Damon Runyon Omnibus (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Broadway Short Stories of Gamblers, Gangsters, Chorus Girls, and Comic Crime in Prohibition-Era New YorkBy Damon Runyon
Length27h 24m
About this audiobook
Damon Runyon Omnibus gathers the stories that made Runyon's Broadway an enduring imaginative territory: a nocturnal world of gamblers, touts, chorus girls, small-time crooks, sentimental swindlers, and improbable saints. Written in his unmistakable "Runyonese"—formal, present-tense narration fused with underworld slang—the pieces transform Depression-era Manhattan into comic folklore. Their elegance lies in tonal paradox: hard-boiled settings rendered with courtly syntax, criminal plots softened by melancholy, loyalty, and absurd grace. Damon Runyon (1880–1946) came to fiction through journalism, and the omnibus bears the marks of a reporter who listened closely. Born in Kansas and raised partly in Colorado, he became a newspaper man before settling in New York, where he covered sports, crime, and Broadway life. His intimacy with racetracks, prizefights, courtrooms, nightclubs, and pressrooms supplied both his characters and his extraordinary ear for speech. This volume is warmly recommended to readers interested in American comic prose, urban folklore, and the literary making of New York. It offers not merely period entertainment, but a masterclass in voice: stylized, humane, and instantly recognizable. Runyon's world may be theatrical, but its moral surprises remain wonderfully alive.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- The Author Biography highlights personal milestones and literary influences that shape the entire body of writing.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreGeneral Fiction, Humor
Length27 hrs 24 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 10, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Damon Runyon Omnibus (Annotated)
12FURTHERMORE (pt. 3)
2Introduction
13FURTHERMORE (pt. 4)
3Author Biography
14TAKE IT EASY (pt. 1)
4Historical Context
15TAKE IT EASY (pt. 2)
5Synopsis (Selection)
16TAKE IT EASY (pt. 3)
Show all chaptersShow less
6MORE THAN SOMEWHAT (pt. 1)
17TAKE IT EASY (pt. 4)
7MORE THAN SOMEWHAT (pt. 2)
18THE END
8MORE THAN SOMEWHAT (pt. 3)
19Analysis
9MORE THAN SOMEWHAT (pt. 4)
20Reflection
10FURTHERMORE (pt. 1)
21Memorable Quotes
11FURTHERMORE (pt. 2)
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