I'd never heard of that were pretty hilarious as well. This is an engaging, funny, and educational (really, it is!) book that I enjoyed reading quite a bit. Great for when you only have time for short snatches of reading. I've learned a lot of slammin' comebacks I hope to have a chance to use soon!

My one complaint about the book, though, is that it was missing the best witty laconic (extremely brief) response of all time. During the Battle of the Bulge in WWII, the Germans sent a message to the American army demanding our unconditional surrender, or else we'd be annihilated. General McAuliffe's one word response? "Nuts!" Damn, I just love that one. Recommended!

Anyone who has ever been left utterly tongue-tied in the wake of a clever verbal stab or come up with the perfect comeback hours too late will delight in Viva La Repartee's pages. From ancient history to contemporary celebrities, and encompassing retorts from mild and tame to wild and bawdy, Viva La Repartee contains off-the-cuff quips that will appeal to every level of humor. Although I would have liked to have seen more modern examples and less didacticism, I would definitely recommend Viva La Repartee to others.

Contains some clever remarks, but has a lot of filler that's not particularly clever.