Tales from Gavagan's Bar

by L. Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt

The Weirdest Drinking Establishment in the Universe Gavagan's Bar - presided over by Mr. Aloysius P. Cohan, bartender. Where you will meet such not-so-regular customers as: Councilman Maguire, who brought his own leprechaun with him from Ireland. Mrs. Vacarescu and her husband Putzi, the were-dachshund. Mr. Murdoch, who borrowed a very small dragon to rid his apartment of mice and lost it. and assorted witches, magicians, devils, dryads, and the occasional demigod.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Speculative Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Anthologies

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction literature. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, both novels and works of non-fiction, including biographies of other fantasy authors. He was a major figure in science fiction in the 1930s and 1940s.

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read these stories when I was about 10 or 11 years old, then loaned the book to someone and never saw it again. As I was passing the sci-fi section in a well-stocked used bookstore recently, I thought I'd take a chance and, there it was, another compilation of my youth.

How to prepare TALES FROM GAVAGAN'S BAR:
Take 2 jiggers of Lord Dunsany's Mr. Jorkens club tales, add a snifter of the rare essence (in 1950) of what we now call "urban fantasy", grate some Damon Runyon to taste (alternatively, O. Henry can be substituted for a more surprising variant), add a small dusting of The Travels and Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen;, charge with nitrous oxide and serve in a tall glass - chilled or neat, preferably in an old-style, big city, neighborhood saloon while listening to "Duffy's Tavern" on an old Philco radio. (If decanted and served in the United Kingdom, substitute essence of "pulp science fiction" for the urban fantasy (being careful to strain most of the the pulp), and grate a fine dusting of P.G. Wodehouse to taste to create a Tales From The White Hart). Also note, alternate mixes created later from this basic recipe include the Callahan's Crosstime Saloon and the Curious Quests of Brigadier Ffellowes.

Many of these stories stayed with me through the years. One even inspired a story idea of my own (sadly, yet unwritten - too much time spent in bars, I'd wager). These are charming, light-hearted, low-key tales of the "would you believe what happened to me?" sort, the British "club story" moved down-class to the neighborhood bar ("pub story", perhaps?). The bar setting serves as a wonderful frame - not just for natural raconteurs and plot timing involving comedic side comments, interruptions from the bartender and dramatic punctuations like a dropped glass - but also as a suitable bed for what is commonly called, nowadays, "flash fiction" - wonderful because it allows for some of the stories to end unresolved (although, conversely, this also means that a number of the tales are barely stories at all, just showcases of a cute idea, and so a few are rather weak). Although these stories were written in - and are set in - the 1950s (with a full compliment of businessmen, salesmen, academics and Cold War characters) - they actual feel of a slightly earlier period (1920s-1930s) and are in no way part of the "Rat Pack" culture gaining footholds in a few years. There are some similarities between Gavagan's Bar and Duffy's Tavern - the owners are never present and so the premises are run by the bartenders (Mr. Cohan and Archie, respectively)

I'm not going to go into detail (and thus possibly ruin the fun) on every story, just some teasers (including the main alcoholic libations consumed therein):

"Elephas Frumenti" - the square cube law limits the selective breeding of giants, but what happens if you turn it around and attempt to breed the perfect bar pet? (one of my favorite stories here - only a scientific justification for a rosetae coloring in the creature is neglected - and a bit of an oddity as it all happens in Gavagan's) - Presidente cocktail, 1/8th of a shot of whiskey.

"The Ancestral Amethyst" - a drinking contest between an unreasonably self-assured Dane and a reformed Irish pickpocket is undone by some magical (and human) cheating ("up Erin!"). (another oddity, again all happening at Gavagan's) - cherry brandy, schnapps, shots of Irish whiskey, a Manhattan, a shot of vodka - it was a drinking contest, after all!

"Here Putzi!" - the trails and tribulations of being married to one of the lesser tribes of were-creatures (features some wonderful interaction between Mrs. Vacarescu and Mrs. Jonas over the use of the term "bitch") - Tokay.

"More Than Skin Deep" - the secrets of snaring a husband can be found in a special treatment at a very special boutique. - Presidente cocktail, whiskey sour.

"Beasts of Bourbon" - Asian metaphysics, despondency and bender don't mix, as a man finds his DT figments manifesting in the real world (most witty title of any here!) - Yellow Rattler cocktail, Daiquiri, rye & soda.

"The Gift of God" - a composer of religious poetry for the radio finds her prayers being answered - without heed to the actual intent behind the wording. (a weak story) - double Martini.

"The Better Mousetrap" - A man borrows an unearthly pet to solve a vermin problem, then loses it. - Boilermaker and a long shot, double Zombie, Vin sable wine, Tom Collins.

"No Forwarding Address" - an impossibly old research librarian, who seems to possess personal knowledge of ancient history, gets in dutch for teaching a simple trick. - Martini, Sazerac cocktail.

"The Untimely Toper" - an unruly bar fly is cursed to an imaginative fate until he sobers up. - Martini, Tom Collins, scotch & soda, Lonacoming whiskey, bottle of bourbon, Prairie Oyster cocktail, deluxe Boilermaker.

"The Eve. of St. John" - you can only push a fairy curse of automatic bad luck so far before the backfires backfire on you! - Angel's Tit cocktail, rye & water.

"The Love Nest" - a young woman evidences an interesting mutation (pretty weak story) - scotch & soda, Boilermaker.

"The Stone of the Sages" - an item found in the Florida surf may be the stuff of legend (kinda weak) - rum & Coke, scotch & soda.

"Corpus Delectable" - a mans discovers his visage is an undertaker's advertising dream - Boilermaker, Martini, double scotch.

"The Palimpsest of St. Augustine" - an accidental discovery solves an historical, religious mystery - or perhaps not (weak story) - whiskey, Martini.

"Where To, Please?" - Two friends' disagreement over whether the past or the future is more palatable leads to a bet and accidental time travel (enjoyable story) - Martini, double brandy, Brandy Smash.

"Methought I Heard A Voice" - a popular religious orater may be too popular (weak story) - double Manhattan.

"One Man's Meat" - a spy mission in soviet Czechoslovakia runs afoul of Communist spies, but a mysterious old man and a sausage save the day. (another story that stayed with me - the final image is wonderfully absurd!) rye & soda, Slivovitz, Tom Collins.

"My Brother's Keeper" - Twin brothers, one pious and one less so, share a link - of the "Corsican" variety. (pretty weak story) double whiskey, Manhattan, Boilermaker.

"A Dime Brings You Success" - a mail-order course imbues strength of personality but also bad luck (another pretty weak story). Boilermaker, whiskey sour, rye & soda.

"Oh, Say! Can You See" - a man falls for a mysterious girl who seems to live on the roof of an office building (another favorite of mine from years ago) - Boilermaker, dry Martini, double Stinger, Hennessey.

"The Rape of the Lock" - A man is given a good luck charm that will open any door, but it leads to unforeseeable problems (excellent story with a truly marvelous, unresolved ending) - rye & water, Martini, Rob Roy.

"Bell, Book & Candle" - the minutia of religious ritual cocks up the attempted exorcism of a poltergeist (again, a pretty weak story). scotch, Manhattan, Stinger cocktail.

"All That Glitters" - the bar's ancient spittoon hides a secret of Leprechaun gold and local politics (enjoyable, very "Oirish" story) - Irish whiskey (of course!).

"Gin Comes In Bottles" - a cocktail party gets lively after a misunderstood request unleashes an atypical "spirit". - Appetizer #3 (very dry whiskey cocktail), Boilermaker, double scotch, Martini, Gin, dry-ice Martini.

"There'd Be Thousands In It" - the invention of an automatic "dressing machine" causes unforeseen problems (a weak bit of slapstick, really, and no fantastic element) - Boilermaker, neat vodka.

"The Black Ball" - a fully functioning crystal ball unbalances the local criminal numbers racket, leading a lawyer to intervene. - Rob Roy.

"The Green Thumb" - an aboriginal magic gift "curses" a tomboyish woman to be unable to cook a non-fancy meal. - rum & Coke, Alexander cocktail, Angel's Kiss cocktail.

"Caveat Emptor" - some trickery involving sub-leasing of souls in a classic deal with the Devil. - Martini, Boilermaker.

"The Weissenbroch Spectacles" - glasses made from Kobald Quartz (that function like X-Ray Specs) assist a man with a specific, if common, fetish. - Boilermaker, (Hollands) gin & bitters, Stinger cocktail.

Perfectly charming stories - glad I checked in with them!

[Roland Volz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Gavagan's Bar (rhymes with "pagan") where it's always 1953, the bartender is Irish, and the drinks are never watered down! Where you can rub elbows with mad inventors, dark wizards, and ancient gods masquerading as ordinary schlubs.

The Gavagan's Bar stories were written by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt between 1950 and 1956, and were among those stories that pioneered the modern Fantasy-or-Science-Fiction "Tall Tales." The idea was to write a sci-fi or fantasy story as an anecdote told in a bar. The style won't suit everyone -- the authors paint the characters and setting with broad strokes, as opposed to the detailed descriptions popular today. But the sheer creativity and bravado is fantastic, and the stories hearken to the earliest days of the American Science Fiction scene.

The 1950s era is in full evidence in theses stories. In Gavagan's Bar, ladies drink at the tables, not the bar. Gentlemen will be refused service if they start getting too drunk, and the racism and sexism of the era is mild but evident -- in the characters. Refreshingly, the characters' flaws are starkly evident, and the authors pull no punches. None of it was wince-inducing for this reader, but others may find it not to their taste.

The stories cover topics such as ancient gods walking among men and dark sorcerers who make dire pacts, little people and mythological beasts, modern wacky inventions and medieval alchemy. None of the stories is allowed to go too long; they're each just long enough for the gag to work. It reads fast. if you've ever read Dashiell Hammett or Robert E. Howard in the original, you know what I mean; it's a pulpy style of writing, where words flow off the page as fast as you can turn them.

The stories were ended prematurely by Fletcher Pratt's untimely death. L. Sprague de Camp writes a little in the afterword about a story idea that was left undeveloped. I'm left to mourn what might have been. We don't really have anything like this being written today. For analogues in the same vein, you have to go earlier: the "Jorkens" tales of Lord Dunsany, and the "Tales of the White Hart" by Arthur C. Clarke are usually cited as the closest in style, but I've read only a few of the former and none of the latter. In any case, if you're a fan of the tall tale, or the 1950s, and especially if you're a Sci-Fi or Fantasy fan who loves the TV series "Mad Men," you owe it to yourself to check them out.

[Jokoloyo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have weakness, liking stories that occured at the same place/setting in the whole/most of the story (e.g. Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, or Wuxia novel Happy Hero). So, when I learned that there is bar tales theme in fantasy/SF, I was excited.

This is my second fantasy/SF bar tall tales short-stories anthology. My first was The Draco Tavern. I can't help myself comparing these two books, and with Draco Tavern (DT) as the reference, I must remind myself several times if I thought Draco is the more sophisticated one, that de Camp and Pratt wrote Tales From Gavagan's Bar (TFGB) stories decades before DT.

I have to admit that I pretty annoyed with some stories of TFGB that have open-ended, or unfinished plot. Only some stories I can consider as completed. This is my concern with this book.

On the other hand, every short story not only has fresh idea compared to previous story, but also has light funny hilarious storytelling. I couldn't predict what kind of story will unfold at the beginning, but I was confident the story would be fun.

Well, if you are looking for a short story with completed plot, this book could be 1 or 2 star for you.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful collection of tall-tales and oddball urban fantasies that happen (or are told) in Gavagan's Bar, in the tradition of Dunsany's Jorkens stories. They're light and fun and Gavagan's, like Arthur C. Clarke's White Hart and Spider Robinson's Callahan's Place, is a great place to stop in for a drink and a story after work. The stories were written by Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague de Camp in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, and were halted by Pratt's untimely death in 1956. There are twenty-nine short stories in the series, and some are a little dated now, of course, but they're quite entertaining.

[Rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most books I have read in the past year I have given five or four stars to. This is because I no longer persist with books I don't like. I only write reviews of books I finish reading. This means that inevitably the books on my 'read' list on Goodreads are going to have high ratings from me.

Occasionally I will persist with a book I'm not especially enjoying for special reasons, maybe because I have enjoyed other work by the same author, or maybe because those authors were important to me in the past. I almost gave four stars to Tales From Gavagan's Bar but ultimately I felt I couldn't do that. It would be in bad faith. So I now give it only three stars, which for others might be a good rating but for me is a low assessment of the book's worth.

The problem is this... that although I enjoyed De Camp and Pratt's Compleat Enchanter (or at least the first two novellas in that series) very much, the tales in this present book just aren't up to the same standard. Some of them are clever, yes, mildly amusing, yes, but they are almost never truly ingenious or hilarious. They aren't as good in terms of ideas as another set of 'Tall Club Tales' written at the same time, namely Arthur C. Clarke's Tales From the White Hart, nor are they as beautifully written as the Jorkens tales of Lord Dunsany (that directly inspired them). They are only so-so and no more than that.

There is also the fact that they have dated badly. At least one of the stories contrives to be sexist, racist and homophobic within the first two pages. We can argue that this wasn't unusual for the time, but whilst reading this book I was also reading books by other writers from exactly the same time period (Simenon, Ionesco, Bashevis Singer, etc) that display none of those negative qualities at all. The truth is that De Camp has dated badly in all his books; and so has Pratt (maybe to a lesser degree). So what hope is there for their collaborations?

I don't want to be too harsh on this collection of stories. I am glad I read it, mainly because it intrigued me for a long time before I actually managed to get a copy in my hands. I think it unlikely, however, that I will be rushing out to seek out much more work by these writers in future. Time to give them a break from my reading eyes, I think...

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm doing this backwards. I dabbled with the Callahan's stories as a Youth and recently started re-reading them. Which lead me to a reference to these, and another reference to Clark and his White Hart, and to Jorkins - all of which are now in my queue - which reminded me of Wodehouse and Mr. Mulliner (which I put down years ago and need to restart). So...do we look for a lesson? Nothing is new under the sun? Everything is derivative?
No.
Try this one. Don't think to much.

Sit down, read the stories, and enjoy.

[Julia Polikarpova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Сначала скучновата, но улавливая ритм рассказов, становится интереснее. Перечитать второй раз захочется вряд ли

[Rea K]

I read this when I was a kid. I didn't understand everything in it, but I loved it. Found my copy in a box (looking for books for my pop sugar book challenge) and so I'm going to reread it. Judge it as an adult.

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A couple of stories got a laugh. A few got a chuckle. Most ended with a shrug of the shoulders. The illustrations are charming.

[Igor Tarbeev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tales from Gavagan's Bar is a collection of short (10-15 pages) stories, which are connected only by a place, they have been told in. That is why it is hard to write about this book: it has non-classical composition.

The stories which have been told to habitues of Gavagan's bar by different strangers are fantastic and wierd. The beginning of every story is similar: a compony of regular customers is drinking cocktails and discussing different topics, when one of the guest breaks into discussion and starts telling his own story, which has brought him to Gavagan’s bar. Because of that the stories usually remain unfinished; they are trying to be mystic problems and situations rather than literature narratives. The stranger came to the bar to hide from them or to find a solution, that is why the stories have no endings: they are taking place within the moment of telling.

This is quite unusual way of writing stories and I suppose that a lot of people would not like the fact that you never know the ending or the reason of every story. Still, I think that the main character of the book is an atmosphere of old local bar, where you meet your old friend, drink your favorite cocktails and listen to interesting unrealistic stories. Incompleteness of the stories works for that atmosphere, creating the universe of the bar with friends (the bartender and his regular customers) and strangers (storytellers), who you will never see again and will never hear the ending of their story. I find this atmosphere very charming and even cozy.

Probably, one day I will reread the whole book, but now I think that it is that kind of book that you could take from the shelf any moment to read a story or two when you are in a mood to return to that fantastic local bar.

4\5

P.S. I’ve read it in Russian translation, so I can’t tell anything about style. Still the translation is good:)

P.S.S I also like a lot that there is a list of mentioned cocktails in the book. You can make a cocktail yourself and get a very special connection to the book and its characters. After Roland Barthes we can call this connection «reality effect».

[Laurel Kristick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was in the mood for some tall tales, so am on a rereading spree. This one has something in common with Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke - both are set in 1950's bars and have fantastical stories. They also inspired books by Isaac Asimov (The Union Club Mysteries and the Tales of the Black Widowers series) and Spider Robinson (Callahan's Crosstime Saloon series).

[Djj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book in my local library in the late 70s when i was a teen and read it at least twice. One of those books that made me love the randomness of browsing a library. Set all in Gavagan's Bar in New York City, patrons tell tales of magic and science fiction and fantasy under the watchful eye of Mr. Cohan the bartender, who keeps the (often obscure) drinks flowing and the place civil. I loved this book.

So this reread was an exercise in nostalgia for me (i think like many others here) and...did it hold up? Did my almost 60 year old brain find it as intriguing as my 15 year old brain? Honestly only partially. The stories feel dated now, and I found myself speed reading some of them, but there is still an undeniable magic at their heart. Maybe you can't go home again, but you can visit from time to time.

[Dmitri S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Сборник небольших юмористических фантастических рассказов, которые объединены только степенью абсурда и атмосферой легкого алкогольного угара, в которой случайные попутчики делятся своими байками.

