~Sun~ Jul 30th 2006
Clarence Day wrote for the The New Yorker in the 1920s and 1930s. His most famous work is Life With Father, which was adapted successfully into a stage play, a film, and a television series. It’s a bittersweet look at childhood in New York City during the 1890s.
One of the joys of Day’s stories is the good-natured honesty with which he approaches his characters. (Because Life With Father is an autobiography, his “characters” are actual family members.) “Father” is a gruff man — some would say unlikable — but Day views him with love. The book contains many short chapters, most of which revolve around comic situations.
One of my favorite chapters is “Father Tries to Make Mother Like Figures”. Here’s the start of it:
Father was always trying to make Mother keep track of the household expenses. He was systematic by nature and he had had a sound business training. He had a full set [...]
[read all of Father Tries to Make Mother Like Figures]


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