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Return of the Dittos
The author of "Moe Howard Died For Our Sins" is back with a new collection of short stories that again shows why reviewers have called him "devious" and "a natural born storyteller." "Return of the Dittos" takes readers on another wild romp. Whether depicting a bagboy revolt or the impending end of the world, these 20 tales are sometimes weird, occasionally outrageous but always thoroughly entertaining. This collection will engage you - and your imagination - from its first page to its last.
- GenresHumor
182 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
12 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Dale Andrew White
87 books10 followersDale Andrew White's humorous short stories have appeared in Modern Short Stories, Comic Relief, The MacGuffin, Nuthouse, Beyond Science Fiction & Fantasy and numerous other magazines and journals.
Midwest Book Review calls him "a natural born storyteller with an especial flair for blending fantasy, whimsy, satire and a fevered imagination into original stories that are replete with ribald humor and reader-engaging novelty."
BookReview.com warns that to open a Dale Andrew White short story collection "is to invite trouble - and probably enjoy it."
Several of White's short stories can be downloaded separately on Amazon Kindle.
White is a member of Humor Writers of America. His short story collections have been nominated for the James Thurber Prize for American Humor.
White's free-lance magazine journalism has included interviews with novelist Harry Crews, comedian Henny Youngman, cartoonist Gahan Wilson, the Allman Brothers Band, pop artist Andy Warhol,Up the Down Staircase author Bel Kaufman, behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner, actor Derek Jacobi, Watership Down author Richard Adams, novelist Eugenia Price, rock 'n' roll icons Little Richard and Bo Diddley, macabre cartoonist Gahan Wilson, Sir Peter Saunders (Agatha Christie's theatrical producer), The Blackboard Jungle author Evan Hunter (also known as Ed McBain, author of the 87th Precinct mystery series), Rumpole of the Bailey creator John Mortimer, novelist Chaim Potok, "Hagar the Horrible" cartoonist Dik Browne and others. Many of his interviews are featured in the collection Encounters with Authors and are also available separately on Amazon Kindle.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 29, 2017
I had just read a different collection of stories written by Dale Andrew White and found them oddly enjoyable so I thought I would try this collection and see if they would provide the same amount of enjoyment. One of the big improvements over Moe Howard Died For Our Sins is the cover. It’s not a whole lot better but for some reason the image of an old fashioned television caught my eye. It represents well the title story, Return of the Dittos, which is about a sitcom family, the Dittos, who were popular many years ago and now are ready to make a comeback to TV land. The problem is that weight has been gained, plastic surgery has been done and careers have grown tepid, at best. It’s a funny tongue-in-cheek look at where the sitcom stars would be today and their actions with the comeback. It’s hilariously realistic. The Labor’s of Peon examines a grocery store bagboy revolt. Yes, you read correctly. A bagboy revolt. It sounds ridiculous but it is actually quite funny and, again, dare I say a bit realistic.
It’s this realism that makes Mr. White’s collections so entertaining and wickedly fun to read. They seem insane but there is just a smidgeon of truth to them even if we won’t admit it to ourselves. Some of the stories also made me think about things that have never before crossed my mind. For example, how did Christopher Columbus’s mother react when he told her that he was going to be sailing around the world that she believed to be flat? Mr. White imagines that tongue lashing and so much more about this famous event in the short story, The Last Coronation.
My only problem with the book was some minor editing, such as the lack of commas in places that really seemed to need them. It’s a minor issue but some of the sentences seemed to run together. Other than that, this is a fun collection of twenty really short stories that will give you a laugh…if you have an odd sense of humour, which I do.
I read this on my ereader where it formatted well. The cover, as I stated above, is interesting but could still use a little work in order to draw the reader’s eye to it.
It’s this realism that makes Mr. White’s collections so entertaining and wickedly fun to read. They seem insane but there is just a smidgeon of truth to them even if we won’t admit it to ourselves. Some of the stories also made me think about things that have never before crossed my mind. For example, how did Christopher Columbus’s mother react when he told her that he was going to be sailing around the world that she believed to be flat? Mr. White imagines that tongue lashing and so much more about this famous event in the short story, The Last Coronation.