Здесь нет историй с моралью, целью или развитием персонажей — только атмосфера бара 50-х годов и небольшие нелепые зарисовки, которые «прожили» чуть дольше, чем произнесенное автором «а вот еще, например, про дракона, которого одолжили извести домашних мышей», но при этом недостаточно хорошие, чтобы перерасти в полноценные сюжеты.

[Bill Plott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful collection of fantasy and science fiction stories set in a part. Reminds me of Cheers! TV show at times. Also, in the same vein as Lord Dunsany Jorkens stories, Arthur C. Clarke's Tales from White Hart and Spider Robinson's Callahan's Crosstime Saloon stories.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of stories set in a bar called Gavagan's, where an assortment of people tell what sound like tall tales, most of which have a supernatural or weird science theme. Some of the stories are slight, and some don't have satisfying endings, but on the whole, it is a very amusing collection.

[Heiki Eesmaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tales told in the eponymous bar milieu from one client to another; always involving the teller's troubles with the supernatural. The tales are enjoyable, but for me the reading wore me out as the characters involved are always new. They must have worked well in their original magazine format.

[Mortimer Roxbrough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories, all set in a drinking locale.
The strength of this book is that you can pick it up when you fancy something brief and return to it when you want.
Some disappoint as they stop rather than have an ending, but it is worth a look.

[Timur Gorbunov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Милое фэнтези пятидесятых с познавательной алкогольной функцией

[Daria Pushko · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is fun though the translation into Russian is not quite good.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this as a teenager, reread mostly for nostalgia purposes. Holds up!

[Eggp · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old-fashioned bar
a place to talk out troubles
lousy with magic.

[pani tet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Якщо чесно, взяла книгу просто щоб прочитати й звільнити місце на полицях, бо лежала вона кілька років і не виглядала такою аж цікавою. Проте приємно вражена, що помилялася. Чудово провела з нею суботу, хихотіла навіть в кулачок. Це дуже найт-вейлівська добірка оповідань, є наративи, за якими читачі можуть відчувати себе "у своєму середовищі", що круто для атмосфери бару. Є постійні герої - John Peters, you know, the farmer - й нові вибрики всесвіту в кожній оповіді. Спочатку їх випускали в газетах в середині шестидесятих, вдале рішення. Як ті олдскульні стріпи з Гарфілдом зі зворотів журналів, тільки тут випивка і зважена доза абсурду.

[Danna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming book that stands up to repeated reading. It's a collection of short stories published in the 1950s, each a tale of supernatural weirdness experienced by the patrons of Gavagan's Bar (rhymes with 'pagan'; located in an unnamed U.S. city that seems like New York to me). On the surface, each story appears to be a typical tall-tale as one would expect to hear in a pub, but the strange happenings within the bar itself cause the patrons to lend more credence to each other's odd claims of fantastical experiences. The first time I read it, I treated it like a collection of short stories and read each in isolation here and there between other books and activities. I quickly noticed patterns and in the end wished I'd paid more attention to the recurring characters, so in the second read-through I approached it as a novel. I'm impressed at the continuity of these stories, written and published separately by two authors over many years. As they state in the preface to this Expanded Edition of Gavagin's Bar: "Mr. Cohan's value to Gavagan's will become more apparent in the course of our reports. The material for them has been gathered over a considerable space of time, and we believe that, taken together, they constitute a document of no small social importance. Too little investigation has been given, and too little importance has previously been attached to certain sequences of incident for which Mr. Cohan, both as bartender and an unlettered philosopher, acts as a catalytic agent." Next time I read it, I'll focus more on Mr. Cohan as a main character. (See also my review of Spider Robinson's Callahan's Crosstime Saloon.)

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title bar seems to magnetically draw people troubled by one sort of supernatural nuisance or another (dragons, were-dachshunds, X-ray spectacles and so on) but presenting this as stories overheard by people soothing themselves with liquor turns most of them into shaggy dog tales or leaves them frustratingly unresolved (I liked that the first time I read it, not so much now). Very much a YMMV book, I think.

[Squirrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Some good stories, all greatly diminished by 1953 attitudes/treatment of women and ethnic minorities. The characters are not admirable here; while the stories might be amusing if one was in fact hearing them in a bar, and I do enjoy the cover art, too many of these didn't speak well to me. Another way of looking at it, if this had been a loaner from the library or a friend, I would not be looking for a copy to own.

[Joes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need to find this again.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read, and the beginning of a whole new sub-genre in science fiction and fantasy.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun collection of stories to read. If you're into strange tales of the supernatural vein, this is a great choice.

[Ari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't really hold my attention, only read a few of the stories.