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The Last Flower: A Parable in Pictures
Originally published in November 1939, two months after World War II officially began, James Thurber's parable in pictures-- a graphic novel ahead of its day--about eternal cycles of war, peace, love, and the resilience of one little flower remains as relevant today as it was then. The New York Times called it "at once one of the most serious and one of the most hilarious contributions on war."
Civilization has collapsed after World War XII, dogs have deserted their masters, all the groves and gardens have been destroyed, and love has vanished from the earth. Then one day, "a young girl who had never seen a flower chanced to come upon the last one in the world." Written among the sorrow and chaos of war, dedicated to this only child " in the wistful hope that her world will be better than mine." The new printing will feature new scans of Thurber's original 1939 drawings.
Civilization has collapsed after World War XII, dogs have deserted their masters, all the groves and gardens have been destroyed, and love has vanished from the earth. Then one day, "a young girl who had never seen a flower chanced to come upon the last one in the world." Written among the sorrow and chaos of war, dedicated to this only child " in the wistful hope that her world will be better than mine." The new printing will feature new scans of Thurber's original 1939 drawings.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1939
4 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
James Thurber
360 books609 followersThurber was born in Columbus, Ohio to Charles L. Thurber and Mary Agnes (Mame) Fisher Thurber. Both of his parents greatly influenced his work. His father, a sporadically employed clerk and minor politician who dreamed of being a lawyer or an actor, is said to have been the inspiration for the small, timid protagonist typical of many of his stories. Thurber described his mother as a "born comedienne" and "one of the finest comic talents I think I have ever known." She was a practical joker, on one occasion pretending to be crippled and attending a faith healer revival, only to jump up and proclaim herself healed.
Thurber had two brothers, William and Robert. Once, while playing a game of William Tell, his brother William shot James in the eye with an arrow. Because of the lack of medical technology, Thurber lost his eye. This injury would later cause him to be almost entirely blind. During his childhood he was unable to participate in sports and activities because of his injury, and instead developed a creative imagination, which he shared in his writings.
From 1913 to 1918, Thurber attended The Ohio State University, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He never graduated from the University because his poor eyesight prevented him from taking a mandatory ROTC course. In 1995 he was posthumously awarded a degree.
From 1918 to 1920, at the close of World War I, Thurber worked as a code clerk for the Department of State, first in Washington, D.C. and then at the American Embassy in Paris, France. After this Thurber returned to Columbus, where he began his writing career as a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch from 1921 to 1924. During part of this time, he reviewed current books, films, and plays in a weekly column called "Credos and Curios," a title that later would be given to a posthumous collection of his work. Thurber also returned to Paris in this period, where he wrote for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers.
In 1925, he moved to Greenwich Village in New York City, getting a job as a reporter for the New York Evening Post. He joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1927 as an editor with the help of his friend and fellow New Yorker contributor, E.B. White. His career as a cartoonist began in 1930 when White found some of Thurber's drawings in a trash can and submitted them for publication. Thurber would contribute both his writings and his drawings to The New Yorker until the 1950s.
Thurber was married twice. In 1922, Thurber married Althea Adams. The marriage was troubled and ended in divorce in May 1935. Adams gave Thurber his only child, his daughter Rosemary. Thurber remarried in June, 1935 to Helen Wismer. His second marriage lasted until he died in 1961, at the age of 66, due to complications from pneumonia, which followed upon a stroke suffered at his home. His last words, aside from the repeated word "God," were "God bless... God damn," according to Helen Thurber.
Thurber had two brothers, William and Robert. Once, while playing a game of William Tell, his brother William shot James in the eye with an arrow. Because of the lack of medical technology, Thurber lost his eye. This injury would later cause him to be almost entirely blind. During his childhood he was unable to participate in sports and activities because of his injury, and instead developed a creative imagination, which he shared in his writings.
From 1913 to 1918, Thurber attended The Ohio State University, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He never graduated from the University because his poor eyesight prevented him from taking a mandatory ROTC course. In 1995 he was posthumously awarded a degree.
From 1918 to 1920, at the close of World War I, Thurber worked as a code clerk for the Department of State, first in Washington, D.C. and then at the American Embassy in Paris, France. After this Thurber returned to Columbus, where he began his writing career as a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch from 1921 to 1924. During part of this time, he reviewed current books, films, and plays in a weekly column called "Credos and Curios," a title that later would be given to a posthumous collection of his work. Thurber also returned to Paris in this period, where he wrote for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers.
In 1925, he moved to Greenwich Village in New York City, getting a job as a reporter for the New York Evening Post. He joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1927 as an editor with the help of his friend and fellow New Yorker contributor, E.B. White. His career as a cartoonist began in 1930 when White found some of Thurber's drawings in a trash can and submitted them for publication. Thurber would contribute both his writings and his drawings to The New Yorker until the 1950s.
Thurber was married twice. In 1922, Thurber married Althea Adams. The marriage was troubled and ended in divorce in May 1935. Adams gave Thurber his only child, his daughter Rosemary. Thurber remarried in June, 1935 to Helen Wismer. His second marriage lasted until he died in 1961, at the age of 66, due to complications from pneumonia, which followed upon a stroke suffered at his home. His last words, aside from the repeated word "God," were "God bless... God damn," according to Helen Thurber.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 17, 2017
This has been on my to-read list longer than almost any other book and I finally decided I needed to make some dent in that list so I requested this one from a faraway library. I am so glad that I did. I am a lover of Thurber already but this one really struck me. While Thurber and I don't always see eye to eye, we both agree that as long as the world still holds one man and one woman and a flower, things will work out.
November 26, 2014
Short but interesting! The following lines describe it in better words:
"James Thurber’s The Last Flower expresses a simple but deep truth: the unending cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. It is an uncynical tale but not a toothless one, and its idealism feels hard-won. The humor has the typical Thurber charm, and even a bit of absurdity, but it is never merely whimsical; rather, it is leavened with the sorrow and gravitas of an uncertain world that was teetering on a very real, perilous edge, and this gives both the spirited drawings and the heartfelt sentiment an undeniable power and nobility."
—Ivan Brunetti, An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories
"James Thurber’s The Last Flower expresses a simple but deep truth: the unending cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. It is an uncynical tale but not a toothless one, and its idealism feels hard-won. The humor has the typical Thurber charm, and even a bit of absurdity, but it is never merely whimsical; rather, it is leavened with the sorrow and gravitas of an uncertain world that was teetering on a very real, perilous edge, and this gives both the spirited drawings and the heartfelt sentiment an undeniable power and nobility."
—Ivan Brunetti, An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories
January 19, 2015
...
This time the destruction was so complete
Nothing at all was left in the world
Except one man
And a woman
And one flower
And the cycle goes on!
This is us...the human being! :)))
This time the destruction was so complete
Nothing at all was left in the world
Except one man
And a woman
And one flower
And the cycle goes on!
This is us...the human being! :)))
August 10, 2022
.
«آخرین گُل»*
بر کسی پوشیده نیست، که جنگ جهانی داوازدهم،
سبب نابودی تمدن گردید.
شهرهای بزرگ و کوچک و روستاها از صفحهٔ زمین ناپدید شدند.
هرچه درختزار و جنگل بود نیست و نابود شد؛
و هرچه باغ بود؛
و هرچه اثر هنری بود.
مرد و زن و کودک از حیوانهای پست هم پستتر شدند.
سگها، از نومیدی و سرخوردگی، صاحبان نگونبختشان را گذاشتند و رفتند.
خرگوشها، که از وضع و حال رقتبار اربابان پیشین زمین دل و جرئت یافته بودند، به سر آنها ریختند!
کتاب و نقاشی و موسیقی از زمین محو شد، و آدمها هم عاطل و باطل به کنجی نشستند.
سالها پی در پی میگذشت.
تک و توک ژنرالهایی هم که مانده بودند، یادشان رفته بود نتیجهٔ آخرین جنگ چه شد.
پسرها و دخترها بزرگ میشدند و مات مات به هم نگاه میکردند، چون عشق از زمین رفته بود.
روزی از روزها دختری که به عمرش گلی ندیده بود، گذرش به آخرین گل دنیا افتاد.
به آدمهای دیگر میگفت چه نشستهاید که آخرین گل دارد میمیرد.
کسی به او محل نگذاشت، غیر از جوانی که ول ول میگشت.
دختر و پسر دست به دست هم دادند و گل را آب دادند و گل دوباره جان گرفت.
روزی از روزها زنبور عسلی به سراغ گل آمد و مرغی هم.
طولی نکشید که یک گل دو گل شد و دو گل چهار گل، و آنوقت یک عالمه گل.
درختزاران و جنگلها دوباره بالان شدند.
دخترک کمکم به آراستن سر و وضع خود علاقهمند شد.
پسرک معلومش شد که دست زدن به تن دخترک لذتبخش است.
عشق از نو به دنیا آمد.
کودکانشان قوی و سالم بار آمدند و دویدن و خندیدن آموختند.
سگها از تبعیدگاه بیرون آمدند.
جوان معلومش شد که اگر سنگی را روی سنگ دیگر بگذارد، میتواند سرپناهی بسازد.
طولی نکشید که همگان دستاندرکار ساختن سرپناه شدند.
شهرهای بزرگ و کوچک، و روستاها سربرآوردند.
آواز به دنیا بازگشت؛
و نوازندگان و بندبازان؛
و خیاطان و پینهدوزان؛
و نقاشان و شاعران؛
و مجسمهسازان و چرخسازان؛
و سربازان؛
و ستوانان و افسران؛
و تیمساران و اسپهبدان؛
و منجیان!
عدهای برای زندگی کردن به جایی و عدهای به جایی دیگر رفتند.
به زودی، کسانی که برای زندگی کردن به درهها رفته بودن آرزو کردند که کاش به تپهها رفته بودند.
و کسانی که برای زندگی کردن روانهٔ تپهها شده بودند آرزو کردند که کاش به درهها رفته بودند.
منجیان در ظل تأییدات الهی، آتش به جان ناراضیان میزدند.
پس بیدرنگ مردم دنیا دوباره به جان هم افتادند.
اینبار، ویرانی به قدری بیکموکاست بود…
که هیچچیز در دنیا بر جای نماند؛
الا یک مرد
و یک زن
و یک گل!
ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ
* ترجمهٔ صالح حسینی در ضمیمه مرگ ایوان ایلیچ
** علامتگذاری را من به صورت ذوقی انجام دادم و در اصل ترجمه نیست.
*** بار اولی که این اثر را دیدم و خواندم، دوستی دیدن فیلم «مادر» ساختهٔ دارن آرنوفسکی را بهم پیشنهاد کرد، شاید برای شما هم جذاب باشد.
«آخرین گُل»*
بر کسی پوشیده نیست، که جنگ جهانی داوازدهم،
سبب نابودی تمدن گردید.
شهرهای بزرگ و کوچک و روستاها از صفحهٔ زمین ناپدید شدند.
هرچه درختزار و جنگل بود نیست و نابود شد؛
و هرچه باغ بود؛
و هرچه اثر هنری بود.
مرد و زن و کودک از حیوانهای پست هم پستتر شدند.
سگها، از نومیدی و سرخوردگی، صاحبان نگونبختشان را گذاشتند و رفتند.
خرگوشها، که از وضع و حال رقتبار اربابان پیشین زمین دل و جرئت یافته بودند، به سر آنها ریختند!
کتاب و نقاشی و موسیقی از زمین محو شد، و آدمها هم عاطل و باطل به کنجی نشستند.
سالها پی در پی میگذشت.
تک و توک ژنرالهایی هم که مانده بودند، یادشان رفته بود نتیجهٔ آخرین جنگ چه شد.
پسرها و دخترها بزرگ میشدند و مات مات به هم نگاه میکردند، چون عشق از زمین رفته بود.
روزی از روزها دختری که به عمرش گلی ندیده بود، گذرش به آخرین گل دنیا افتاد.
به آدمهای دیگر میگفت چه نشستهاید که آخرین گل دارد میمیرد.
کسی به او محل نگذاشت، غیر از جوانی که ول ول میگشت.
دختر و پسر دست به دست هم دادند و گل را آب دادند و گل دوباره جان گرفت.
روزی از روزها زنبور عسلی به سراغ گل آمد و مرغی هم.
طولی نکشید که یک گل دو گل شد و دو گل چهار گل، و آنوقت یک عالمه گل.
درختزاران و جنگلها دوباره بالان شدند.
دخترک کمکم به آراستن سر و وضع خود علاقهمند شد.
پسرک معلومش شد که دست زدن به تن دخترک لذتبخش است.
عشق از نو به دنیا آمد.
کودکانشان قوی و سالم بار آمدند و دویدن و خندیدن آموختند.
سگها از تبعیدگاه بیرون آمدند.
جوان معلومش شد که اگر سنگی را روی سنگ دیگر بگذارد، میتواند سرپناهی بسازد.
طولی نکشید که همگان دستاندرکار ساختن سرپناه شدند.
شهرهای بزرگ و کوچک، و روستاها سربرآوردند.
آواز به دنیا بازگشت؛
و نوازندگان و بندبازان؛
و خیاطان و پینهدوزان؛
و نقاشان و شاعران؛
و مجسمهسازان و چرخسازان؛
و سربازان؛
و ستوانان و افسران؛
و تیمساران و اسپهبدان؛
و منجیان!
عدهای برای زندگی کردن به جایی و عدهای به جایی دیگر رفتند.
به زودی، کسانی که برای زندگی کردن به درهها رفته بودن آرزو کردند که کاش به تپهها رفته بودند.
و کسانی که برای زندگی کردن روانهٔ تپهها شده بودند آرزو کردند که کاش به درهها رفته بودند.
منجیان در ظل تأییدات الهی، آتش به جان ناراضیان میزدند.
پس بیدرنگ مردم دنیا دوباره به جان هم افتادند.
اینبار، ویرانی به قدری بیکموکاست بود…
که هیچچیز در دنیا بر جای نماند؛
الا یک مرد
و یک زن
و یک گل!
ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ
* ترجمهٔ صالح حسینی در ضمیمه مرگ ایوان ایلیچ
** علامتگذاری را من به صورت ذوقی انجام دادم و در اصل ترجمه نیست.
*** بار اولی که این اثر را دیدم و خواندم، دوستی دیدن فیلم «مادر» ساختهٔ دارن آرنوفسکی را بهم پیشنهاد کرد، شاید برای شما هم جذاب باشد.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2018
ساده ترین تصویرسازی ممکن از تاریخ بشریت! تصویری هرچند اغراق آمیز ولی درست.
October 12, 2008
I enjoy comtemporary parables that don't necessarily end well... it's like a cliff-hanger for the conscience of that individual reader... "What will you do?" There is another book that a friend lent me while we were in high school... Hope For Butterflies... it's been out of print for twenty years, I guess... if anyone finds a copy, let me know; I want to add it to the family library.
August 26, 2021
That was painful.
Read
April 1, 2023finally read this one thanks to the power of youtube
May 6, 2023
El puc entendre en el moment, però ara és un missatge matxacadíssim que m'interessa -332874492
April 5, 2021
احساس انسان نخستین| برای تشریح مفاهیم عمیق هرگز به تطویل و اطناب نیازی نیست. مجمل و مختصر می توان سخن گفت و همه آن چه را باید در دو واژه جای داد: آخرین گل.
January 9, 2014
I read this book aloud to my nieces tonight as we sat together on the couch. They are now 23 & 19; it's been many years since I read to them. We all loved the book (especially the 'descending rabbits'!) We discussed after if it was a sad book or a hopeful one. I think both.
Thurber isn't a great technical artist, but his illustrations here - simple, almost childlike, line drawings - are perfect accompaniment to the story, which is human nature, the good and bad, distilled.
Thurber isn't a great technical artist, but his illustrations here - simple, almost childlike, line drawings - are perfect accompaniment to the story, which is human nature, the good and bad, distilled.
March 29, 2016
Found this gem of an illustrated story in a little vintage bookshop in London with shelves filled all the way up to the ceiling, read it on the floor and it ripped my fucking heart out. This will be relevant until there's no one with a brain around to read it. A very witty reminder that humans are doomed with no hope of un-dooming, thanks to our not so clever decisions. 12/10.
June 15, 2017
More of a prose poem than anything else, "The Last Flower" tells a straightforward tale that illustrates mankind's cycle of war and creation. It's sparse but moving, with the crude black-and-white drawings by Thurber conveying a lot of emotion. Very thought-provoking and a demonstration that sometimes less is more.
November 27, 2017
So cool.
Definitely way ahead of its time... Kind of scary.
Definitely way ahead of its time... Kind of scary.
March 14, 2018
Classic story. Graphic novel form. I first heard it read long ago. Didn't realize it was this short. Worth reading often. A must have. Nice complement to singing where have all the flowers gone.
July 23, 2019
Didn't care for it. I understood the message it was trying to convey, but the simplicity made it seem condescending.
It tries to be deep, but ultimately only points out that wars eventually happen.
It tries to be deep, but ultimately only points out that wars eventually happen.
January 14, 2026
This short parable in pictures is similar to a photo diary used in research. The images themselves tell the story, showing pain, rebirth, resilience, and repetition.
This parable powerfully captures, in a few words and images, the concept of cyclical creation and karmic destiny, illustrating how humanity continually shapes its own present and future outcomes. At the time of its publication, following a world war, the work’s fictional narrative, rooted in real-life conflicts, was considered visionary and ahead of its time (Thurber, 1939). Its relevance endures as societies worldwide continue to search for meaningful development, making its themes feel both timely and prescient. Despite the work’s complexity and the challenges it poses for universal understanding, it persuasively calls for intentional and positive human intervention to break these destructive cycles and foster real change.
Cyclical occurrences are all around us, in religions both distant and close, in industries navigating worldly demands and supplies, and in historical realities we continue to face but rarely acknowledge. This leads us to the same outcomes across centuries and generations. The same text in different fonts.
“Books, pictures and songs were banned. People who were doing nothing were thought to be wasting their time.” I believe its power lies in the history, background, and capacity of its audience. Those who understand the gravity of a devastating experience may view it one way, and others with a more innocent, perhaps blissful or knowingly ignorant, may view it another way. Understanding may be found in such different directions, depending on the situation and the reader’s intentions and receptiveness.
“Those generals who escaped death in the last war even forgot who won and who lost.” This particular excerpt highlights the tendency of individuals and societies to repeat destructive cycles without learning from past conflicts. This theme, combined with fact-to-fiction elements and the notion of an unending cycle after war, closely resonates with the central issues explored in Jose P. Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not or Social Cancer in English translations) and El Filibusterismo (Official translation: The Reign of Greed; Literal translation: The Filibustering). Both seminal works, originally written in Spanish during the Philippine colonial period, similarly examine how collective forgetting and lack of critical reflection perpetuate social injustices and hinder true societal progress. By addressing the enduring consequences of historical abuses, the realities and limits of revolution or reform, and the ongoing struggle for national identity, these texts reinforce the message found in Thurber’s parable: that without conscious effort to remember and change, societies risk repeating cycles of oppression and suffering.
The Last Flower prevailiing message to this reader also taken from Jose P. Rizal’s most notable works: "Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan, ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan. (Translation: "He who does not know how to look back on where he came from will not be able to reach his destination."). The world can become such a cruel place with people growing more cruel and inhumane in the worst of circumstances. It is up to us to choose which way we side ourselves, whether good or bad; our choices have more influence and power than we may realize in the moment, and such decisions may affect more than our lone selves. In the passive or active, reformist or revolutionist, peaceful or warring, actions are bigger than they begin. Development, even with the best of intentions, may have the worst effects.
For the treasure of art this short editorial piece of literary historical portrayal holds, I share with any interested readers this piece, with credit to the original uploader, Arvind Gupta. He is a renowned Indian educator-scientist famous for creating low-cost, trash-based toys and science models to make learning fun. His grass-roots teaching initiatives are embodied in his website, where I found access to this book. Beyond culturally and academically relevant reading materials for all ages, his site also features free instructions for project ideas and his own published books.
Below are the direct links to this parable in pictures.
https://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvin... https://archive.org/details/lastflowe...
References cited in this review are found below:
Thurber, J. (1939). The Last Flower. University of Iowa Press. https://uipress.uiowa.edu/books/last-...
This parable powerfully captures, in a few words and images, the concept of cyclical creation and karmic destiny, illustrating how humanity continually shapes its own present and future outcomes. At the time of its publication, following a world war, the work’s fictional narrative, rooted in real-life conflicts, was considered visionary and ahead of its time (Thurber, 1939). Its relevance endures as societies worldwide continue to search for meaningful development, making its themes feel both timely and prescient. Despite the work’s complexity and the challenges it poses for universal understanding, it persuasively calls for intentional and positive human intervention to break these destructive cycles and foster real change.
Cyclical occurrences are all around us, in religions both distant and close, in industries navigating worldly demands and supplies, and in historical realities we continue to face but rarely acknowledge. This leads us to the same outcomes across centuries and generations. The same text in different fonts.
“Books, pictures and songs were banned. People who were doing nothing were thought to be wasting their time.” I believe its power lies in the history, background, and capacity of its audience. Those who understand the gravity of a devastating experience may view it one way, and others with a more innocent, perhaps blissful or knowingly ignorant, may view it another way. Understanding may be found in such different directions, depending on the situation and the reader’s intentions and receptiveness.
“Those generals who escaped death in the last war even forgot who won and who lost.” This particular excerpt highlights the tendency of individuals and societies to repeat destructive cycles without learning from past conflicts. This theme, combined with fact-to-fiction elements and the notion of an unending cycle after war, closely resonates with the central issues explored in Jose P. Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not or Social Cancer in English translations) and El Filibusterismo (Official translation: The Reign of Greed; Literal translation: The Filibustering). Both seminal works, originally written in Spanish during the Philippine colonial period, similarly examine how collective forgetting and lack of critical reflection perpetuate social injustices and hinder true societal progress. By addressing the enduring consequences of historical abuses, the realities and limits of revolution or reform, and the ongoing struggle for national identity, these texts reinforce the message found in Thurber’s parable: that without conscious effort to remember and change, societies risk repeating cycles of oppression and suffering.
The Last Flower prevailiing message to this reader also taken from Jose P. Rizal’s most notable works: "Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan, ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan. (Translation: "He who does not know how to look back on where he came from will not be able to reach his destination."). The world can become such a cruel place with people growing more cruel and inhumane in the worst of circumstances. It is up to us to choose which way we side ourselves, whether good or bad; our choices have more influence and power than we may realize in the moment, and such decisions may affect more than our lone selves. In the passive or active, reformist or revolutionist, peaceful or warring, actions are bigger than they begin. Development, even with the best of intentions, may have the worst effects.
For the treasure of art this short editorial piece of literary historical portrayal holds, I share with any interested readers this piece, with credit to the original uploader, Arvind Gupta. He is a renowned Indian educator-scientist famous for creating low-cost, trash-based toys and science models to make learning fun. His grass-roots teaching initiatives are embodied in his website, where I found access to this book. Beyond culturally and academically relevant reading materials for all ages, his site also features free instructions for project ideas and his own published books.
Below are the direct links to this parable in pictures.
https://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvin... https://archive.org/details/lastflowe...
References cited in this review are found below:
Thurber, J. (1939). The Last Flower. University of Iowa Press. https://uipress.uiowa.edu/books/last-...
July 26, 2022
The Last Flower: A Parable in Pictures by James Thurber, Hindi language translation by Arvind Gupta- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of importance of peace. Civilization has collapsed after the World War II, dogs have deserted their masters, all the groves and gardens have been destroyed, and love has vanished from the earth. Then one day, "a young girl who had never seen a flower chanced to come upon the last one flower in the world. She takes care of the flower which grows soon. A young man helps her. They marry and have a family. Soon, their family grows. Houses are constructed. People go to find work in plains and hills. Soon, they conclude that they have taken an incorrect decision. They should have gone in the reverse direction. Religious leaders aggravate the situation. War begins again, thus the civilization is destroyed only one child survives. Author has written this book among the sorrow and chaos of war, dedicated to this only child in the wistful hope that her world will be better than mine. Illustrations help the reader to relate to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.
December 24, 2023
“The Last Flower” by James Thurber was published 2 months after the Second World War started. It probably felt foretelling as World War II would have been one of the biggest wars the world had ever seen, with an atomic bomb dropped on civilians for the first and last time in history—but I’m getting ahead of myself.
“The Last Flower” at first glance reads like a children’s book. It has short sketchy illustrations, with short writings—but it is not a children’s book. Instead it’s a book about war, and the cycle of war and destruction we humans continue to entertain ourselves in. It’s funny (maybe sarcastically) but also feels rather frustratingly too real. I think it’s a great short story to put that idea across, the craziness of war.
For the record though I read the Japanese translation which was translated by Haruki Murakami and published in 2023. Come to think about it, it’s amazing that something written almost 100 years ago can still feel as modern as this.
“The Last Flower” at first glance reads like a children’s book. It has short sketchy illustrations, with short writings—but it is not a children’s book. Instead it’s a book about war, and the cycle of war and destruction we humans continue to entertain ourselves in. It’s funny (maybe sarcastically) but also feels rather frustratingly too real. I think it’s a great short story to put that idea across, the craziness of war.
For the record though I read the Japanese translation which was translated by Haruki Murakami and published in 2023. Come to think about it, it’s amazing that something written almost 100 years ago can still feel as modern as this.
March 10, 2023
"Den sista blomman – En berättelse i bilder" (Bokförlaget Fabel 1963, översättare: ?)
Fånigt/festligt/intressant med de extremt oförblommerade, robusta könsrollsstereotyperna omedelbart efter vändningen, då blommor och växter börjat gro– det ALLRA FÖRSTA som då sker när samhället symboliskt ska börja återuppbyggas är alltså att: "Den unga flickan började intressera sig för sitt utseende". Och direkt därefter, vad gäller mannen: "Den unge mannen upptäckte, att det var angenämt att vidröra flickan". Att kvinnan blir utseendeobjekt och mannen sexsubjekt är alltså civilisationens allra första och mest basala trappsteg.
Fånigt/festligt/intressant med de extremt oförblommerade, robusta könsrollsstereotyperna omedelbart efter vändningen, då blommor och växter börjat gro– det ALLRA FÖRSTA som då sker när samhället symboliskt ska börja återuppbyggas är alltså att: "Den unga flickan började intressera sig för sitt utseende". Och direkt därefter, vad gäller mannen: "Den unge mannen upptäckte, att det var angenämt att vidröra flickan". Att kvinnan blir utseendeobjekt och mannen sexsubjekt är alltså civilisationens allra första och mest basala trappsteg.
April 25, 2021
جالب بود.
جنگ جهانی دوازدهم دنیا رو نابود میکنه و مردم میشن مثل انسانهای اولیه، بدون انگیزه برای تغییرِ شرایط. یه دختر و پسر و گل، باعث میشن دوباره خونهها ساخته بشه، شهرها و روستا ساخته بشه، ارتشها ساخته بشه. و دوباره جنگ میشه و کل دنیا نابود میشه، غیر از یه زن و مرد و یه گل. بعدشم که لابد روز از نو، روزی از نو :دی
جنگ جهانی دوازدهم دنیا رو نابود میکنه و مردم میشن مثل انسانهای اولیه، بدون انگیزه برای تغییرِ شرایط. یه دختر و پسر و گل، باعث میشن دوباره خونهها ساخته بشه، شهرها و روستا ساخته بشه، ارتشها ساخته بشه. و دوباره جنگ میشه و کل دنیا نابود میشه، غیر از یه زن و مرد و یه گل. بعدشم که لابد روز از نو، روزی از نو :دی
May 18, 2018
خیلی خیلی زیبا بود ، بیانگر واقعیت دنیا ، پایانش جوری بود که یه لبخند میومد روی لبات ، ولی از روی درد.
June 9, 2019
A favorite anti-war book whose simplicity bowls me over again and again.
August 21, 2023
Now I'm sad about the inevitability of human nature
June 27, 2007
I first saw this story in a discarded reading text book in the 7th or 8th grade. It was an old text book that the school was no longer using. I found it in a box at the end of the year when the teacher was cleaning out their room. I flipped though the book, with all it's boring stories. I do this from time to time with old books that are collections of stories, you never know what you may find. I saw a simply drawn cartoon story, a series of pictures with one sentence below each. It intrigued me, and I read it. I was blown away by the simplicity and message contained in the pages. I immediatly became a James Thurber fan. I have read a few other Thurber books, they are always short stories, and I love them. That one act of opening a book when I had no reason to resulted in me discovering one of my favorite authors.
November 13, 2011
The Last Flower, by James Thurber, was a phenomenal short and simple text that had a strong and somewhat interesting theory on humanity on the Earth. I rated this book a 5 out of the possible 5 stars because the story was based off of real and repetetive things in the world. For example, in this story, it tells a very cartoonistic and ideal situation that the world goes through repetetively. It shows the world going through wars, and eventually resulting in humans creating familys off of this. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone, personally because this is a very short and strongly interesting book that would surprise you in so many different ways.
Read
July 27, 2011Good, good book. Easy to read in one sitting but the simple pictures and words allow the complexity of Thurber's story to hit the reader full force. I also love this book because it will forever be associated in my mind with the film adaptation that Allison and I were able to watch before she had to go back to Noble County for the school year. Great book by a great author that has great memories for me.
January 24, 2008
I still have the copy of this my father bought me. It's sad how timely it still is.
May 29, 2009
Short, sweet, and sad. Captures the unfortunate nature of man in this brief but poignant story. I hope we someday learn how to break this cycle.
October 31, 2009
This book really explains it all.
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