The Best of Damon Runyon

by Damon Runyon

Copy ofbook at Missouri Goodwill Industries

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Humor

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1945

About the author

Such volumes as Guys and Dolls (1931), the basis for a musical of the same name on Broadway, collect stories of known American writer Alfred Damon Runyon about the underworld of New York.

A family in Manhattan, Kansas, reared this newspaperman. His grandfather, a printer from New Jersey, relocated to Manhattan, Kansas in 1855, and his father edited his own newspaper in the town. In 1882, people forced father of Runyon forced to sell his newspaper, and the family moved westward. The family eventually settled in 1887 in Pueblo, Colorado, where Runyon spent the rest of his youth. He began to work in the newspaper trade under his father in Pueblo. People named a field, the repertory theater company, and a lake in his honor. He worked for various newspapers in the area of the Rocky Mountains and let stand a change in the spelling of his last name from "Runyan" to "Runyon."

In 1898, Runyon enlisted in the Army to fight in the Spanish-American War. The service assigned himto write for the Manila Freedom and Soldier's Letter.

He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To New Yorkers of his generation, a "Damon Runyon character" evoked a distinctive social type from the Brooklyn or Midtown demi-monde. The adjective "Runyonesque" refers to this type of character as well as to the type of situations and dialog that Runyon depicted. He spun humorous tales of gamblers, hustlers, actors, and gangsters, few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead colorful monikers such as "Nathan Detroit," "Benny Southstreet," "Big Jule," "Harry the Horse," "Good Time Charley," "Dave the Dude," or "The Seldom Seen Kid." Runyon wrote these stories in a distinctive vernacular style: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions.

Runyon was also a newspaperman. He wrote the lead article for UP on Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Presidential inauguration in 1933.

Runyon died in New York City from throat cancer in late 1946, at age 66. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered from an airplane over Broadway in Manhattan by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker on December 18, 1946. The family plot of Damon Runyon is located at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, NY. After Runyon's death, his friend and fellow journalist, Walter Winchell, went on his radio program and appealed for contributions to help fight cancer, eventually establishing the “Damon Runyon Cancer Memorial Fund” to support scientific research into causes of, and prevention of cancer.

Reviews

[Jim Sall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found a copy of "Blue Plate Special" in my grandparents' garage when I was about 12 and was immediately fascinated. My grandfather gave me the book, I took it home and must have read through all of the stories two or three times before I graduated from high school. Then I went away to college and the book was lost. It took me 5 years to track down "The Damon Runyon Omnibus," which contains "Blue Plate Special, Money from Home" and "Guys and Dolls" and I have been reading and re-reading it ever since. The characters never get old and the stories never cease to captivate me.

Runyon's language is habit-forming and over the years some of his terms ("beezer, John Roscoe," and of course "more than somewhat")have worked their way into my vocabulary. Pick this book up and the chances are nine to five against that you'll put it down before you've read it cover to cover.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection may be considered the best by some because it is certainly representative of the style and flavour of damon runyon's writing. you will find his odd use of the present tense, his specialized vocabulary, and his recurring characters all dance attendance. the editor also takes pains to distance runyon from o. henry, despite the slogan on this pocket book edition ("the modern o'henry") and i can see how the comparison can be made: there is something very folksy about the dialogue employed by these writers, but that's probably where the relationship ends, in their shared facility with character and dialogue because the denizens of new york society they describe run in very different strata. runyon introduces us to the guys and dolls of broadway and a language that is bright and flexible, pompous yet common, and always funny and charming if sometimes empty.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timeless tales with a unique voice, and so culturally pervasive that most don't even realize their influence anymore. For those who only know 'Guys and Dolls' -and even more for those who aren't even aware of that - going back to the prime source is a great (re)introduction to the material.

[Muffy Kroha · Rating 5 out of 5]

WTF? That is what I want to know- I am adding his bio to my to read because I have always been puzzled as to why the characters in his stories have such a strange speech pattern-
(see the movie musical of Guys and Dolls for a sample) ???
All I know is that it charmed the pants off of me in print-When I see pictures of him he looks dry and utterly humorless, yet his characters and stories are so endearing- I don't get it- One of my favorites

[Harry Buckle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A master of a particular style. Runyon, born 1880 - died 1946, who retained his New York newspaper man and sports writer style throughout -set most of his best (for me) stories during the era of prohibition. So gangsters had-in the main, 'hearts of gold' and as often described in for now very non PC ways, but apt for then- had an eye for the dames. I would resist any moves to 'update ' any of his content- except perhaps editing the occasional use of 'the N word' which deservedly is more than a little retroactively nasty. It was in the very early '60's on days too wet even for Rugby practice that my Blundell's School (in Tiverton Devonshire England) maths teacher introduced me to the world of DR. I suspect it was those stories, enjoyed by me so much as a 14 year old ,that sowed the seed that, with help from Ian Fleming (both in person and in print) encouraged me to become a journalist. Blundells - by the way founded in 1604 and both the home and the setting for RD Blackmore's English classic. Lorna Doone. By the mid to late '60's I was regularly visiting New York on music business. What seemed to be the remnants of Runyon's world were still visible (or very easily imagined). The Stage, Broadway or Carnegie Deli's. The 'Copacabana' and various other clubs, many putting it all on in speakeasy style.'
Or before some late night Jazz , dinner: Italian at 'Patsy's '...Sinatra's favourite...or perhaps having decided between 'Lindy's (Mindy's??) and the real deal at 'Gallagher's Steak House'-where you entered past the ageing hanging ribs of beef behind the double glass, it was very easy to be back just waiting for 'Harry the Horse' or some of the other Runyon creations to arrive. Read and enjoy with an open mind.

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

i've been reading this off and on. Works very well with the bathtub as well as on the bus. Damon Runyon captures a specific moment in a very special place at that time - Manhattan. The language he uses is pretty much dead now, which makes it a fascinating read. One wonders where William S. Burroughs would got his inspiration: with such character names such as "Milk Ear Willie," "Izzy Cheesecake," "Franky Ferocious,"Rosa Midnight," "Dancing Dan," Pussy McGuire" and so forth. Without a doubt there is genius in Runyon's narratives. Or is it more of the language used? On many fronts, if I was a writing teacher, I would for sure request my students to read Damon Runyon. He gets you from point "A" to "Z" but in the most absurd language. Love him.

[Thom Kahler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why, but I've been a Damon Runyon fan for as long as I can remember, perhaps because he was an early day Jimmy Breslin. The copy of this I have was published in 1942 as an edition for GIs going overseas; I found a copyin great condition in an outdoor book bin on Turk Street in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco in 1964 for 10¢.

[Vincent Saint-Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sirs and Madams,

Man this guy is just one of a kind. You know, he never wrote a novel? Spent his whole life in the art of the short story and he never felt compelled to write a novel.

Runyon makes my top ten.

V

[Ramesh Naidu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though this one did not find any stories of Sky Masterson or Nathan Detroit , I managed to find delightful stories of Harry the horse , The Brain and other fascinating characters from Guys and Dolls. An American Wodehouse whose domain was not the English Gentry but the Mafia .

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a Christmas gift from my aunt. As I had never heard of Damon Runyon it wasn't the first book I picked up in January. A mistake! I loved the brash characters, the way the period came alive, the flow of the dialogue. Now I need to see Guys and Dolls.

[Denis Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Runyon, the writer of Guys & Dolls, had me belly laughing, misty eyed. Great technique, sweet writer.

[A.J.]

Best bedtime reading.

[Ruthenator · Rating 4 out of 5]

actually I read stories from this, Take It Easy, and First and Last but this was the only one I found on here.

[John Morey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody builds characters like Runyon - whether or not you find them believable is up to you.
I know they CAN exist, because I've met a bunch of characters in real life that would qualify for one of his short stories.
Like Steinbeck, I've tried my hand at short stories - e.g. Three Easy Pieces: Profound, powerful - yet easy-to-read - with a view to taking some of them to full-blown novels.
Runyon is often so many short stories compiled into a close-knit compilation of ideas that they READ like a full novel.
If the idea of 'shorts' puts you off - try Runyon - conversion guaranteed.

[Christopher Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd heard of Damon Runyon before. I've heard at least the title Guys and Dolls, but this was a random used bookstore find for me.
I'd start the stories idly wondering "okay, where is this going?" By the end, it was more "wow, where is this going?" And they all end with a punchline which could range from funny to poignant, but was always clever.
Usually, when something is written in a different accent or language I end up losing patience. I expect more out of what I'm reading if it's taking the extra effort, and it rarely delivers. Of course in this case it does, and I even find myself thinking in Runyonese.
I will be passing this on, but only because I went and got the omnibus. Runyon is a new favorite.

[Geicodave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Damon Runyan I have read. It is a collection of 15 of his short stories, all written in a very unusual narrative style that takes some getting used to. The screenwriters of the old "Bowery Boys" movies were obviously affected by Runyan's style, and a lot of the "dialogue" reminds me of the movie character Slip Mahoney. As with any collection of stories, some are better than others. Most of them are amusing, however, and it is a pity Runyan has been largely forgotten. You should also be aware that these stories were written during the 1930s and that they contain both ethnic stereotypes and racial and ethnic epithets.

[Jeff Hobbs]

Read so far:

*Breach of promise (aka Embarrassing to Mr. Tuesday)--
*Romance in the roaring forties --
Dream Street Rose --3
The old doll's house --4
Blood pressure --3
The bloodhounds of Broadway --2
*Tobias the Terrible --
The snatching of Bookie Bob --4
The lily of St. Pierre --
Hold 'em, Yale! --
*Earthquake --
*"Gentlemen, the king!" --
A nice price --
Broadway financier --
The brain goes home--
***
Butch minds the baby
Cemetery bait
Dancing Dan's Christmas--2
A dangerous guy indeed
The hottest guy in the world
The idyll of Miss Sarah Brown
The informal execution of Soupbone Pew --2
Johnny One-eye
Lillian
Little Miss Marker
The nose of Nemesis (aka Dollars and scents)
A piece of pie --3
Sense of humor
So you won't talk!
A story goes with it --2
Undertaker song --
What, no butler? --2