A MENCKEN CHRESTOMATHY

The culling of the best, the choicest passages, from the famous Prejudices, which in their day made Mencken leader of the iconoclasts, shocker of the conservatives, and favorite of the younger generation. Today, the essays, the passages, the epigrams and maxims, make good reading, but somehow we take him in our stride. He has made few alterations- some elisions- but in the main they stand as written. Since the series of Prejudices, six in all, have been unavailable, many will welcome the accessibility of this material in one weighty tome. His ribaldry, his refusal to accept the orthodox, his puncturing of frauds, his gift for the pat phrase, the colorful figure of speech, all make for refreshing reading. His views on women, on sex, on religion, on morals, on government, on democracy have been much quoted, frequently misquoted. Here's a chance to read him for yourself. He will endear himself to few, for he debunks pretensions, and shows the clay feet of idols. Even his obituaries make no concessions. Urbane and witty, he is frequently a healthy irritant. Economics, pedagogy, psychology, science come in for some subtle dissection. There are bits of personal history- polemics against the New Deal- commentary on modern criticism and its shortcomings- buffooneries (including the bathtub hoax)- rich choice for varied moods. And an excellent introduction for this generation to a man who loves life.