Is there anyone else out there who really, really likes "The Parrot who met Papa"?
I just read this one recently, for the first time. It's obviously less serious than some of RB's traditional fare, but I laughed outloud at the sly humor,literary joshing, and general tounge-in-cheek style throughout. I've found humor as element of Brabury's writing before, but it's almost always more subtle, and either bittersweet or mixed with heavier implications. Is there anything else that is this light and out and out funny?

Dan
p.s. I'm sorry to have missed the recent party on another thread, due to a forced lack of attention paid to pleasurable uses of the internet. Sigh. And I'm an undergrad. Partying is "supposedly" all we do. Maybe next time.

I would suggest "Junior" from The Toynbee Convector. About as well written a tongue in cheek story as there is. You may need to be middle aged to understand it but keep it mind as you age.

Ray's number one fan (and I MEAN it!) Donn Albright called that story "The Parrot Who Ate Papa" and said he either "couldn't stand" it or "hated" it.

Well, I wouldn't rank "The Parrot Who Met Papa" as his top story, but I certainly don't hate it. It's pretty breezy, but a fun little plot with a very petty character (Shelley Capon).

The beginning lists the primary geographical references to locations important in the Hemingway biography, then has part of the setting in Harry's Bar -- famous in Hemingway's persona. The Hemingway writing contest (where people imitate his style in short stories -- the winners and top runners of which are published together in annual books) where books have to reference Harrys Bar or they are not considered for review. (Nice little marketing touch).

Throughout the story, the parrot says things in a Hemingway style -- giving Bradbury a chance to "practice" his Hemingway imitations. (Similar to what Celestial was doing in one of the strings on this message board where people could do an ongoing story in Bradbury's style).

I thought the story idea was pretty funny. A parrot has memorized two aspects of Hemingway: (1) His criticisms of other writers, (2) His last, post-"Islands in the Stream" novel. This novel is not on paper, but exclusively in the memory of the parrot (F451 -- the parrot has memorized the novel).

There becomes a rush by literary houses and agents, etc. to get a hold of this parrot so they can make money off the information the parrot has.

A literary purist, however, kidnaps the parrot by threatening to strangle it, and escapes.

Pretty funny, I thought.

The story, Junior, recommended above, is one I had not read before. After reading the story, I was curious as to it's original publication history. In the beginning of the book (The Toynbee Convector) there is only a kind of generic listing of where the stories were published -- nothing attaching any given story to any given publication. However, given the story's content and theme and tongue-in-cheek style, I would guess it was in either Playboy or Gallery.

I was a bit surprised at the content as the story unfolded, but (I am 47, after all) I thought it was hilarious!

It reminded me of the Seinfeld episode, "The Contest" where the subject of "being the master of one's own domain" was the central focus of the episode, but the "M" word was never uttered. The same applies to this story. An elderly man wakes up with "a warm and peculiar rise 2/3 of the way down the bed". This had not happened for about 20 years, so he calls his old girlfriends who come to see. They see, celebrate, and it deflates -- never to rise again. A bit of an unusual theme for Bradbury, but not graphic and very funny.

Both are fun reads. What's the harm in that?

Offhand, I would say RB's best light and humorous stories are The Anthem Sprinters, There Was an Old Woman, G.B.S. - Mark V, and The Very Gentle Murders.

Personally, I don't care for "Junior" at all.

I also enjoyed "The Terrible Conflagration Up at the Place" (in "I Sing the Body Electric") as a great example of witty dialogue, and funny minor plot twists. Pretty funny story.

"Exorcism" and "The Great Fire" are the best.

I just picked up a copy of The Toynbee Convector today at the very best used bookstore in the whole wide world. On the basis of this discussion I immediately flipped, of course, to "Junior".
I liked it. I also found it pretty interesting that Bradbury's knack for weaving nostolgia into high art could be so wittily transfered to such an unconventionally "elevated" topic. Where in "Toynbee" should I head next? Anyone?

Gee, DanB, I'd start at the beginning and read the whole book! But seriously, if time is limited and you're looking for recommendations, my personal favories in THE TOYNBEE CONVECTOR are (1) "Banshee", which is Ray's fictionalized "revenge" on director John Houston for the torment he suffered at Houston's hands while living in Ireland for six months in 1953-1954 writing the screenplay for the film MOBY DICK, and (2) "The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair", a sweet and sad, non-weird love story in which Ray is able to incorporate a tribute to two of his favorite performers, comedians Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

Richard, Is The Story "Another Fine Mess" Also An Homage To Laurel And Hardy. I Wouldn't Know, Never Read It, But I Do Remember Oliver Always Saying To Stan "Another Fine Mess You've Gotten Us Into, Stanley."

RAINTASTER, "Another Fine Mess", which appears in the collection, "QUICKER THAN THE EYE", is a humorous ghost story which is indeed another of Ray's tributes to Laurel and Hardy.

Under the Resources, I have bumped up a thread on the Laurel and Hardy stories. There seemed to be some renewed interest.