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دنیای دیوانه دیوانه

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Startling, irreverent and provocative, the incomparable creator of poems and fables for children turns his eye and pen upon the social calamities and absurdities of the adult world.

a modern
ballet
where
lovers are ground
to hamburger
wives are turned into chairs
TV sets eat people
flowers grow from
children's heads
God is uncovered—and
re-covered
and men are hung
by the instrument
of their desire


Shel Silverstein, (1930-1999) the bestselling author of The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and Every Thing On It, has created yet another collection that is both outrageously funny and deeply profound.

Note: For a complete list of the stories included, see the FAQ section below.

200 pages

First published January 1, 1979

5 people are currently reading
1387 people want to read

About the author

Shel Silverstein

155 books10.5k followers
Shel Silverstein was the author-artist of many beloved books of prose and poetry. He was a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter.

Shel Silverstein will perhaps always be best loved for his extraordinary books. Shel’s books are now published in more than 47 different languages. The last book that was published before his death in 1999 was Falling Up

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5 stars
532 (50%)
4 stars
289 (27%)
3 stars
184 (17%)
2 stars
41 (3%)
1 star
16 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
Profile Image for Pouria.
203 reviews64 followers
April 19, 2017
دنیای دیوانه دیوانه (Different Dances) / شل سیلور استاین/ انتشارات کتاب پنجره/ 128 صفحه/ چاپ سوم زمستان 1381/ تاریخ اتمام کتاب: چهارشنبه 29 فروردین 96
عمو شلبی عزیز و دوست داشتنی من. هر کتابش را که می خوانم علاقه ام به کارهایش بیشتر می شود. این کتاب مجموعه ای از تصویرگری های اوست. در توصیفشان می توانم بگویم ساده، زیبا و پرمحتوایند. هر کدام داستانی برای خود دارند و در عین کوتاه بودن، پر از حرفند. تصویرگری ها سیاه سفید هستند و خوراکِ رنگ کردن :)

پوریا روشنی
Profile Image for Maziar MHK.
179 reviews194 followers
August 13, 2021
وقتی نمیخواهی حرف بزنی اما ناب ترین حرف های دنیا رو در کتابی 200صفحه ای میزنی که کلا 20 کلمه توش نیست
Profile Image for Charlie.
23 reviews4 followers
January 22, 2008
If you ask four random people who Shel Silverstein is, one will say, "You mean the Paint Store?", one will say "I LOVE 'Where The Wild Things Are'" and unzip her hoodie to reveal a P.B. and J stained t-shirt emblazoned with its ubiquitous cover image, One will praise "Where the Sidewalk Ends", and one will say,"No way-'A Light in the Attic' kicked 'Sidewalk's' ass".
All of them will be dipshits.
Because you don't know Shel Silverstein until you've read his "adult" book,"Different Dances". I will refrain from playing the role of spoiler, but Suffice it to say that all the things you imagined the scrawly naked protagonists of his childrens books would do while the book was closed (C'mon you miserable brown rice prudes, you know you did) get done. Vividly. All the pleasant, quirky, uplifting twists his more familiar works take are inverted on themselves, As if he were saying, "I knew you ungrateful bastards were gonna grow up into a wretched bunch of accountants anyway, so here you go".
Profile Image for Mag.
133 reviews
July 26, 2022
this was literally just drawings but i’m counting it anyway 😶
Profile Image for Joshua.
Author 2 books38 followers
March 16, 2018
Shel Silverstein lives on in these snapshots of humanity that remind the reader how beautiful and painful life can be. Whether it's a woman being impaled on a man's pedestal, a writer spending his entire life being rejected, a woman being rejected for showing her true self, or a single sperm cell trying desperately not to be crushed by the pill, these stories breathe with a life and wit that is sweet and endearing. I cannot say how much I love this book. Read it.
Profile Image for Afsaneh khajavi.
66 reviews
November 24, 2019
کتاب و میذاری جلوت، سکوت میکنی و داستانا رو دونه دونه با چشمت دنبال میکنی و آخر هرکدمشون با خودت میگی، بابا عمو شلبی، تو دیگه کی هستی؟
Profile Image for Manizheh.
133 reviews82 followers
September 30, 2007
از کتابهای شل سیلور خوشم میاد به خصوص دو زبانه هاش
Profile Image for Kabir.
51 reviews
April 13, 2024
So vulgar…so amusing. I was expecting the same format as his children’s books (poems and illustrations) however the entire thing was driven by illustrations which at first disappointed me but as I actually took it in they were hilarious and carried their own.
Profile Image for Maryam Samiei.
225 reviews87 followers
November 14, 2017
آنقدر دوست داشتم و برام ملموس بود ایده هاش که حد نداشت
Profile Image for Melody.
2,668 reviews308 followers
November 15, 2014
Entirely brilliant. Subversive, hilarious, filthy, delicious, twisted, disgusting, inspiring, and delightful. How the execrable The Giving Tree could spring from this same pen is beyond me. I suppose even Uncle Shelby had to pay the bills. But this book here is what it's all about, bringing to mind the old Spider Robinson quote - something along the lines of "Funny men make better lovers, they understand pain." I've loved this book forever, and was elated to find a first edition at Powell's the other day. It's just as wonderful as I remember.
Profile Image for Eric.
43 reviews2 followers
August 13, 2009
The original book is a collectors item and I am very glad to own one. Mind blowing art and quick offensive stories. They're great.
Profile Image for Leah.
408 reviews
October 29, 2011
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Words can't explain how awesome these pithy and profound cartoons are.
Profile Image for Court.
157 reviews10 followers
February 13, 2015
I recently found out that two people I work with have never heard nor read Shel Silverstein. Now I can't stop re-reading, and loving, and discovering new works of his.
Profile Image for Azimeh.
144 reviews14 followers
April 9, 2020
من دارم برای هر کدوم از بخش های کتاب که بصورت تصویر هستن، داستان می نویسم 😀
Profile Image for Jake.
595 reviews5 followers
June 9, 2022
3.5/5

Often funny, usually thought provoking, these short sketch stories were a nice change from the rest of his work
Profile Image for Gabriella.
342 reviews
August 29, 2017
It's funny seeing that people have marked this book as a children's book. People don't realize that Shel Silverstein, while known for his illustrations and poetry that are loved by children, also wrote for Playboy and had some pretty "adult" work. This book is an example of that. It is his classic style of art and wit, but with material about sex, relationships, working, aging, and raising children- this is NOT a children's book. If you get this book for your child assuming it will be Where The Sidewalk Ends, that's not what you're in for. However, adults and people who grew up loving Silverstein will likely get a kick out of this book.
Profile Image for The  Chosen  Poet.
138 reviews2 followers
August 9, 2021
I fucking understand why he fought his way into making this book publish before coming out with "a light in the attic" now
this shit is raunchy as all Shel's earlier works were and damn to think the creator of "where the sidewalk ends" will give them this beauty to see whether the publishers actually valued him as an artist instead of just "Shel the children book author cash cow"
what a statement! forever my hero!
13 reviews
May 5, 2008
OMG - No wonder this was in the "mature" section at 1/2 Price Books. This is not for kids... at all.

Shel Silverstein brings his incredible talent to bear on social issues, sexuality, and politics. Very few words, more pictures and mini-stories told with pictures. Sometimes funny, other times disturbing, but often very poignant.
Profile Image for Just a Girl Fighting Censorship.
1,957 reviews124 followers
May 21, 2014
So so so so so so so so so good!

This is an ADULT book with adult content. This book focuses on drawings, there is virtually no poetry.

Very profound, thought provoking, and filled with dark biting humor.

Love, love, love. Shel Silverstein is a genius, he can say more with a few line drawings on a page than others can in volumes of metaphors and similes....
Profile Image for James Biser.
3,766 reviews20 followers
August 2, 2019
This is a fun book of cartoons by a genius. Of course, I own copies of Silverstein's books for younger readers, but this volume is full of off-color and sometimes racy humor. It is worth a person's time, if they are in a mood to laugh and continue chuckling through the pages.
Everyone should be warned that this book is not rated G.
Profile Image for Kat.
128 reviews
May 2, 2022
This was not at all what I was expecting it to be. If you enjoy his children books. This is very much the complete opposite and a very adult book. It's very funny, provocative, creative use of imagery and imagination. It's thought provoking and a very quick read. Different Dances is certainly one everyone should be exposed to if you enjoy sexual, political and social humor.
Profile Image for michael.
37 reviews3 followers
April 19, 2007
one of the most influential books for a 12 year old blossoming male... clearly shel's most insightful work! (not for kids, but that's what makes it great as a kid)
Profile Image for J..
1,453 reviews
October 8, 2011
A few great cartoons, some average, and some weak. A good but not great collection, and certainly not Silverstein's best. Also, the kind of book that can be read cover-to-cover in 40 minutes or so.
375 reviews2 followers
May 22, 2021
Such a startling and unexpected delight
Profile Image for Tamsen.
22 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2022
I didn’t know this wasn’t a kid book. It’s funny and sad at the same time. It’s a little graphic but humorous.
Profile Image for Vivien.
19 reviews2 followers
August 28, 2022
A delightful, hilarious, and sometimes profound illustration of life and what it means to be human.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews

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