My only problem with the book was some minor editing, such as the lack of commas in places that really seemed to need them. It’s a minor issue but some of the sentences seemed to run together. Other than that, this is a fun collection of twenty really short stories that will give you a laugh…if you have an odd sense of humour, which I do.
I read this on my ereader where it formatted well. The cover, as I stated above, is interesting but could still use a little work in order to draw the reader’s eye to it.
August 29, 2018
Short stories with a sense of humor
December 26, 2014
Return of the Dittos by Dale Andrew White is a collection of short stories obvious meant for the reader's entertainment. I think the cover of the book explains it all. It is a picture of an old TV and that is what these stories remind me of, watching old black and white comedies and in some cases, Twilight Zone in the good ole days. The stories are all varied in theme, some are purely humorous while some may use irony. If you don't like one story just keep reading, you may like the next one. It is the perfect book to take with you to enjoy a quick story while waiting at a Dr. office or whenever you have a few minutes because chances are you will be able to read a complete story in just a few minutes.
I only found one story, 'Infatuated,' that I thought was 'sick' for lack of a better way of explaining it. I don't want to give any spoilers away so I really can't explain it but what I mean by it, it is like reading a story about someone who has a foot fetish. This is not what this story is about, it is about something else so be clear on this, I am only using 'foot fetish' as a way to explain it. I do not find feet sexy, nor do I worship them. To me those that do are 'sick' and this is what I mean about this story, it is 'sick'. (Again, it has nothing to do with feet.)
Other stories can possibly be non-fiction although the author has already stated the book is fiction. The story that comes to mind is 'Disappearing Act' which is about a secret experiment concerning the human mind at a college for a Psychology class on Perceptions & Realities. This experiment is done on students through the course of the semester and after reading it, I realized I too believed and wondered what in my life have I (and how many others) perceived as a reality when in fact it was a deception all along. So this story even had me thinking about the statement, "The charade proved that the human mind will gullibly accept a fiction as a fact, if society insists it is so."
Another story that just cracked me up was 'Little Birdie' by the way the narrator was talking to me, the reader. It was if this 'narrator' is a person living within my mind that is the same 'narrator' for everything I do. It is the one that tells me stories when I read a book, it is the same one that tells me what the letter I received in the mail says, and it is the same one from when I was 2 years old. Well, this hilarious story is about what happens because this 'narrator' had enough of the 'me'.
A story that was very deep is 'On Tour with a Confederate Soldier' while I didn't quite know what one other story was about, other than it was ironic. There are so many stories I can't comment on each one but they are such a wide variety in these stories I find it difficult to believe there isn't something for everyone.
Since these are all short stories (approximately 25 of them) there is no real development of characters or plots and subplots or any time lines and such that I can talk about the development of. About all I can say is that each story had characters that were well enough developed that I knew what I needed to know to make sense of the story. Some I liked, some not so much but either way, at least I knew enough about them to draw my own conclusion. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short stories and has a sense of humor.
*I received a free copy of this book for my honest review.
I only found one story, 'Infatuated,' that I thought was 'sick' for lack of a better way of explaining it. I don't want to give any spoilers away so I really can't explain it but what I mean by it, it is like reading a story about someone who has a foot fetish. This is not what this story is about, it is about something else so be clear on this, I am only using 'foot fetish' as a way to explain it. I do not find feet sexy, nor do I worship them. To me those that do are 'sick' and this is what I mean about this story, it is 'sick'. (Again, it has nothing to do with feet.)
Other stories can possibly be non-fiction although the author has already stated the book is fiction. The story that comes to mind is 'Disappearing Act' which is about a secret experiment concerning the human mind at a college for a Psychology class on Perceptions & Realities. This experiment is done on students through the course of the semester and after reading it, I realized I too believed and wondered what in my life have I (and how many others) perceived as a reality when in fact it was a deception all along. So this story even had me thinking about the statement, "The charade proved that the human mind will gullibly accept a fiction as a fact, if society insists it is so."
Another story that just cracked me up was 'Little Birdie' by the way the narrator was talking to me, the reader. It was if this 'narrator' is a person living within my mind that is the same 'narrator' for everything I do. It is the one that tells me stories when I read a book, it is the same one that tells me what the letter I received in the mail says, and it is the same one from when I was 2 years old. Well, this hilarious story is about what happens because this 'narrator' had enough of the 'me'.
A story that was very deep is 'On Tour with a Confederate Soldier' while I didn't quite know what one other story was about, other than it was ironic. There are so many stories I can't comment on each one but they are such a wide variety in these stories I find it difficult to believe there isn't something for everyone.
Since these are all short stories (approximately 25 of them) there is no real development of characters or plots and subplots or any time lines and such that I can talk about the development of. About all I can say is that each story had characters that were well enough developed that I knew what I needed to know to make sense of the story. Some I liked, some not so much but either way, at least I knew enough about them to draw my own conclusion. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short stories and has a sense of humor.
*I received a free copy of this book for my honest review.
September 13, 2010
READERVIEWS.COM: "Return of the Dittos is a rich confection of satire and humor, all boxed in 20 short stories and tied with a ribbon... Some of his stories comes across as being written in the classic style of humorists like Mark Twain or the British satirist Saki.. Still others come across with raw, in-your-face humor worthy of Comedy Central. All I know is that Dale Andrew White is a clever and talented writer and Return of the Dittos is a truly funny book."
BOOKREVIEW.COM: "White has a wonderful talent for engaging the unexpected, and his quick turns are wild and fun... Return of the Dittos strikes a balance between contemporary and fine aged humor that can't be found anywhere else and is refreshing as it is funny."
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER: "Whether writing about the end of the world, terrorist swans, entering the after-life or high school journalism, White entertains with clever asides, obvious (and some not-so-obvious) puns, and cultural and societal pokes. His stories combine satire, slapstick, innuendo and outright silliness. All of it is punctuated with interesting, quirky characters."
FEATHERED QUILL BOOK REVIEW: "If you have the type of humor that appreciates the bizarre and offbeat, and count me in, then you will enjoy Return of the Dittos by Dale Andrew White. White's eccentric and quirky sense of humor is evidenced throughout the book, taking the reader through twists and turns, delights and mishaps in this collection of short stories."
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW: "Short story anthologies often bring a variety and freshness that novels can't quite match. Return of the Dittos And Other Stories is a new collection of stories from acclaimed short fiction author Dale Andrew White. A unique assortment of stories, each as entertaining as the last, Return of the Dittos is a collection that short fiction lovers must get."
September 27, 2009
Dale Andrew White is very strange, dark and kind of "pervy" (in a good way!) . And we are so lucky that he is! This book, Return of the Dittos, is a collection of short stories. Be careful where you read them, because if it's in public, people around you will wonder about your sanity. I read it while waiting for my Dad to finish a doctor's appointment. I can't tell you how many times I realized I was laughing (actually snorting in a ladylike way) way too loudly. I know I got more than my share of stares, worried glances, and those looks you get from people who are watching to see if you are someone harmful.
His writing style varies from old school storytelling to broad satire, to rather bawdy and definitely R rated . The subjects of his 20 short stories are as varied as one can imagine. From the catfighting world of the junior leaguers, to lowly boxboys at the local grocer, to family life at it's most hilarious. There is something here for everyone, and it's all rowdy, raucous and fun. Whoever would think we could laugh at the end of the world? And I certainly didn't know the revisionist humor that was the voyage of Christopher Columbus.
Showcasing his variety of storytelling, I actually found myself tearing up with sentiment, not laughter, at one story. The Author of Moe Howard Died for Our Sins has done it again.
It's a Wild Ride, and nobody does the driving any better than Dale Andrew White!
His writing style varies from old school storytelling to broad satire, to rather bawdy and definitely R rated . The subjects of his 20 short stories are as varied as one can imagine. From the catfighting world of the junior leaguers, to lowly boxboys at the local grocer, to family life at it's most hilarious. There is something here for everyone, and it's all rowdy, raucous and fun. Whoever would think we could laugh at the end of the world? And I certainly didn't know the revisionist humor that was the voyage of Christopher Columbus.
Showcasing his variety of storytelling, I actually found myself tearing up with sentiment, not laughter, at one story. The Author of Moe Howard Died for Our Sins has done it again.
It's a Wild Ride, and nobody does the driving any better than Dale Andrew White!
November 12, 2012
Return of the Dittos and other stories, by Dale Andrew White, is a collection of twenty short stories and all of which are worth reading. Mr. White uses irresistible humor and keen insight into human nature in his stories and the end result is an enjoyable reading experience.
In the opening story, An Unlikely Story, the reader is treated to the monologue of a man accused offering a woman money for certain services. It is important to note that the woman is an undercover police woman. The defense he offers is creative, clever and original. Return of the Dittos is about the reunion show of the cast of a sitcom called Eat Your Peas which aired thirty years ago. The author's descriptions of the cast members are memorable. The Labors of Peon, my personal favorite, is the tale of Adam Peon's short lived career as a bagboy at a Dixie King grocery store. This job changes his life and with good reason. Due to unforeseen developments, Adam finds himself in the position of labor organizer when the bagboys learn that their tips are to be discontinued. What transpires when the bagboys revolt is hysterical.
Richly developed characters paired with humorous dialogue and story lines the reader can relate to add up to great reading. The author uses wit and humor to engage the reader. I highly recommend reading these stories.
I received this book free of charge from Review the Book and I give this review of my own free will.
In the opening story, An Unlikely Story, the reader is treated to the monologue of a man accused offering a woman money for certain services. It is important to note that the woman is an undercover police woman. The defense he offers is creative, clever and original. Return of the Dittos is about the reunion show of the cast of a sitcom called Eat Your Peas which aired thirty years ago. The author's descriptions of the cast members are memorable. The Labors of Peon, my personal favorite, is the tale of Adam Peon's short lived career as a bagboy at a Dixie King grocery store. This job changes his life and with good reason. Due to unforeseen developments, Adam finds himself in the position of labor organizer when the bagboys learn that their tips are to be discontinued. What transpires when the bagboys revolt is hysterical.
Richly developed characters paired with humorous dialogue and story lines the reader can relate to add up to great reading. The author uses wit and humor to engage the reader. I highly recommend reading these stories.
I received this book free of charge from Review the Book and I give this review of my own free will.
August 19, 2012
What is the book about?
A collection of short stories from the author Dale Andrew White. A wide collection of different stories that will appeal to a variety of people. Dale's stories vary from dark and gloomy to laugh-out-loud humor, which shows how versatile the author really is when it comes to his writing style.
What did I think of the book?
My favorite short story in this collection was "Labors of Peon" a story about a bag boy who fights for his right to accept tips from customers.
You'll lift an eyebrow and chuckle at "Infatuated." You'll laugh out loud at stories like "Little Birdie" and "The Simpkins Revelation." Enjoy all twenty stories all at once or read them throughout the day, either way you'll love this book. Each story is just long enough to contain enough detail but short enough to read while riding the subway.
A collection of short stories from the author Dale Andrew White. A wide collection of different stories that will appeal to a variety of people. Dale's stories vary from dark and gloomy to laugh-out-loud humor, which shows how versatile the author really is when it comes to his writing style.
What did I think of the book?
My favorite short story in this collection was "Labors of Peon" a story about a bag boy who fights for his right to accept tips from customers.
You'll lift an eyebrow and chuckle at "Infatuated." You'll laugh out loud at stories like "Little Birdie" and "The Simpkins Revelation." Enjoy all twenty stories all at once or read them throughout the day, either way you'll love this book. Each story is just long enough to contain enough detail but short enough to read while riding the subway.
December 20, 2014
This is a montage of stories that had me laughing from start to finish. This author is gifted in conveying his brand of slapstick humor. From the wild and wacky story of Christopher Columbus applying for a grant, to the disgusting nose fetish, nothing was too weird to be made fun of. I felt like all the stories had a vintage feel to them, and there was a definite tone of pulling for the underdog.
It was a very enjoyable read and it brought me back to my childhood memories of stories that my back-of-the-woods grandfather would tell many years ago. I could read this collection over and over without ever tiring of it.
It was a very enjoyable read and it brought me back to my childhood memories of stories that my back-of-the-woods grandfather would tell many years ago. I could read this collection over and over without ever tiring of it.
May 16, 2011
Short, snappy, humorous stories, not always obvious at first, some of them catch you off guard. Really enjoyed it.
December 1, 2017
Full of sarcastic wit and humor, the twenty short stories in Return of the Dittos and Other Stories by Dale Andrew White turned out to be a fun and intriguing read. The first story of the bunch originally made me apprehensive about what I had started to read but turned out to just simply be the least appealing story of the book which came back with amusing and creative stories afterwards. The stories vary in subject but there are many that feel satirical in nature as we learn about Peon the bagger at the grocery store and other characters’ personality traits stereotype them and their actions throughout the book. Perhaps the best comparison of writing I’ve seen is in publications such as The Onion, a made up and fun news site.
It’s hard for me to pick any one story that I enjoyed the most out of this book but I think the story of the two women, one an established and prominent politician’s wife and one a younger woman looking to gain social clout, who are on volunteer boards and trying to outdo each other on the social ladder was one of my favorites. I also enjoyed the disappearing room mate and, without giving away the ending, how the protagonist of the story ended up switching to an antagonist by the end of the story. The dry humor and sarcasm with which the stories are written make the author’s writing really stand out in style and was uniquely satisfying. It was amazing how the characters seemed developed and three dimensional in such a short span of time as the stories allowed. Many of the stories read as a newspaper clip to me with even the plots of the simplest pieces being well through out and developed.
If there are any criticisms to be had with this book it would be to remove the first story. It simply didn’t match the caliber of the rest of the book and being the first story in the book made me question whether or not I wanted to continue to read the book. The second story caught my attention and I saw by the fourth story that the first just wasn’t up to par with the rest of the book. I’m sure the author could use his wit and humor to get it there however. The book was also edited very well and laid out nicely. In all I think readers who enjoy general fiction short stories and have a streak of dark humor and sarcasm will find this volume a treasure trove.
It’s hard for me to pick any one story that I enjoyed the most out of this book but I think the story of the two women, one an established and prominent politician’s wife and one a younger woman looking to gain social clout, who are on volunteer boards and trying to outdo each other on the social ladder was one of my favorites. I also enjoyed the disappearing room mate and, without giving away the ending, how the protagonist of the story ended up switching to an antagonist by the end of the story. The dry humor and sarcasm with which the stories are written make the author’s writing really stand out in style and was uniquely satisfying. It was amazing how the characters seemed developed and three dimensional in such a short span of time as the stories allowed. Many of the stories read as a newspaper clip to me with even the plots of the simplest pieces being well through out and developed.
If there are any criticisms to be had with this book it would be to remove the first story. It simply didn’t match the caliber of the rest of the book and being the first story in the book made me question whether or not I wanted to continue to read the book. The second story caught my attention and I saw by the fourth story that the first just wasn’t up to par with the rest of the book. I’m sure the author could use his wit and humor to get it there however. The book was also edited very well and laid out nicely. In all I think readers who enjoy general fiction short stories and have a streak of dark humor and sarcasm will find this volume a treasure trove.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews