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Sweet Anarchy
The story of an island offthe coast of the United States that secedes from the union.
- GenresFiction
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Nathaniel Benchley
80 books25 followersBorn in Newton, Massachusetts to a literary family, he was the son of Gertrude Darling and Robert Benchley (1889-1945), the noted American writer, humorist, critic, actor, and one of the founders of the Algonquin Round Table in New York City.
Nathaniel Benchley was the highly-respected author of many children's/juvenile books that provided learning for the youthful readers with stories of various animals or through the book's historical settings. Benchley dealt with diverse locales and topics such as "Bright Candles", which recounts the experiences of a 16-year-old Danish boy during the German occupation of his country in World War II; and "Small Wolf", a story about a Native American boy who meets white men on the island of Manhattan and learns that their ideas about land are different from those of his own peoples'.
Film director/producer, Norman Jewison made Benchley's 1961 novel The Off-Islanders into a motion picture titled The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming for which he received the nomination for an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay. He was a close friend of actor Humphrey Bogart and wrote his biography in 1975.
Benchley's novel Welcome to Xanadu was made into the 1975 motion picture Sweet Hostage.
His elder son, Peter Benchley (1940-2006), was a writer best known for writing the novel Jaws and the screenplay of the 1975 Steven Spielberg film made from it. His younger son, Nat Benchley, is a writer and actor who has portrayed his grandfather, Robert Benchley, in a one-man, semi-biographical stage show, "Benchley Despite Himself". The show was a compilation of Robert Benchley's best monologues, short films, radio rantings and pithy pieces as recalled, edited, and acted by his grandson Nat, and combined with family reminiscences and friends' perspectives."
Nathaniel Benchley died in 1981 in Boston, Massachusetts and was interred in the family plot at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Nantucket.
Nathaniel Benchley was the highly-respected author of many children's/juvenile books that provided learning for the youthful readers with stories of various animals or through the book's historical settings. Benchley dealt with diverse locales and topics such as "Bright Candles", which recounts the experiences of a 16-year-old Danish boy during the German occupation of his country in World War II; and "Small Wolf", a story about a Native American boy who meets white men on the island of Manhattan and learns that their ideas about land are different from those of his own peoples'.
Film director/producer, Norman Jewison made Benchley's 1961 novel The Off-Islanders into a motion picture titled The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming for which he received the nomination for an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay. He was a close friend of actor Humphrey Bogart and wrote his biography in 1975.
Benchley's novel Welcome to Xanadu was made into the 1975 motion picture Sweet Hostage.
His elder son, Peter Benchley (1940-2006), was a writer best known for writing the novel Jaws and the screenplay of the 1975 Steven Spielberg film made from it. His younger son, Nat Benchley, is a writer and actor who has portrayed his grandfather, Robert Benchley, in a one-man, semi-biographical stage show, "Benchley Despite Himself". The show was a compilation of Robert Benchley's best monologues, short films, radio rantings and pithy pieces as recalled, edited, and acted by his grandson Nat, and combined with family reminiscences and friends' perspectives."
Nathaniel Benchley died in 1981 in Boston, Massachusetts and was interred in the family plot at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Nantucket.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 9, 2024
If you’re ever craving a book where small-town antics meet endless banter, Sweet Anarchy by Nathaniel Benchley is your perfect escape. This isn’t your average quiet, nostalgic ode to American life—oh no, this is Benchley’s hilarious rollercoaster ride through a town so wonderfully absurd, you’ll forget if you’re reading fiction or just eavesdropping on the best town hall meeting ever.
Benchley, the genius behind The Off-Islanders, proves once again that he’s the king of satirical storytelling. Sweet Anarchy is a riot of dialogue, and I mean pages and pages of it—seriously, the banter never stops. It flows so effortlessly that it’s like being caught in a conversation at the diner booth next to you. One minute you’re thinking, “Wait, is anyone going to do something?”—but then you realize: the talking is the action. And what an engrossing action it is. The ease with which Benchley crafts his character’s exchanges will have you wrapped up in their quirky world before you can blink.
The beauty of Benchley’s writing is that he doesn’t just capture the ridiculousness of small-town life, he magnifies it with humor that’s sharp, but never cynical. It’s the kind of read where you find yourself laughing with the characters, never at them. Whether it’s a zany debate over who runs the town, or a hilarious misunderstanding that spirals out of control, you can expect a perfectly timed punchline every time.
So, if you love humor with a side of social commentary and aren’t afraid of a little sweet anarchy in your reading life, do yourself a favor and pick this one up.
Also, it’s a real shame that Benchley doesn’t get the recognition he deserves these days. His knack for blending humor with sharp social observation feels so relevant, even now. It’s like the world has forgotten just how much we need lighthearted, witty novels that don’t take themselves too seriously, but still manage to say something meaningful about the human experience. Sweet Anarchy is proof of that.
Humorous novels, in general, are in short supply lately, which is a real loss. There’s something about a well-crafted, funny story that just makes the world a little brighter, and Benchley knew how to strike that perfect balance of entertaining without punching you in the face with a political affiliation. It’s too bad we don’t see more of this style today—humor can be such a powerful way to connect with readers and reflect on life without hitting them over the head with seriousness.
I bought Sweet Anarchy after my father told me about The Off-Islanders and The Russians Are Coming. I tried to get The Off-Islanders, but it was over a hundred dollars, and my local library didn’t have it. I’m glad I ended up with Sweet Anarchy though, because it turned out to be a great find. Now, I’m even more determined to get my hands on more of Benchley’s books in the future.
Benchley, the genius behind The Off-Islanders, proves once again that he’s the king of satirical storytelling. Sweet Anarchy is a riot of dialogue, and I mean pages and pages of it—seriously, the banter never stops. It flows so effortlessly that it’s like being caught in a conversation at the diner booth next to you. One minute you’re thinking, “Wait, is anyone going to do something?”—but then you realize: the talking is the action. And what an engrossing action it is. The ease with which Benchley crafts his character’s exchanges will have you wrapped up in their quirky world before you can blink.
The beauty of Benchley’s writing is that he doesn’t just capture the ridiculousness of small-town life, he magnifies it with humor that’s sharp, but never cynical. It’s the kind of read where you find yourself laughing with the characters, never at them. Whether it’s a zany debate over who runs the town, or a hilarious misunderstanding that spirals out of control, you can expect a perfectly timed punchline every time.
So, if you love humor with a side of social commentary and aren’t afraid of a little sweet anarchy in your reading life, do yourself a favor and pick this one up.
Also, it’s a real shame that Benchley doesn’t get the recognition he deserves these days. His knack for blending humor with sharp social observation feels so relevant, even now. It’s like the world has forgotten just how much we need lighthearted, witty novels that don’t take themselves too seriously, but still manage to say something meaningful about the human experience. Sweet Anarchy is proof of that.
Humorous novels, in general, are in short supply lately, which is a real loss. There’s something about a well-crafted, funny story that just makes the world a little brighter, and Benchley knew how to strike that perfect balance of entertaining without punching you in the face with a political affiliation. It’s too bad we don’t see more of this style today—humor can be such a powerful way to connect with readers and reflect on life without hitting them over the head with seriousness.
I bought Sweet Anarchy after my father told me about The Off-Islanders and The Russians Are Coming. I tried to get The Off-Islanders, but it was over a hundred dollars, and my local library didn’t have it. I’m glad I ended up with Sweet Anarchy though, because it turned out to be a great find. Now, I’m even more determined to get my hands on more of Benchley’s books in the future.
Displaying 1 of 1 review