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Oh! Well! You Know How Women Are! And Isn't That Just Like A Man!
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
- GenresNonfiction
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1920
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25 people want to read
About the author
Irvin S. Cobb
312 books18 followers(Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb)
American author, humorist, editor and columnist from Paducah, Kentucky who relocated to New York during 1904, living there for the remainder of his life.
He wrote for the New York World, Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper, as the highest paid staff reporter in the United States.
Cobb also wrote more than 60 books and 300 short stories. Some of his works were adapted for silent movies. Several of his Judge Priest short stories were adapted for two feature films during the 1930s directed by John Ford.
American author, humorist, editor and columnist from Paducah, Kentucky who relocated to New York during 1904, living there for the remainder of his life.
He wrote for the New York World, Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper, as the highest paid staff reporter in the United States.
Cobb also wrote more than 60 books and 300 short stories. Some of his works were adapted for silent movies. Several of his Judge Priest short stories were adapted for two feature films during the 1930s directed by John Ford.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 25, 2015
Stumbled across this at Gutenberg some time ago and since this last week of the year is for reading odds and ends that have been lurking around neglected, I thought I'd go ahead and read it. I originally was interested in it for the Mary Roberts Rinehart essay. I had at least heard of her, Irvin S. Cobb was a new name to me.
So, this is sort of a he said she said type of booklet. First Cobb talks about women and their annoying habits, such as talking in building entrances, not having their fare ready on the streetcar, getting off those streetcars backwards, things like that. He also rants a bit about what will happen when women get the vote (this was written in 1919, remember) and what terrible choices women make when they dress for the world of business. And he compares a man's attitude towards fashion with a woman's. I found parts if this essay amusing, but mostly to me Cobb sounded like a grumpy old man having a bit of a whine, while grudgingly admitting his admiration for women as a whole.
But he does finish up with a couple of paragraphs about how women proved themselves during the recently ended war. This redeemed him for me: To the women fell the tasks which for the most part brought no public recognition, no published acknowledgments of gratitude. For them, instead of the palms of victory and the sheaves of glory, there were the crosses of sacrifice, the thorny diadems of suffering. We cannot conceive of men, thus circumstanced, going so far and doing so much. But the women — Oh, well, you know how women are!
Then Rinehart has her turn. Now most men would probably be annoyed by this essay, because she gives away the main secret to men that all women figure out sooner or later (hopefully sooner; it will save you a great deal of frustration): But, although we are discussing men, as all women know, there are really no men at all. There are grown-up boys, and middle-aged boys, and elderly boys, and even sometimes very old boys. But the essential difference is simply exterior. Your man is always a boy.
She also talks about women getting the vote, and why men don't want women to be equal; and why men in love are more like cats, while women are more like dogs. This actually made sense, as well as being funny. I think she summed up the whole Battle Of The Sexes best with this sentence: So—women know men better than men know women, and are rather like the little boy’s definition of a friend: “A friend is a feller who knows all about you, and likes you anyhow.”
I admit I laughed more at Rinehart's essay. It was not man-bashing, there is respect and admiration here, but I admit it is always fun to connect with another woman who so obviously understands men. She mentions early on that she has lots of tales she could tell about a certain man in her life.....what fun it would have been to sit down with Rinehart and swap husband stories!
Overall, this book should be read with the awareness of when it was written, and not taken too seriously.
So, this is sort of a he said she said type of booklet. First Cobb talks about women and their annoying habits, such as talking in building entrances, not having their fare ready on the streetcar, getting off those streetcars backwards, things like that. He also rants a bit about what will happen when women get the vote (this was written in 1919, remember) and what terrible choices women make when they dress for the world of business. And he compares a man's attitude towards fashion with a woman's. I found parts if this essay amusing, but mostly to me Cobb sounded like a grumpy old man having a bit of a whine, while grudgingly admitting his admiration for women as a whole.
But he does finish up with a couple of paragraphs about how women proved themselves during the recently ended war. This redeemed him for me: To the women fell the tasks which for the most part brought no public recognition, no published acknowledgments of gratitude. For them, instead of the palms of victory and the sheaves of glory, there were the crosses of sacrifice, the thorny diadems of suffering. We cannot conceive of men, thus circumstanced, going so far and doing so much. But the women — Oh, well, you know how women are!
Then Rinehart has her turn. Now most men would probably be annoyed by this essay, because she gives away the main secret to men that all women figure out sooner or later (hopefully sooner; it will save you a great deal of frustration): But, although we are discussing men, as all women know, there are really no men at all. There are grown-up boys, and middle-aged boys, and elderly boys, and even sometimes very old boys. But the essential difference is simply exterior. Your man is always a boy.
She also talks about women getting the vote, and why men don't want women to be equal; and why men in love are more like cats, while women are more like dogs. This actually made sense, as well as being funny. I think she summed up the whole Battle Of The Sexes best with this sentence: So—women know men better than men know women, and are rather like the little boy’s definition of a friend: “A friend is a feller who knows all about you, and likes you anyhow.”
I admit I laughed more at Rinehart's essay. It was not man-bashing, there is respect and admiration here, but I admit it is always fun to connect with another woman who so obviously understands men. She mentions early on that she has lots of tales she could tell about a certain man in her life.....what fun it would have been to sit down with Rinehart and swap husband stories!
Overall, this book should be read with the awareness of when it was written, and not taken too seriously.
June 5, 2024
If it was just MRR it would be a 4(even though I don't agree with everything). But Cobb's section is only a 2. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly capable of laughing at my own sex(witness my undying and perhaps paradoxical love of Twain's Diary of Adam). But he just misses the mark.
July 3, 2013
Irvin Cobb did what could be called facetious. The first part was, indeed, sidesplitting. The second part by Mary Robertsons was not ony dreary but lackluster too. I found it more towards offensive grounds. What Cobb wrote back in 1920 with full grip over humour, I would say, Mary nearly spoilt it by being too plain in her response to the first part. The stars, of course, went down because of the selfsame reason --both essays being together in the same book. :)
November 10, 2017
Really interesting to glimpse the culture, particularly gender stereotypes, through the eyes of a man and woman in that day and age (The early rise of women's suffrage).
Highlighted quote:
"But men are as over-dressed in summer as women are under-dressed in winter." -Mary Roberts Reinhart
Highlighted quote:
"But men are as over-dressed in summer as women are under-dressed in winter." -Mary Roberts Reinhart
August 25, 2021
As an Arab women I loved the view this book gave me to the way men and women view each other in that era of American history. I enjoyed reading this book and it's funny.
April 18, 2022
Couldn’t finish it. Awful.
November 25, 2012
I loved cobb's book especially the first part .. Could not stop my self from laughing . Though written so many years ago but strangely enough we , women, still behave like this :) as for Mary Rinehart she knew what to say and how to sat it.
Well worth your time if you want something light and funny.
Well worth your time if you want something light and funny.
December 30, 2020
I've enjoyed some of Cobb's writing, but this is not one of his better books.
July 4, 2012
Very modern. Both essays play with the sexes ability to drive each other crazy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews