What do you think?
Rate this book
First Love
Several shorts about first love. Target audience was the children of the 50s. Has a short by Vonnegut.
The stories:
Stardust - Virginia Laughlin
Once Upon a Pullman - Florence Jane Soman
Tomboy - Gertrude Schweitzer
Epicac - Kurt Vonnegut
Theme Song - Davis Grubb
Prelude - Lucille Vaughane Payne
Bittersweet - Arlene Hale
Eighteen - Charles Brodie
A Girl Called Charlie - William Kehoe
Sixteen - Maureen Daly
Tough Guy - Peter Brackett
Who is Sylvia? - laura Nelson
Blue Valentine - Mary Gibbons
The Walnut Trees - Virginia Akin
The stories:
Stardust - Virginia Laughlin
Once Upon a Pullman - Florence Jane Soman
Tomboy - Gertrude Schweitzer
Epicac - Kurt Vonnegut
Theme Song - Davis Grubb
Prelude - Lucille Vaughane Payne
Bittersweet - Arlene Hale
Eighteen - Charles Brodie
A Girl Called Charlie - William Kehoe
Sixteen - Maureen Daly
Tough Guy - Peter Brackett
Who is Sylvia? - laura Nelson
Blue Valentine - Mary Gibbons
The Walnut Trees - Virginia Akin
softcover
First published January 1, 1963
27 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 20, 2023
Well! This collection of vintage YA romance shorts wasn't quite what I expected—and that's not a bad thing!
Seeing no book blurb and barely skimming over the authors' names ahead of time, I thought I was likely in for thoroughly girly fluff as a whole. But this book has a good mix of female and male authors with different styles along with a mix of guy and girl lead characters/perspectives. There's even a sci-fi love story (with characters who are older than YA, though).
Despite what the cute and groovy cover of the 1970s reprint edition of this 1960s collection says, not all of the stories are "warm and glowing." Some of them are the kind to leave you a little chilled, somber, or heart-achy. Or sort of annoyed. The collection is amusing here, touching there, and I'd say most of the stories have a refreshingly smart quality.
With the exception of Maureen Daly (who wrote one of my all-time favorite novels, Seventeenth Summer), this was my first time trying any of these authors, as far as I can recall. I'll search around for more titles to try from some of them.
Seeing no book blurb and barely skimming over the authors' names ahead of time, I thought I was likely in for thoroughly girly fluff as a whole. But this book has a good mix of female and male authors with different styles along with a mix of guy and girl lead characters/perspectives. There's even a sci-fi love story (with characters who are older than YA, though).
Despite what the cute and groovy cover of the 1970s reprint edition of this 1960s collection says, not all of the stories are "warm and glowing." Some of them are the kind to leave you a little chilled, somber, or heart-achy. Or sort of annoyed. The collection is amusing here, touching there, and I'd say most of the stories have a refreshingly smart quality.
With the exception of Maureen Daly (who wrote one of my all-time favorite novels, Seventeenth Summer), this was my first time trying any of these authors, as far as I can recall. I'll search around for more titles to try from some of them.
Read
January 12, 2013So many books, so little space. Need to re-read this book in my pile of childhood favorites (another from Scholastic) and see if I can finally part with it . . .Looks like I underlined some favorite stories in the contents. It will be interesting to see how I feel so many years later.
I also saved another book of short stories, New Girl and Other Stories of Teen Life, selected by Miriam Goldberger. Seems to be less of a favorite than First Love based on the number of stories I underlined in the contents!
I also saved another book of short stories, New Girl and Other Stories of Teen Life, selected by Miriam Goldberger. Seems to be less of a favorite than First Love based on the number of stories I underlined in the contents!
December 20, 2016
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
One of our favorite weekend activities in the Fitzgerald household is to visit used bookstores. On a recent trip to one particular store, which is housed in an old library building and run by the Friends of the Library, I was browsing the shelves in the children’s section, when a spine jumped out at me. The book was a compact little paperback, First Love by Gay Head. I felt certain that I had seen this book before and had even been searching for it, and I eagerly flipped to the table of contents, hoping to recognize whatever it was that had initially grabbed my interest. Nothing looked familiar, but seeing that Maureen Daly and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had contributed stories, and knowing that the book was only 50 cents, I decided to take it home anyway. I have now finished reading all fourteen stories in the collection, and I still have no idea why I originally wanted it, but I’m glad I didn’t put it back on the shelf. The cover advertises “warm and glowing stories,” and indeed, this is what it contains.
Here are my descriptions of the fourteen stories:
Stardust by Virginia Laughlin is about a girl named Wendy who lives next door to two young men. Tod, the younger of the brothers, has very obvious feelings for Wendy, but she is lukewarm about him, and much more interested in Brian, whom she has idealized and worshipped from afar for a long time. It is only when it becomes clear that Brian is not available that Wendy comes back down to earth and begins to consider Tod’s merits.
A Girl Called Charlie by William Kehoe introduces a quiet, thoughtful teen girl named Charlotte who has been invited on a date by the highly desirable Ridge Evans. Though her parents keep reminding her not to get too excited, as he may not be as interested as she is, Charlie can’t help but be intrigued. When Ridge makes it clear that he considers it boring and close-minded to “go steady” in high school, Charlie must decide whether she can put aside the urge to date exclusively in order to continue seeing him.
In Blue Valentine by Mary Gibbons, Angelo is sixteen years old, the oldest in his family, and the only boy. Because his mother died when he was ten, he has spent a lot of time filling the role of surrogate parent to his sisters, making him privy to the wants and needs of women in a way that is uncommon among the boys he knows. When it comes time to give his girlfriend, Ethel-Irene, a gift for Valentine’s Day, he chooses a sophisticated lacy nightgown, knowing the fine stitching will appeal to Ethel-Irene, but not realizing how such an adult gift will look to her parents.
Jenny Lee of The Walnut Trees by Virginia Akin is at an age where adults are beginning to question her about her college plans. When her teacher, Mr. Applegarth asks her what she has in mind, she makes up an elaborate story about marrying a (non-existent) boyfriend, all because she is secretly in love with Mr. Applegarth and wants him to be jealous. Alas, it is Jenny who feels jealous - and disappointed - when it turns out that Mr. Applegarth is engaged to be married.
While traveling by train in Once Upon a Pullman by Florence Jane Soman, nineteen-year-old William Fowler introduces himself to Emmy Smith, then engages her in conversation, occasionally using lines from the novel he is reading, which stars an overly confident air force hero. When they get off the train, William loses sight of Emmy, only to discover that she lost him on purpose in order to find out whether he was truly as pompous as he sounded.
EPICAC by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., is from his book, Welcome to the Monkey House. EPICAC is a computer who has near-human intelligence. The narrator of the story works with EPICAC alongside a woman named Pat, whom he wishes to marry. When he enlists EPICAC’s help wriinig love poems to impress Pat, the narrator inadvertently causes EPICAC to fall in love with her as well, thereby causing the computer to self-destruct. EPICAC appears again in Vonnegut’s 1952 novel, Player Piano.
Sixteen by Maureen Daly and Eighteen by Charlie Brodie tell two sides of the same story. The female lead of Daly’s story is affronted when she has a romantic time skating with an older boy who promises to call, only never to hear from him again. From the boy’s point of view, however, this time skating was just a diversion while he dealt with some more complicated feelings about his girlfriend, Betty.
Prelude by Lucile Vaughan Payne tells of Nancy Hollister, a popular girl with an interest in music appreciation who has a real chance of being elected prom queen, and the identity crisis which ensues when she finds herself attracted to Stephen Karoladis, the boy who cleans the music department at her school.
In Tomboy by Gertrude Schweitzer, Frances, called Frankie, can’t see the need for romance when she could just as soon be out at the pond catching frogs with her friend Skeet. When she is forced to attend her cousin’s sixteenth birthday party, however, Frankie gets all dressed up and ends up meeting a boy. When she takes her new beau along with her to the pond, she suddenly realizes that her interests are shifting and she might be ready to leave behind her childhood pastime.
In Bittersweet by Arlene Hale, two young lovers, Leslie and Claude, who have broken up but have not yet told their families of their parting are thrust together for a reunion by their well-meaning parents. As they reminisce, it begins to look as though they might be able to rekindle old feelings, until Claude’s new girlfriend appears on the scene.
Who is Sylvia? by Laura Nelson Baker is about Adam, who, despite warnings from his sister and his parents not to get involved with her, is head over heels for Sylvia Mauer. Sylvia is the granddaughter of a wealthy local, and though she is warm toward Adam, she is also very mysterious. In the end, Sylvia disappoints Adam by leaving town unannounced, leaving him to pretend to other girls that he has forgotten her.
In Theme Song by Dave Grubb, Edith works behind the counter of a restaurant next to a filling station. One night, she meets a young serviceman who tells her of the girl who is waiting for him back home and requests to hear a particular song that makes him remember her. Though Edith knows the young man is spoken for, she can’t help but think of him whenever she hears that song. Later, when the young man is dumped, she helps him retrieve the song from the jukebox so he never has to hear it again.
Tough Guy by Peter Brackett concludes the collection with a story about Byron Stover, a young man with a real chip on his shoulder, put there by his mouthy best friend Albert. Soon, though, Byron begins to realize how Albert may be holding him back from getting to know other people, especially girls like Nina.
I have grown weary of contemporary love stories for teens, mostly because they are usually highly sexual, and overly dramatic. This collection, by contrast, is grounded in real day-to-day problems and emotional connection, with no sexual content at all. (Half of them don’t even have any kissing!) There is a sincerity to each story, and also a maturity about topics like marriage and college that is entirely missing from so many contemporary romances. There are also several ambiguous and unhappy endings, whose realism I really appreciated.
First Love is similar to the Beverly Cleary First Love series, and to the later Betsy-Tacy books, especially Carney’s House Party. I’m not too crazy about the idea of my kids ever reading romances, but if it does have to happen someday, this is the type of book I will recommend.
One of our favorite weekend activities in the Fitzgerald household is to visit used bookstores. On a recent trip to one particular store, which is housed in an old library building and run by the Friends of the Library, I was browsing the shelves in the children’s section, when a spine jumped out at me. The book was a compact little paperback, First Love by Gay Head. I felt certain that I had seen this book before and had even been searching for it, and I eagerly flipped to the table of contents, hoping to recognize whatever it was that had initially grabbed my interest. Nothing looked familiar, but seeing that Maureen Daly and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had contributed stories, and knowing that the book was only 50 cents, I decided to take it home anyway. I have now finished reading all fourteen stories in the collection, and I still have no idea why I originally wanted it, but I’m glad I didn’t put it back on the shelf. The cover advertises “warm and glowing stories,” and indeed, this is what it contains.
Here are my descriptions of the fourteen stories:
Stardust by Virginia Laughlin is about a girl named Wendy who lives next door to two young men. Tod, the younger of the brothers, has very obvious feelings for Wendy, but she is lukewarm about him, and much more interested in Brian, whom she has idealized and worshipped from afar for a long time. It is only when it becomes clear that Brian is not available that Wendy comes back down to earth and begins to consider Tod’s merits.
A Girl Called Charlie by William Kehoe introduces a quiet, thoughtful teen girl named Charlotte who has been invited on a date by the highly desirable Ridge Evans. Though her parents keep reminding her not to get too excited, as he may not be as interested as she is, Charlie can’t help but be intrigued. When Ridge makes it clear that he considers it boring and close-minded to “go steady” in high school, Charlie must decide whether she can put aside the urge to date exclusively in order to continue seeing him.
In Blue Valentine by Mary Gibbons, Angelo is sixteen years old, the oldest in his family, and the only boy. Because his mother died when he was ten, he has spent a lot of time filling the role of surrogate parent to his sisters, making him privy to the wants and needs of women in a way that is uncommon among the boys he knows. When it comes time to give his girlfriend, Ethel-Irene, a gift for Valentine’s Day, he chooses a sophisticated lacy nightgown, knowing the fine stitching will appeal to Ethel-Irene, but not realizing how such an adult gift will look to her parents.
Jenny Lee of The Walnut Trees by Virginia Akin is at an age where adults are beginning to question her about her college plans. When her teacher, Mr. Applegarth asks her what she has in mind, she makes up an elaborate story about marrying a (non-existent) boyfriend, all because she is secretly in love with Mr. Applegarth and wants him to be jealous. Alas, it is Jenny who feels jealous - and disappointed - when it turns out that Mr. Applegarth is engaged to be married.
While traveling by train in Once Upon a Pullman by Florence Jane Soman, nineteen-year-old William Fowler introduces himself to Emmy Smith, then engages her in conversation, occasionally using lines from the novel he is reading, which stars an overly confident air force hero. When they get off the train, William loses sight of Emmy, only to discover that she lost him on purpose in order to find out whether he was truly as pompous as he sounded.
EPICAC by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., is from his book, Welcome to the Monkey House. EPICAC is a computer who has near-human intelligence. The narrator of the story works with EPICAC alongside a woman named Pat, whom he wishes to marry. When he enlists EPICAC’s help wriinig love poems to impress Pat, the narrator inadvertently causes EPICAC to fall in love with her as well, thereby causing the computer to self-destruct. EPICAC appears again in Vonnegut’s 1952 novel, Player Piano.
Sixteen by Maureen Daly and Eighteen by Charlie Brodie tell two sides of the same story. The female lead of Daly’s story is affronted when she has a romantic time skating with an older boy who promises to call, only never to hear from him again. From the boy’s point of view, however, this time skating was just a diversion while he dealt with some more complicated feelings about his girlfriend, Betty.
Prelude by Lucile Vaughan Payne tells of Nancy Hollister, a popular girl with an interest in music appreciation who has a real chance of being elected prom queen, and the identity crisis which ensues when she finds herself attracted to Stephen Karoladis, the boy who cleans the music department at her school.
In Tomboy by Gertrude Schweitzer, Frances, called Frankie, can’t see the need for romance when she could just as soon be out at the pond catching frogs with her friend Skeet. When she is forced to attend her cousin’s sixteenth birthday party, however, Frankie gets all dressed up and ends up meeting a boy. When she takes her new beau along with her to the pond, she suddenly realizes that her interests are shifting and she might be ready to leave behind her childhood pastime.
In Bittersweet by Arlene Hale, two young lovers, Leslie and Claude, who have broken up but have not yet told their families of their parting are thrust together for a reunion by their well-meaning parents. As they reminisce, it begins to look as though they might be able to rekindle old feelings, until Claude’s new girlfriend appears on the scene.
Who is Sylvia? by Laura Nelson Baker is about Adam, who, despite warnings from his sister and his parents not to get involved with her, is head over heels for Sylvia Mauer. Sylvia is the granddaughter of a wealthy local, and though she is warm toward Adam, she is also very mysterious. In the end, Sylvia disappoints Adam by leaving town unannounced, leaving him to pretend to other girls that he has forgotten her.
In Theme Song by Dave Grubb, Edith works behind the counter of a restaurant next to a filling station. One night, she meets a young serviceman who tells her of the girl who is waiting for him back home and requests to hear a particular song that makes him remember her. Though Edith knows the young man is spoken for, she can’t help but think of him whenever she hears that song. Later, when the young man is dumped, she helps him retrieve the song from the jukebox so he never has to hear it again.
Tough Guy by Peter Brackett concludes the collection with a story about Byron Stover, a young man with a real chip on his shoulder, put there by his mouthy best friend Albert. Soon, though, Byron begins to realize how Albert may be holding him back from getting to know other people, especially girls like Nina.
I have grown weary of contemporary love stories for teens, mostly because they are usually highly sexual, and overly dramatic. This collection, by contrast, is grounded in real day-to-day problems and emotional connection, with no sexual content at all. (Half of them don’t even have any kissing!) There is a sincerity to each story, and also a maturity about topics like marriage and college that is entirely missing from so many contemporary romances. There are also several ambiguous and unhappy endings, whose realism I really appreciated.
First Love is similar to the Beverly Cleary First Love series, and to the later Betsy-Tacy books, especially Carney’s House Party. I’m not too crazy about the idea of my kids ever reading romances, but if it does have to happen someday, this is the type of book I will recommend.
July 2, 2017
First Love is a book of short stories most originally published in magazines from the 50's that I had first read at my parent's house and then later a book my mom gave me. I must have read it the first time when I was 7 or so. My favorites are "Epicac" by Kurt Vonnegut, "Prelude" by Lucille Vaughan Payne, "Tom Boy" by Gertrude Schweitzer and "Tough Guy" by Peter Brackett.
"Epicac" was my first introduction to science fiction and was probably a large reason why I love Isaac Asimov's work as I went from this story to reading Asimov's books - in the story Epicac a super-computer isn't a great war machine it was hoped to be but instead a poetry writing machine. It's a Cyrano de Bergera for computer nerds.
"Prelude" is about the rich, popular girl who loves the poor, new kid. What I find ironic is that this is played out in so many contemporary teen movies from the 80's - through present day and yet this book has been said to be a children's book or two old-fashioned. This story may have an older feel but the theme is very much contemporary.
"Tom Boy" is for all those girls that wanted to hang-out and be one of the guys who were busy thinking of the adventures they were going to go on when they were older that they didn't think of boys in a romantic way.
And finally "Tough Guy" about a boy who lives in a not-so-great neighborhood who meets a girl who makes him rethink his mentor's (a thug) view of the world.
The other stories are good to; lovely and sweet and make me wish we had that sweetness, the joy and hope of first love in the same way as they did in the book.
"Epicac" was my first introduction to science fiction and was probably a large reason why I love Isaac Asimov's work as I went from this story to reading Asimov's books - in the story Epicac a super-computer isn't a great war machine it was hoped to be but instead a poetry writing machine. It's a Cyrano de Bergera for computer nerds.
"Prelude" is about the rich, popular girl who loves the poor, new kid. What I find ironic is that this is played out in so many contemporary teen movies from the 80's - through present day and yet this book has been said to be a children's book or two old-fashioned. This story may have an older feel but the theme is very much contemporary.
"Tom Boy" is for all those girls that wanted to hang-out and be one of the guys who were busy thinking of the adventures they were going to go on when they were older that they didn't think of boys in a romantic way.
And finally "Tough Guy" about a boy who lives in a not-so-great neighborhood who meets a girl who makes him rethink his mentor's (a thug) view of the world.
The other stories are good to; lovely and sweet and make me wish we had that sweetness, the joy and hope of first love in the same way as they did in the book.
February 13, 2016
First Love is a vintage collection of short stories compiled by Gay Head for Scholastic in 1963. All of the stories chosen had been previously published in magazines. Most of the stories first appeared in the 1950s, though a few come from the 1940s and early 1960s.
The theme of this collection, is, of course, first love or young love. Some of the stories are narrated from the girl's perspective; some are, however, narrated from the guy's perspective. There is a pair of stories "Sixteen" and "Eighteen" that go together. "Sixteen" by Maureen Daly tells the girl's side of the story--how she went skating one winter's day, was suddenly grasped around the waist by a cute boy, and how they skated and chatted together for what seems like hours. He walked her home. He said he'd call. But he never did. "Eighteen" by Charlie Brodie tells HIS side of the story. Most of the stories are not interconnected.
One of my favorite stories is "Prelude" by Lucille Vaughan Payne. Essentially, this is a clean version of Valley Girl that predates the movie by quite a few decades. Nancy Hollister, the heroine, falls for Stephen Karoladis to the dismay of her popular friends. He is an absolute genius when it comes to music, playing the piano, to be exact. Nancy feels about music the same way he does--it's like they are meant to be. But. He is poor--really, truly poor, work after school as a janitor poor. He will never dress like her friends. And he'll never be able to afford to take her out to the places that her friends go with their dates. But the connection they feel is true and deep and strong. What will happen when he asks her to the prom? Will she go with him knowing that her friends will laugh and mock and bully?! This short story doesn't conclude with "Melt With You" but it ends well all the same! Since I'll never watch Valley Girl again, most likely, I'm glad to have found a clean alternative that puts a grin on my face.
Another favorite story is "Theme Song" by Dave Grubb. In this one, a young girl falls for a soldier with a broken heart or "broken heart." He's received a letter that "his girl" has taken up with someone new. Though there was a time he loved playing "their song" on the jukebox over and over and over and over again...he discovers that the "B side" of the record had never been played....much to Edith's delight. Hearts mend, and new love stories begin...
One of the more unusual stories in this collection, one that brings to mind the Sesame Street song "One of These Things Is Not Like the Other," is Epicac by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. This "romantic" short story is about a machine--a computer--who falls in love. It's more complicated than that. The narrator and the computer both fall in love with the same girl. And it's a science-fiction twist to Cyrano de Bergerac if you will. (The computer writes the poems that make the girl fall for the narrator.)
Essentially readers who discover this vintage, out-of-print, title will discover a LOT of variety. Each story is unique. Some stories are a bit odder than others.
"Blue Valentine" by Mary Gibbons comes to mind! In this story, a guy with great intentions doesn't think through his gift choice. Angelo, the hero of the story, is essentially a good, thoughtful guy. He wants his Valentine's Day gift to his girlfriend to be extraordinarily WONDERFUL, the best of the best, the best that his money can buy. But this gift gets him in BIG TROUBLE with her family. His choice? Well, Gibbons left that a mystery for readers to solve until the last few pages of this short story--probably for some shock value. So I'll do the same.
Another 'odd' story, for me, was The Walnut Trees a story about a girl's BIG, BIG crush on a teacher. (Hint: Don't cut your teacher's yearbook photo out and put it in a heart locket. It is SURE to fall off, open, and HIM be the one to pick it up and hand it back to you!)
Each story has a description of sorts, or tagline. I'll include these for each story:
Stardust by Virginia Laughlin: Her heart went into orbit when she looked at him...
A Girl Called Charlie by William Kehoe: She thought that her whole future depended on one date...
Blue Valentine by Mary Gibbons: Angelo found the wrong gift for the right girl...
The Walnut Trees by Virginia Akin: A dream can be fashioned from cobwebs...
Once Upon A Pullman by Florence Jane Soman: Instant charm was not his secret of success...
Epicac by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: Can a machine fall in love? This one did...
Sixteen by Maureen Daly: As she saw it...
Eighteen by Charlie Brodie: His side of the story...
Prelude by Lucille Vaughan Payne: Music gave her the answer...
Tomboy by Gertrude Schweitzer: She thought parties were stupid until one special night...
Bittersweet by Arlene Hale: It takes time to forget...
Who is Sylvia? by Laura Nelson Baker: Her name was like a haunting melody...
Theme Song by Dave Grubb: The young soldier might be the answer to Edith's dreams...
Tough Guy by Peter Brackett: He wore a chip on his shoulder to hide the secret in his heart...
Though the taglines might seem over-the-top ridiculous, the stories in this book were actually quite good and in some ways timeless. Some are better than others, I won't lie.
The theme of this collection, is, of course, first love or young love. Some of the stories are narrated from the girl's perspective; some are, however, narrated from the guy's perspective. There is a pair of stories "Sixteen" and "Eighteen" that go together. "Sixteen" by Maureen Daly tells the girl's side of the story--how she went skating one winter's day, was suddenly grasped around the waist by a cute boy, and how they skated and chatted together for what seems like hours. He walked her home. He said he'd call. But he never did. "Eighteen" by Charlie Brodie tells HIS side of the story. Most of the stories are not interconnected.
One of my favorite stories is "Prelude" by Lucille Vaughan Payne. Essentially, this is a clean version of Valley Girl that predates the movie by quite a few decades. Nancy Hollister, the heroine, falls for Stephen Karoladis to the dismay of her popular friends. He is an absolute genius when it comes to music, playing the piano, to be exact. Nancy feels about music the same way he does--it's like they are meant to be. But. He is poor--really, truly poor, work after school as a janitor poor. He will never dress like her friends. And he'll never be able to afford to take her out to the places that her friends go with their dates. But the connection they feel is true and deep and strong. What will happen when he asks her to the prom? Will she go with him knowing that her friends will laugh and mock and bully?! This short story doesn't conclude with "Melt With You" but it ends well all the same! Since I'll never watch Valley Girl again, most likely, I'm glad to have found a clean alternative that puts a grin on my face.
Another favorite story is "Theme Song" by Dave Grubb. In this one, a young girl falls for a soldier with a broken heart or "broken heart." He's received a letter that "his girl" has taken up with someone new. Though there was a time he loved playing "their song" on the jukebox over and over and over and over again...he discovers that the "B side" of the record had never been played....much to Edith's delight. Hearts mend, and new love stories begin...
One of the more unusual stories in this collection, one that brings to mind the Sesame Street song "One of These Things Is Not Like the Other," is Epicac by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. This "romantic" short story is about a machine--a computer--who falls in love. It's more complicated than that. The narrator and the computer both fall in love with the same girl. And it's a science-fiction twist to Cyrano de Bergerac if you will. (The computer writes the poems that make the girl fall for the narrator.)
Essentially readers who discover this vintage, out-of-print, title will discover a LOT of variety. Each story is unique. Some stories are a bit odder than others.
"Blue Valentine" by Mary Gibbons comes to mind! In this story, a guy with great intentions doesn't think through his gift choice. Angelo, the hero of the story, is essentially a good, thoughtful guy. He wants his Valentine's Day gift to his girlfriend to be extraordinarily WONDERFUL, the best of the best, the best that his money can buy. But this gift gets him in BIG TROUBLE with her family. His choice? Well, Gibbons left that a mystery for readers to solve until the last few pages of this short story--probably for some shock value. So I'll do the same.
Another 'odd' story, for me, was The Walnut Trees a story about a girl's BIG, BIG crush on a teacher. (Hint: Don't cut your teacher's yearbook photo out and put it in a heart locket. It is SURE to fall off, open, and HIM be the one to pick it up and hand it back to you!)
Each story has a description of sorts, or tagline. I'll include these for each story:
Stardust by Virginia Laughlin: Her heart went into orbit when she looked at him...
A Girl Called Charlie by William Kehoe: She thought that her whole future depended on one date...
Blue Valentine by Mary Gibbons: Angelo found the wrong gift for the right girl...
The Walnut Trees by Virginia Akin: A dream can be fashioned from cobwebs...
Once Upon A Pullman by Florence Jane Soman: Instant charm was not his secret of success...
Epicac by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: Can a machine fall in love? This one did...
Sixteen by Maureen Daly: As she saw it...
Eighteen by Charlie Brodie: His side of the story...
Prelude by Lucille Vaughan Payne: Music gave her the answer...
Tomboy by Gertrude Schweitzer: She thought parties were stupid until one special night...
Bittersweet by Arlene Hale: It takes time to forget...
Who is Sylvia? by Laura Nelson Baker: Her name was like a haunting melody...
Theme Song by Dave Grubb: The young soldier might be the answer to Edith's dreams...
Tough Guy by Peter Brackett: He wore a chip on his shoulder to hide the secret in his heart...
Though the taglines might seem over-the-top ridiculous, the stories in this book were actually quite good and in some ways timeless. Some are better than others, I won't lie.
January 31, 2024
Amazing stories of first love! All 14 stories in this collection are tender, honest, and hopeful. Teenagers who explore their inner feelings and dare to act on them. When break-ups do occur, there are no malice intended to any party, but there is maturity. And hope.
September 5, 2007
I plucked this off the shelves at my grandparents' house. My mom probably read it when she was in middle school. I love the syntax - I always wonder if people actually spoke like that. And acted like that. How could things have changed so drastically in 50 years? Because they really should not have...
Read
June 14, 2017This may be the book that gets me back to my girls' history blog: poetry and poetrywriting play a role in nearly every story.
There's also a story by Kurt Vonnegut about a computer that falls in love with the protagonist's girlfriend... and it writes poetry for her. In fact,
There's also a story by Kurt Vonnegut about a computer that falls in love with the protagonist's girlfriend... and it writes poetry for her. In fact,
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews