Runyon from First to Last (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Broadway Gangsters, Gamblers, Chorus Girls, and the Comic Underworld of Prohibition-Era New YorkBy Damon Runyon
Length16h 57m
About this audiobook
Runyon from First to Last gathers the unmistakable voice of Damon Runyon across the breadth of his career, presenting stories in which gamblers, chorus girls, touts, gangsters, and sentimental rogues move through a mythic Broadway. Written in his celebrated "Runyonese"—a comic, formalized vernacular marked by present-tense narration, elaborate circumlocution, and deadpan moral precision—the collection belongs to the great American tradition of urban comic realism while transforming low-life anecdote into literary fable. Runyon (1880–1946) was first a newspaperman, and his fiction bears the stamp of the reporter's ear: exact attention to speech, profession, rumor, and social code. His years covering sports, crime, and metropolitan spectacle gave him intimate knowledge of the theatrical and underworld milieus he refashioned into art. Behind the humor lies a disciplined observer of American aspiration, loyalty, luck, and self-deception. This volume is ideal for readers seeking more than the source-world of Guys and Dolls. It offers a concentrated encounter with one of America's most distinctive stylists, whose comic surfaces conceal tenderness and sharp social intelligence. Scholars, students, and general readers alike will find in Runyon a master of tone, timing, and humane irony.
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
Rating★★★★ 4.4 (139)
Includes Goodreads
GenreGeneral Fiction, Humor
Length16 hrs 57 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 10, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Runyon from First to Last (Annotated)
2417. THE IDYLL OF MISS SARAH BROWN
2Introduction
2518. THE MELANCHOLY DANE
3Author Biography
2619. BARBECUE
4Historical Context
2720. LITTLE PINKS
5Synopsis (Selection)
2821. PALM BEACH SANTA CLAUS
Show all chaptersShow less
6The First Stories
2922. CLEO
71. THE DEFENCE OF STRIKERVILLE
3023. THE LACEWORK KID
82. FAT FALLON
31The Last Stories
93. TWO MEN NAMED COLLINS
3224. BLONDE MINK
104. AS BETWEEN FRIENDS
3325. BIG BOY BLUES
115. THE INFORMAL EXECUTION OF SOUPBONE PEW
34Written in Sickness
126. MY FATHER
3526. WHY ME?
13Stories à la Carte
3627. THE DOCTOR KNOWS BEST
147. MONEY FROM HOME
3728. NO LIFE
158. A STORY GOES WITH IT
3829. GOOD NIGHT
169. BROADWAY COMPLEX
3930 BED-WARMERS
1710. SO YOU WON'T TALK!
4031. SWEET DREAMS
1811. DARK DOLORES
4132. PASSING THE WORD ALONG
1912. DELEGATES AT LARGE
4233. DEATH PAYS A SOCIAL CALL
2013. A LIGHT IN FRANCE
43THE END
2114. OLD EM'S KENTUCKY HOME
44Analysis
2215. JOHNNY ONE-EYE
45Reflection
2316. BROADWAY INCIDENT
46Memorable Quotes
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