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The Snatching of Bookie Bob
The Snatching of Bookie Bob - bk340; Penguin Books; Damon Runyon; pocket_book; 1995
- GenresFictionShort Stories
89 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1995
54 people want to read
About the author
Damon Runyon
226 books87 followersSuch volumes as
Guys and Dolls
(1931), the basis for a musical of the same name on Broadway, collect stories of known American writer Alfred Damon Runyon about the underworld of New York.
A family in Manhattan, Kansas, reared this newspaperman. His grandfather, a printer from New Jersey, relocated to Manhattan, Kansas in 1855, and his father edited his own newspaper in the town. In 1882, people forced father of Runyon forced to sell his newspaper, and the family moved westward. The family eventually settled in 1887 in Pueblo, Colorado, where Runyon spent the rest of his youth. He began to work in the newspaper trade under his father in Pueblo. People named a field, the repertory theater company, and a lake in his honor. He worked for various newspapers in the area of the Rocky Mountains and let stand a change in the spelling of his last name from "Runyan" to "Runyon."
In 1898, Runyon enlisted in the Army to fight in the Spanish-American War. The service assigned himto write for the Manila Freedom and Soldier's Letter.
He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To New Yorkers of his generation, a "Damon Runyon character" evoked a distinctive social type from the Brooklyn or Midtown demi-monde. The adjective "Runyonesque" refers to this type of character as well as to the type of situations and dialog that Runyon depicted. He spun humorous tales of gamblers, hustlers, actors, and gangsters, few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead colorful monikers such as "Nathan Detroit," "Benny Southstreet," "Big Jule," "Harry the Horse," "Good Time Charley," "Dave the Dude," or "The Seldom Seen Kid." Runyon wrote these stories in a distinctive vernacular style: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions.
Runyon was also a newspaperman. He wrote the lead article for UP on Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Presidential inauguration in 1933.
Runyon died in New York City from throat cancer in late 1946, at age 66. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered from an airplane over Broadway in Manhattan by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker on December 18, 1946. The family plot of Damon Runyon is located at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, NY. After Runyon's death, his friend and fellow journalist, Walter Winchell, went on his radio program and appealed for contributions to help fight cancer, eventually establishing the “Damon Runyon Cancer Memorial Fund” to support scientific research into causes of, and prevention of cancer.
A family in Manhattan, Kansas, reared this newspaperman. His grandfather, a printer from New Jersey, relocated to Manhattan, Kansas in 1855, and his father edited his own newspaper in the town. In 1882, people forced father of Runyon forced to sell his newspaper, and the family moved westward. The family eventually settled in 1887 in Pueblo, Colorado, where Runyon spent the rest of his youth. He began to work in the newspaper trade under his father in Pueblo. People named a field, the repertory theater company, and a lake in his honor. He worked for various newspapers in the area of the Rocky Mountains and let stand a change in the spelling of his last name from "Runyan" to "Runyon."
In 1898, Runyon enlisted in the Army to fight in the Spanish-American War. The service assigned himto write for the Manila Freedom and Soldier's Letter.
He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To New Yorkers of his generation, a "Damon Runyon character" evoked a distinctive social type from the Brooklyn or Midtown demi-monde. The adjective "Runyonesque" refers to this type of character as well as to the type of situations and dialog that Runyon depicted. He spun humorous tales of gamblers, hustlers, actors, and gangsters, few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead colorful monikers such as "Nathan Detroit," "Benny Southstreet," "Big Jule," "Harry the Horse," "Good Time Charley," "Dave the Dude," or "The Seldom Seen Kid." Runyon wrote these stories in a distinctive vernacular style: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions.
Runyon was also a newspaperman. He wrote the lead article for UP on Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Presidential inauguration in 1933.
Runyon died in New York City from throat cancer in late 1946, at age 66. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered from an airplane over Broadway in Manhattan by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker on December 18, 1946. The family plot of Damon Runyon is located at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, NY. After Runyon's death, his friend and fellow journalist, Walter Winchell, went on his radio program and appealed for contributions to help fight cancer, eventually establishing the “Damon Runyon Cancer Memorial Fund” to support scientific research into causes of, and prevention of cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 26, 2024
Like reading a classic black-and-white noir from the 30s. The language hasn't dated well, but that lends to the authenticity.
October 2, 2015
A selection of five short stories in this Penguin 60 taken from On Broadway.
All set in New York in the 1930's era, these stories all feature the same narrator, who is an 'acquaintance' of all the story characters. They are nicely written, highly paced (ok they are short stories, so if they don't maintain pace, they have failed), and all offer closure.
The language and the terminology, although seriously dated, provides legitimacy to the setting - all the women are referred to as dolls and in the case of these characters are normally nightclub dancers by profession! Other examples it comes out then that I owe Bookie Bob ten G's...; "Say" Bookie Bob says "you do not suppose I am chump enough to give my ever-loving wife twenty-five G's, or even let he know where she can get her dukes on twenty-five G's belonging to me, do you?"; ...but the only diamond she ever sees is an engagement hoop that Alfie gives her as a convincer when he happens to be in the money for a moment, and it is a very small diamond, at that, and it needs a high north light when you look at it.
The character names speak for themselves - Bookie Bob, Joe the Joker, Frankie Ferocious, Ropes McGonigle, Little Alfie, Miss Beulah Beauregard, Feet Samuels.
I can't help but read the dialogue with a horribly put on 1930s New York accent...
All set in New York in the 1930's era, these stories all feature the same narrator, who is an 'acquaintance' of all the story characters. They are nicely written, highly paced (ok they are short stories, so if they don't maintain pace, they have failed), and all offer closure.
The language and the terminology, although seriously dated, provides legitimacy to the setting - all the women are referred to as dolls and in the case of these characters are normally nightclub dancers by profession! Other examples it comes out then that I owe Bookie Bob ten G's...; "Say" Bookie Bob says "you do not suppose I am chump enough to give my ever-loving wife twenty-five G's, or even let he know where she can get her dukes on twenty-five G's belonging to me, do you?"; ...but the only diamond she ever sees is an engagement hoop that Alfie gives her as a convincer when he happens to be in the money for a moment, and it is a very small diamond, at that, and it needs a high north light when you look at it.
The character names speak for themselves - Bookie Bob, Joe the Joker, Frankie Ferocious, Ropes McGonigle, Little Alfie, Miss Beulah Beauregard, Feet Samuels.
I can't help but read the dialogue with a horribly put on 1930s New York accent...
January 31, 2009
Mannered, witty and cleverly plotted. The title story especially was brilliant. This little book got me through the worst of the Xmas queues: I'm talking Disney shop here... In a huge winding queue full of bad-tempered parents and crying children I took out this book and all of a sudden there was nowhere in the world I would rather have been.
November 10, 2013
This book was sent to me by a fellow member of Bookcrossing.com.
It's not something I would have picked out for myself as I don't have much interest in 1930's tales of gangsters, unless maybe it was a true crime book.
All in all, these 5 stories were an ok read but nothing that I would care to read more of.
It's not something I would have picked out for myself as I don't have much interest in 1930's tales of gangsters, unless maybe it was a true crime book.
All in all, these 5 stories were an ok read but nothing that I would care to read more of.
August 2, 2025
I will admit that I am in two minds about this one - although to be honest I am always told I try and find the good in things so I will let the rating stand.
But why the indecisions - well the stories are great they are so atmospheric and really do convey the era they were set in - and that is where the problem lies for me. Everyone has a nickname (often no one actually knows their real name) on top of which they use slang all the time. Now again this is part of the era and the life style but at times it feels like they have to be used multiple times in the same sentence. In a different world there would be games made up on how many times the say slang or nick name could be used successively. At times I felt this was distracting (I counted scratch being used 4 times in one sentence).
But you cannot fault the timeliness of the stories - they played out in my mind like old film strips they were brilliant
But why the indecisions - well the stories are great they are so atmospheric and really do convey the era they were set in - and that is where the problem lies for me. Everyone has a nickname (often no one actually knows their real name) on top of which they use slang all the time. Now again this is part of the era and the life style but at times it feels like they have to be used multiple times in the same sentence. In a different world there would be games made up on how many times the say slang or nick name could be used successively. At times I felt this was distracting (I counted scratch being used 4 times in one sentence).
But you cannot fault the timeliness of the stories - they played out in my mind like old film strips they were brilliant
December 15, 2014
This collection of five stories is my second dollop of Runyon for this year (2014). His drily humorous style, his narratives of American gangsters and bookies and their antics, the depiction of American society of before the Second World War, all remain a delicious pleasure which no true story lover should miss.
Hierdie boekie is my tweede kennismaking met die besondere styl van Runyon. Die manier waarop hy die Amerikaanse samelewing van voor die Tweede Wêreldoorlog uitbeeld, die karakters wat hy laat optree en die besondere taalgebruik wat hy sy verteller(s) in die mond lê, sorg dat sy stories 'n vreugde is wat storievrate nie moet misloop nie.
Hierdie boekie is my tweede kennismaking met die besondere styl van Runyon. Die manier waarop hy die Amerikaanse samelewing van voor die Tweede Wêreldoorlog uitbeeld, die karakters wat hy laat optree en die besondere taalgebruik wat hy sy verteller(s) in die mond lê, sorg dat sy stories 'n vreugde is wat storievrate nie moet misloop nie.
March 16, 2025
Heureusement que j'ai eu le livre gratuitement et qu'il faisait moins de 100 pages sinon je me serais foutue en l'air.
C'était tellement long. Un recueil d'histoire sur des mâles alpha qui passent leur vie à aller dans des nighclubs et à être endetté c'est définitivement pas ce que j'aime.
En plus les noms sont éclatés (mdrrrr Feet Samuels ???) Et même c'est pas super bien écrit y'a des répétitions tous les temps.
Je conseils chaudement 😁🫶😉
C'était tellement long. Un recueil d'histoire sur des mâles alpha qui passent leur vie à aller dans des nighclubs et à être endetté c'est définitivement pas ce que j'aime.
En plus les noms sont éclatés (mdrrrr Feet Samuels ???) Et même c'est pas super bien écrit y'a des répétitions tous les temps.
Je conseils chaudement 😁🫶😉
November 27, 2020
I really enjoyed these short stories from the 30’s. Fast paced and clever, peppered with old New York gangster slang. I liked some more than others of the five included, but they were such a fun and quick read I have nothing bad to say about them at all!
March 3, 2015
เรื่องสั้น 5 เรื่องเกี่ยวกับโลกอาชญากรรมในนิวยอร์ก อ่านสนุกดี : )
February 9, 2016
Normally I would give 5 stars to Damon Runyon who is one of my favourite authors, but this collection of short stories is not the best selection that could have been chosen.
March 27, 2018
Absolutely fantastic. Short as hell so can be knocked off in an afternoon. Well worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews