The Romance Of The Commonplace


Read by David Wales

(3 stars; 1 reviews)

Thirty four whimsical, tongue-in-cheek, and entertaining essays about not much in particular, published in 1902, by one of the most popular writers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The American Gelett Burgess (1866-1951) was an artist, art critic, poet, author, and humorist. Nonsense verse (none in this collection) was a specialty. - Summary by David Wales

(4 hr 48 min)

Chapters

Introduction 5:13 Read by David Wales
April Essays; Getting Acquainted 18:24 Read by David Wales
Dining Out; The Uncharted Sea 14:12 Read by David Wales
The Art Of Playing; The Use Of Fools 18:39 Read by David Wales
Absolute Age; The Manual Blessing 15:34 Read by David Wales
The Deserted Island; The Sense of Humour 18:29 Read by David Wales
The Game Of Correspondence; The Caste Of The Articulate 16:28 Read by David Wales
The Tyranny Of The Lares; Costume And Custom 15:15 Read by David Wales
Old Friends And New; Defense Of Slang 18:00 Read by David Wales
The Charms Of Imperfection; 'The Play's The Thing' 18:03 Read by David Wales
Living Alone; Cartomania 16:12 Read by David Wales
The Science Of Flattery; Romance En Route 15:23 Read by David Wales
The Edge Of The World; The Diary Habit 16:37 Read by David Wales
The Perfect Go-between; Growing Up 14:00 Read by David Wales
A Pauper's Monologue; A Young Man's Fancy 17:21 Read by David Wales
Where Is Bohemia? The Bachelor's Advantage 15:43 Read by David Wales
The Confessions Of An Ignoramus; A Music-Box Recital 16:01 Read by David Wales
A Plea For The Precious; Sub Rosa 18:53 Read by David Wales

Reviews

Literary pocket lint


(3 stars)

It certainly could be said to be ‘about nothing in particular’. Many humorous authors of the time adopted an arch, wordy style that, IMHO, doesn’t age well. The style far outweighs the substance. Most of these pieces can be summed up in one sentence. Kids aren’t what they used to be. We like some friends more than others. Being creative is nice. There are some people with whom I’d rather not be stuck on a deserted island. I find them “full of sound and fury, and signifying nothing.”