Disquiet, Please!: More Humor Writing from The New Yorker (Kindle Edition)

by Henry Finder (Author), David Remnick (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A complete delight from beginning to end.”
–The New York Times, on Fierce Pajamas


From the Hardcover edition.

Review

“A complete delight from beginning to end.”
–The New York Times, on Fierce Pajamas


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1131 KB
• Print Length: 544 pages
• Publisher: Random House (November 18, 2008)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001KQGZUC
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,418 in Kindle Store (See Bestsellers in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another very nice collection of humor from "The New Yorker", December 4, 2008

By	Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Disquiet, Please!: More Humor Writing from The New Yorker (Hardcover)

"The New Yorker" published Fierce Pajamas: An Anthology of Humor Writing from The New Yorker in 2002. This followup edition is stronger (and funnier) on more recent contributions, but the earlier contributions seem dated and less funny.

Nonetheless, there is real pleasure here, for example "My Dog is Tom Cruise" by Noah Baumbach:

"hahaha! I fetch! Boy, I love to fetch. I am totally fired up when I fetch. And nap. I've got a great dog bed with leopard spots where I can power-nap, man. I've got awesome chew toys, too. I'm passionate about this rubber T-bone with peanut butter hidden in it. Here's the point: do you know there are strays on the street eating out of the Dumpsters behind Chinese restaurants? I'm not making that up. I care about those mutts. But they don't know what the options are"

Or this black comedy piece by Simon Rich:

"FREE-RANGE CHICKENS

"Well, it's another beautiful day in paradise."
"How'd we get so lucky?"
"I don't know and I don't care."
"I think I'll go walk over there for a while. Then I'll walk back over here."
"That sounds like a good time. Maybe I'll do the same."
"Hey, someone refilled the grain bucket!"
"Is it the same stuff as yesterday?"
"I hope so."
"Oh, man, it's the same stuff, all right."
"It's so good."
"I can't stop eating it."
"Hey, you know what would go perfectly with this grain? Water."
"Dude. Look inside the other bucket."
"This . . . is the greatest day of my life."
"Drink up, pal."
"Cheers!"
(Laughs.)
(Laughs.)
"Hey, look, the farmer's coming."
"Huh. Guess it's my turn to go into the thing."
"Cool. See you later, buddy."
"See ya.""

Or his insightful:

DALMATIANS

"Hey, look, the truck's stopping."
"Did they take us to the park this time?"
"No--it's a fire. Another horrible fire."
"What the **** is wrong with these people?"

Noah Baumbach rates his relationships Zagat style:

DESARCINA'S

So what if she thought the movie was "pretentious and contrived" and you felt it was a "masterpiece" and are dying to inform her that "she doesn't know what she's talking about"? Remember, you were looking for a woman who wouldn't "yes" you all the time. And after one bite of chef Leonard Desarcina's "duck manqué" and a sip of the "generous" gin Margaritas you'll start to see that she might have a point.

GORDY'S

Don't be ashamed if you don't know what wine to order with your seared minnow; the "incredibly knowledgeable" waiters will be more than pleased to assist. But if she makes fun of "the way you never make eye contact with people," you might turn "snappish" and end up having your first "serious fight," one where feelings are "hurt."

The Introduction describes other pleasures:

"S. J. Perelman unearths the furious letters of a foreign correspondent in India to the laundry he insists on using in Paris ("Who charges six francs to wash a cummerbund?!"). Woody Allen recalls the "Whore of Mensa," who excites her customers by reading Proust (or, if you want, two girls will explain Noam Chomsky). Steve Martin's pill bottle warns us of side effects ranging from hair that smells of burning tires to teeth receiving radio broadcasts. Andy Borowitz provides his version of theater-lobby notices ("In Act III, there is full frontal nudity, but not involving the actor you would like to see naked"). David Owen's rules for dating his ex-wife start out magnanimous and swiftly disintegrate into sarcasm, self-loathing, and rage."

There was some excellent advice in "Fierce Pajamas" equally applicable to this volume: "You should feel free to dip into this anthology randomly, to read it backward, to give it a home next to the porcelain commode." Or give it to a humor loving friend.

Robert C. Ross 2008

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not consistently humorous, March 9, 2009

By	Paul Schmitt (Big Flats, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Disquiet, Please!: More Humor Writing from The New Yorker (Hardcover)

While the essays in the first part of this book by Thurber, Woody Allen and David Owen, to name just a few, were witty, at some point the writing lost some of the humor and began to be labored. Dated pieces from the 1920's lost their effect when the names are no longer in the consciousness today. These older essays reminded me of when I watched an old Milton Berle show and wondered why it had seemed funny fifty years ago. Still,David Owen's 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Ex-Wife brought a grin (and I don't have an ex-wife). I also liked the contemporary Donald Rumsfield Orders Breakfast at Denny's by Frank Gannon. But, about two-thirds of the way through this, I was glad I had got it from the library and not put my money out for this. I finished it as a testament to my determination.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very funny!, September 18, 2009

By	Alex Cox - See all my reviews

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This is a great book. It's very similar to the previous New Yorker humor compilation, "Fierce Pajamas," except that it includes much more material by more contemporary humorists. As much as I love James Thurber and Dorothy Parker, the contemporary humorists resonate more with me. Quite a funny book.