It All Started With Eve

by Richard Armour

an uninhibited account of famous women of history

Genres: Humor, History, Nonfiction

137 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1963

About the author

Richard Armour, a college professor of English who specialized in Chaucer and the English Romantic poets, was best known as a prolific author of light verse and wacky parodies of academic scholarship. He was a professor of English at Scripps College in Claremont from 1945 to 1966.

Armour was raised in Pomona, California, where his father owned a drugstore. He graduated from Pomona College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, then obtained his master's and Ph.D. in English literature at Harvard. He was a Harvard research fellow at the Victoria and Albert Museum library in London.

Reviews

[Siarra]

Clever wordplay can’t save this relic of a ‘humor’ collection. Written by a man with the clear intent of being read by men, Richard Armour uses the same schtick over and over again for each woman in his collection. Young women are pretty. Old women are not. Women mentioned are only worth discussing because their relation to men. Men are stupid. Etc. Etc. Etc.

The worst part of it, though, is that the author taught at a women’s college. I think I could have gotten past a lot of the outdated, stereotypical cliches and given some credit to the less misogynistic humor in the book of that weren’t the case. But the whole time I was just thinking about how such a man should not be teaching young women.

Additionally, the copy of the book I picked up in a library giveaway had this note handwritten in the front in sloppy cursive handwriting:

Dear Elly,

It all started with Eve, didn’t it? I hope by the time you’re through with the book, you understand yourself.

Love John Bellam


Assuming poor Elly was dating this John, I’m hopeful for her that she dumped him.

[Moonkiszt]

This is awesome. . . an older generation than even mine (and I'm pretty ancient) being risque. Richard Armour is one of my literary heroes. And Started with Eve is lovely and charming, and reminds me of my parents and home. . . . when they'd scoot us off to bed so they could do whatever it is parents do when kids are in bed. . . . .

[Cosmogyral (Gav)]

I think reading my mother's battered copy, with a wonderful cover not shown on this site, added some essential charm to this for me. It's very much the kind of humor I know she ate up as a teenager, full of silly word play on famous quotations and winking at propriety, and it reminds me a bit of the Horrible Histories books I enjoyed rather later. The gender politics are so old-fashioned I had to flip to the copyright page to confirm that the book actually predates my mother's birth. If you like this sort of thing, you'll like it very much; and if you're not sure, you'll have more fun with something new.

[Ben]

A silly and funny "guys" take on the many downfall's of men throughout history.

[Pj Anderer]

We found copies of the series in my grandmother's house when I was younger. I enjoyed reading them then. Slightly rude humor, but mostly harmless.

[Rachel Bujnowski]

Hilarious

[Mona]

احلى اشي فيه انه مسل وجذاب انك تخلصو فى قعدة وحدة بس كان مختصر بشكل كبير يعني وسريع لكنه ممتع وفي شخصيات لاول مرة اعرف عنها لكن كان فى كتير اشياء مش واضحة بسبب انه الكاتب كان بمزح فيها فكان فى نقاط بتمنى لو اوضح عشان استفيد من المعلومة فبتلاقيه هو جايبها بطريقة بتشكك هل هذه الحقيقة ام بمزح ؟

[Marie]

Meh. Good to get it finished, I guess. Funny but so full of puns, it was also exhausting.

[Tukei Ken]

Best book ever. Impeccable and of high quality. The writer is truly the greatest satirical comedian ever. I have met non like him.