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Here is a Thurber world of enchanted deer and seven-headed dragons, of wizards and witches, of riddles and spells, of false love and true. It is the story of a beautiful princess, transformed from a deer, who assigns each of three princes a perilous labor to perform in order to win her hand. Drawings by the Author.
283 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1945
13 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
About the author
James Thurber
357 books607 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 67 reviews
February 1, 2018
Another charming, and extremely weird yet funny story that reads like a parodied classic fairy tale. Thurber really has a gift for wordplay and for weaving odd plotlines that don't fail to be hilarious. This is one of the best Animal Bride type of stories that doesn't focus entirely on the couple, here the king is practically the star of the tale as much or more than the prince, and I ended up liking him more.
April 3, 2016
In this book, Arthurian legend blends with Lewis Carroll or perhaps Edward Lear. This has all the elements of the quintessential fairy tale (magical lands, three brothers vying to see who will be first to fulfill their quest, an enchanted lady, knights, dwarfs, etc.). And yet there is something whimsical, knowing, satirical about all of it, as if the author is enjoying himself hugely and winking frequently at his audience to signal the approach of a funny bit. The illustrations are also humorous and add a nice element to the story.
January 8, 2012
I love James Thurber and the illustrations, alone, almost make this book worth the read. But combine them with Thurber's love of rhyme, alliteration, and paragraphs like: "She never wed, but sat with owls by day and cats by night, peering far and near and crying, 'Hark!' Her true love came in every form, in dust and wind and roses. Her voice grew high and shrill and wild and wilder. And in the end she brewed an evil brew of mice and woad and cocatrice and rue, and over this she cast a spell in metaphor. . ."
So much fun to read! And to even shed a tear or two.
So much fun to read! And to even shed a tear or two.
March 23, 2016
Πρόκειται για ένα μικρό βιβλίο φαντασίας για παιδιά, που διαβάζεται και σαν παραμύθι. Δεν το διάβασα (και δεν μου το διάβασαν) όταν ήμουν μικρό παιδί, το διάβασα τώρα που είμαι κοτζάμ μαντράχαλος. Οπότε, όπως είναι λογικό, δεν μπορώ να το κριτικάρω και να το βαθμολογήσω σαν ένα κανονικό βιβλίο. Όπως αρμόζει σε κάθε παιδικό βιβλίο και παραμύθι, η ιστορία έχει μπόλικη φαντασία και κουφές στιγμές. Κατά βάση έχουμε ένα πανέμορφο άσπρο ελάφι που μεταμορφώθηκε σε πριγκίπισσα, όταν αυτό βρέθηκε ανάμεσα στα τόξα τριών αδερφών-πριγκίπων. Η μεταμορφωμένη, πλέον, πριγκίπισσα θα δώσει από μια δοκιμασία στον κάθε πρίγκηπα, έτσι ώστε να επιλεγεί ο πλέον κατάλληλος που θα πάρει το χέρι της. Πλάκα είχε η ιστορία, πολλή φαντασία, ωραίες εικόνες και κάμποσες κουλές στιγμές, με τα ηθικά διδάγματα να μην λείπουν. Και η γλώσσα είχε πλάκα και χιούμορ, αν και δεν ξέρω κατά πόσο θα γίνει πλήρως κατανοητή από μικρά παιδιά (τουλάχιστον ορισμένες φράσεις και προτάσεις).
October 1, 2015
Another novel by jams Thurber, who is my new favorite author. This was even better that The 13 Clocks, and I would, if possible, give it 6 stars! I was entertained by the notion that a person could know so many synonyms for so many words (the Royal Recorder) and I was a little confused because King Clode disproves of sorcery but keeps a wizard anyway. I loved all the wonders of the enchanted forest (the Grove of Artanis, the Seven-headed "Dragon" of Dragore that guards the Sacred Sword of Loralow, the random woods wizards making everything more confusing for eveyone). I especially loved that a hunter-prince almost won the hand of a lady who used to be a deer. i really think you should read it!!!!!
December 17, 2014
I have been in love with James Thurber ever since I was given a copy of "The Thurber Carnival" back in my teens. (That copy literally fell to pieces, it was loved so much!)
I came across this fairytale recently in a secondhand book shop, and it seemed to be just the right thing to read after the horrors of Barbusse's "Under Fire". Delightful, quirky, full of wordplay that children would love, but with plenty of quirks for adults as well.
I came across this fairytale recently in a secondhand book shop, and it seemed to be just the right thing to read after the horrors of Barbusse's "Under Fire". Delightful, quirky, full of wordplay that children would love, but with plenty of quirks for adults as well.
January 9, 2019
I really need a box set of Thurber's juveniles. I get so much more out of them every time. This one, this is my first read. What a romp. Could have been told simply, but no. There's a mystery, and satire, silliness, wordplay, and a layer of Thurberian melancholy under it all, providing a resonance, as in all four of these fables.
I should reread 'Walter Mitty' and see how similar to these it is.
I should reread 'Walter Mitty' and see how similar to these it is.
March 18, 2015
reviews.metaphorosis.com
4.5 stars
A king and his three sons encounter an enchanted deer/woman, who sets each of the sons a challenge.
I was looking for something light and fun to read after finally finishing Michael Moorcock's The Whispering Swarm. Happily, I ran across James Thurber's The White Deer, which I had set aside a few days earlier to read. Its light-hearted silliness was the perfect antidote to Moorcock's droning self-importance.
Thurber is without question my favorite humorist. I grew up reading his stories, and continue to feel he was a genius. This book is no exception. It makes no great pretense at deep analysis - it's just fun, and a wonderful mix of Thurber's wit and beautiful writing. He drops moving and beautiful phrases in the midst of entrancing wordplay. The princes' quests are, naturally, parodies of the standard fairy tale, but respectful, not mocking. Thurber is having fun with the genre while still being part of it.
If you haven't read Thurber, pretty much any place is a good place to start, including this book. If you have children, this book is very approachable, and fun for young and old alike. Read it!
September 14, 2018
This is a book for those who love fairy tales and the English language.
And almost as soon as you start reading, you can easily see see how this wonderful tale influenced Peter Beagle. Here, you have a princess transformed into a white deer. In Beagle's classic, Last Unicorn, the eponymous magical being must take the form of a fair maiden in order to survive.
Thurber has fun with the tropes of fairy tale . . . and does love to play with words and bring them together in expressions not quite eloquent, but certainly sonorous.
Well worth your time. Probably worth even more if you read it aloud!
And almost as soon as you start reading, you can easily see see how this wonderful tale influenced Peter Beagle. Here, you have a princess transformed into a white deer. In Beagle's classic, Last Unicorn, the eponymous magical being must take the form of a fair maiden in order to survive.
Thurber has fun with the tropes of fairy tale . . . and does love to play with words and bring them together in expressions not quite eloquent, but certainly sonorous.
Well worth your time. Probably worth even more if you read it aloud!
March 25, 2016
Is this a perfect book? Well, quite possibly.
A modern fairy tale that satirizes without skewering, this is largely an exercise in enjoying the English language to the fullest extent possible. The characters are simple but not simplistic, the dialogue complex and exciting. Thurber has limited aims with the book, but he achieves and exceeds them brilliantly.
I honestly can't recommend it enough. This is the perfect volume for a lazy afternoon when you need a pick-me-up.
A modern fairy tale that satirizes without skewering, this is largely an exercise in enjoying the English language to the fullest extent possible. The characters are simple but not simplistic, the dialogue complex and exciting. Thurber has limited aims with the book, but he achieves and exceeds them brilliantly.
I honestly can't recommend it enough. This is the perfect volume for a lazy afternoon when you need a pick-me-up.
December 1, 2017
Jorn is the youngest prince of three, and unlike his brothers, he prefers poetry to hunting. When a wandering minstrel lures his father, the king, and his two brothers into the enchanted forest after a white deer, he goes along. The deer, however, transforms into a woman who cannot remember her name. As is tradition, she sets forth a grand task for each prince, that the swiftest to complete his task and return may win her hand. Prince Jorn is determined it shall be him, but his father is not certain that this strange woman is all that she seems.
I don't even know how this book came into my life, years ago. I know I got my copy used [and it has someone's name in it, dated the year of publication, which made me smile], but I don't remember why. The thing is, it was the beginning of my small love-affair with the children's writing of James Thurber.
This book would be both delightful and maddening to read aloud because the author love to play with the lyrical nature of language. Frequently, even when reading internally, you'll find small rhythms and rhymes permeating both dialogue and exposition. Alliteration is another favorite tool, or perhaps toy, in his box of tricks. It feels like the text was written with a grin, or maybe a bit of a smirk at the thought of people tripping their way through it. But it feels fun, up one side and down the other.
The story itself is very simple, a fairy-tale with princes and princesses, witches and wizards. It's about truth and love, and while it has a handful of slightly off-brand twists, it feels comfortably familiar.
It's not for everyone, but nothing is. I just happen to enjoy the style and story.
I don't even know how this book came into my life, years ago. I know I got my copy used [and it has someone's name in it, dated the year of publication, which made me smile], but I don't remember why. The thing is, it was the beginning of my small love-affair with the children's writing of James Thurber.
This book would be both delightful and maddening to read aloud because the author love to play with the lyrical nature of language. Frequently, even when reading internally, you'll find small rhythms and rhymes permeating both dialogue and exposition. Alliteration is another favorite tool, or perhaps toy, in his box of tricks. It feels like the text was written with a grin, or maybe a bit of a smirk at the thought of people tripping their way through it. But it feels fun, up one side and down the other.
The story itself is very simple, a fairy-tale with princes and princesses, witches and wizards. It's about truth and love, and while it has a handful of slightly off-brand twists, it feels comfortably familiar.
It's not for everyone, but nothing is. I just happen to enjoy the style and story.
December 28, 2017
This fairy tale is not as good as The Thirteen Clocks, but it's still very good.
March 9, 2022
"She never wed, but sat with owls by day and cats by night, peering far and near and crying, "Hark!" Her true love came in every form, in dust and wind and roses. Her voice grew high and shrill and wild and wilder. And in the end she brewed an evil brew of mice and woad and cockatrice and rue, and over this she cast a spell in metaphor."
January 3, 2013
If you've never read the five books James Thurber wrote for children, I recommend them. Thurber's writing would make a great read-aloud because of the similar sounding words and intermittent rhyming. There is a lot of humor and wordplay.
One of my favorite parts: "Now it just happens that I have an extra set of proper parchments that I will let you have for a song."
"What song shall I sing?" said Gallow.
"In the forest of Willbe a song is three large emeralds."
These books were written around 1950 (this one is copyrighted 1945), and I was impressed by how clever they are. The plot was original while playing with common themes in fairy tale fiction. I had just read 13 Clocks when I started this, and I admit I didn't get into it immediately. After a while, the memory of 13 Clocks had faded a bit, and I was better able to appreciate this book as it should be.
One of my favorite parts: "Now it just happens that I have an extra set of proper parchments that I will let you have for a song."
"What song shall I sing?" said Gallow.
"In the forest of Willbe a song is three large emeralds."
These books were written around 1950 (this one is copyrighted 1945), and I was impressed by how clever they are. The plot was original while playing with common themes in fairy tale fiction. I had just read 13 Clocks when I started this, and I admit I didn't get into it immediately. After a while, the memory of 13 Clocks had faded a bit, and I was better able to appreciate this book as it should be.
September 18, 2014
The first Thurber book I've read, and I'm pleased to "discover" such a brilliant writer! He had me enthralled and laughing pretty much the whole time. His parody of old fables and fairy tales is full of hilarity, whimsy, warmth, and wit - and my, his love of words is intoxicating for a fellow logophile! His cartoons are amusing as well, half-bad and all-appealing.
Some bits I read aloud several times, glowing with mirth:
"The old man moaned and maundered, murmured, muttered, mumbled odds of this and ends of that, bits and pieces, shreds and edges, full of ifs and whens and theres and thens, amounting in the end and all to six times less than nothing."
"The tale that Tocko tells is torturous and tortured. It has its balances, its noes and yesses, its this way, that way, its 'tis and 'tisn't, its can be, can't be, its six of one and half a dozen of the other."
Some bits I read aloud several times, glowing with mirth:
"The old man moaned and maundered, murmured, muttered, mumbled odds of this and ends of that, bits and pieces, shreds and edges, full of ifs and whens and theres and thens, amounting in the end and all to six times less than nothing."
"The tale that Tocko tells is torturous and tortured. It has its balances, its noes and yesses, its this way, that way, its 'tis and 'tisn't, its can be, can't be, its six of one and half a dozen of the other."
October 1, 2025
"against the may, the could be, and the should, folly 'tis to balance doubt or hope."
think this will be a quick review!
i think it's always nice to read little books like this. the white deer reminded me greatly of bad jelly the witch and roald dahl. it's got very quirky, repetitive prose (complimentary) and is a wonderful little fable about three princes trying to win the heart of a princess.
eg prose (opening paragraph of book)...
"if you should walk and wind and wander far enough on one of those afternoons in april when smoke goes down instead of up, and nearby things sound far away and far things near, you are more than likely to come at last to the enchanted forest that lies between the moonstone mines and centaurs mountain. You'll know the woods when you are still a long way off by virtue of a fragrance you can never quite forget and never quite remember."
keep it simple stupid! this was brimming with heart and wholesomeness, and had a very eccentric tone to it. the author; james thurber had illustrated a bunch of delightful pictures to accompany the story and every time i turned to a page and saw i new one it was very exciting.
nothing much else to report... this was just a random book i picked up at the missionpoint church op shop around the corner from me. the 3 stars isn't a negative review, just a reflection that this was a children's book and it a very different piece of literature in comparison to some of the other stuff i read.
you don't have to read the white deer but you should take more chances on random books you find interesting in op shops. <3
"forget the past, enjoy the present, the future will take care of itself."
think this will be a quick review!
i think it's always nice to read little books like this. the white deer reminded me greatly of bad jelly the witch and roald dahl. it's got very quirky, repetitive prose (complimentary) and is a wonderful little fable about three princes trying to win the heart of a princess.
eg prose (opening paragraph of book)...
"if you should walk and wind and wander far enough on one of those afternoons in april when smoke goes down instead of up, and nearby things sound far away and far things near, you are more than likely to come at last to the enchanted forest that lies between the moonstone mines and centaurs mountain. You'll know the woods when you are still a long way off by virtue of a fragrance you can never quite forget and never quite remember."
keep it simple stupid! this was brimming with heart and wholesomeness, and had a very eccentric tone to it. the author; james thurber had illustrated a bunch of delightful pictures to accompany the story and every time i turned to a page and saw i new one it was very exciting.
nothing much else to report... this was just a random book i picked up at the missionpoint church op shop around the corner from me. the 3 stars isn't a negative review, just a reflection that this was a children's book and it a very different piece of literature in comparison to some of the other stuff i read.
you don't have to read the white deer but you should take more chances on random books you find interesting in op shops. <3
"forget the past, enjoy the present, the future will take care of itself."
November 3, 2025
James Thurber had been living with a glass left eye since he was 6 years old, but in his late 40s he finally lost sight in his right eye. His deep depression led to a lull in his writing output, but eventually he found enjoyment in his craft again. 1945’s “The White Deer,” the first book he wrote after going blind, shows signs of a writer having fun with words. Without the benefit of sight, his sense of sound became even more important for navigating the world. With this in mind, it’s no wonder his writing took on a more lyrical quality than it ever had. Throughout “The White Deer,” Thurber sounds a bit like Dr. Suess—a man Thurber might have heard of by this point, “Horton Hatches an Egg” having been published five years earlier (Suess was pushing out political cartoons in 1945)—but with fewer end rhymes and more alliteration and assonance. And straight-up tongue twisters! There’s a hint of Shel Silverstein here, too, if you need a more contemporary reference. But still Thurber retained his own unique sense of humor, having probably feared it lost during his depression. “The White Deer” is ostensibly for children, but not in the way some of Thurber’s shorter kids books are. Not like Dr. Suess was. Or Shel Silverstein. It’s a Thurber-esque spin on a classic fairy tale, but who among us would say “The Princess Bride,” for instance, is just for kids? If you do, this isn’t for you. It’s one of my favorite Thurber books, and a bargain at only 115 pages.
8/10
8/10
August 22, 2025
Probably the best book I have ever found in an alleyway. I couldn't help but be struck by how much Peter S Beagle was influenced by this particular story in writing The Last Unicorn. Both feature a princess-like woman who has lost her memory, not to mention the exact same sense of humor and witty rhyming in the storytelling. I now want to read everything by James Thurber.
December 30, 2019
Thurber is just weird. But I like him. In small doses. Only every once in awhile. This particular fairy tale-ish type of story is riddled with bad rhymes and bad jokes which made me groan and made me smile. Thurber isn't fine dining by any stretch of the imagination but he has this peculiar charm to him that has me coming back to pick up his books now and then. I wanted to end the year with a short read (to be honest) and I had this Thurber on my shelf so I gave it a go and now I'm satisfied. Again. For another good while.
October 21, 2018
Αυτό που με τράβηξε στον James Thurber ήταν το χιούμορ του. Άκουσα πρώτη φορά για τους μύθους του, στο μάθημα της δημιουργικής γραφής. Εκεί γέλασα με Το Κουνούπι και Τ' Αστέρι. Το βιβλίο δεν με απογοήτευσε και μάλιστα βρήκα Το άσπρο ελάφι ένα πολύ όμορφο παραμύθι.
Ειδική μνεία στα πολύ όμορφα εξώφυλλα του βιβλίου απ' τις εκδόσεις Ερατώ.
Ειδική μνεία στα πολύ όμορφα εξώφυλλα του βιβλίου απ' τις εκδόσεις Ερατώ.
December 14, 2019
I read this, and reread other Thurber stories and short stories after a visit to Thurber house in Columbus, Ohio. I am a life-long reader of Thurber stories and a fan of his cartoons and drawings. The White Deer, while a relatively simple story is a a delightful exercise in cleverly written and rhyming (often) prose. It is a short story and a great way to while away an afternoon.
February 17, 2021
A beautiful tale between nonsense and fairy-tale. It took me a bit to get used to the style but around 30 pages in I grew accustomed to the rhythm and eventually fell quite in love with it. It's by no means a perfect book (Thurber's own illustrations are a bit better here but still detract from the experience) but it's something highly enjoyable.
September 6, 2018
Wonderful! Had everything a fairy tale should have - a king and 3 princes, a magic curse, a princess, quests, an enchanted forest, the lot. It takes an adult reader to read it, so that's a bit of an enigma I guess.
July 30, 2021
This was certainly a peculiar read, unlike anything I have ever read before. Although I could tell it was intended to be a "comedy," there is a large disconnect between the humour from the 40s vs today. Nonetheless, it was still (if not weirdly) enjoyable, and a very quick read.
January 1, 2025
This is an amusing parody of classic fairy tales. The charming story and enchanting illustrations assemble the best known elements of such tales and present them in comic form. The reader cannot help but laugh and smile as they bury themselves in the book.
November 21, 2017
Presume not that I am the thing I was,
For God doth know--so shall the world perceive--
That I have turned away my former self.
--William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part II, Act V
For God doth know--so shall the world perceive--
That I have turned away my former self.
--William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part II, Act V
December 19, 2017
As with "13 Clocks," this was a forced march (book club pick): I enjoyed numerous witticisms, but NOT the story...nor did I particularly like any of the characters. Fairy tales are just NOT my genre.
May 25, 2019
Weird, children’s fairytale perhaps? Not really sure what I just read. I’ll need to do some research on the author before I decide if I’ll read more from him.
June 21, 2019
Interesting story for a light-hearted mood.
Want to read
September 23, 2019Honey for Child's Heart suggestion
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews