The Book of Poisonous Quotes

Also not found in Bartletts (alas theres a lot unavoidably not found in Bartletts, but thats another review), is this on critics from Marilyn Monroe: "Ive always felt those articles somehow reveal more about the writers than they do about me." Dumb blonde?--troubled, but not dumb.

Compiler Colin Jarman organizes the verbal swordplay into chapters by category, beginning with "Critics and Criticism" in chapter one, followed by "The Creative Arts"...through literature, drama, film, music...religion, etc., ending with "Insults, Retorts, and Self-Criticism" in which the quoted get to insult themselves, e.g., "Im as pure as the driven slush" -Tallulah Bankhead. Theres an Index by name referencing both the speaker and the target.

The quality of the insults and ironic misspeakings is very high. I read this through in one setting some years ago, compulsively, and had many a chuckle and some outright belly laughs, and then I read it again a couple of years later and laughed anew. Looking through it once again, I have to say, there was a lot I underappreciated.

Bottom line: worth both the candle and the plastic.

The organization by subject is very handy, but overall I was fairly disappointed. Alas.