The Widow Bedott papers Book

"One has the disturbing feeling that the man contrived to be some place without actually having gone there."

I picked this text up because I played a teenaged James Thurber in an autobiographical play about his childhood years ago. "The Thurber Carnival" was published in 1945 and is a compendium of James Thurber's work from 9 previous collections. At one time, he was one of the most famous writers in America. The Preface, written by Thurber himself is a great start to the collection.
I noticed that there are many stories/essays in this piece that focus on unhappily married couples. Lots. Some of them feel a little too sharp for me, but "A Couple of Hamburgers" is a story that deals with an unhappy marriage and it is an excellent example of a well-written short story. Two other standout pieces are "Memories of the Gas Buggy", which actually made me giggle out loud and "Snapshot of a Dog", which is a simple and lovely tribute to a childhood pet.
An unexpected punch in the gut is the story "One is a Wanderer", a piece that focuses on loneliness and not having real intimacy. It will set you back for a moment.
The selections from Thurber's book "My Life & Hard Times" are easily the best, and funniest, in this collection. You will recognize a couple of stories from that work as many are quite famous and well anthologized to this day.
The last couple of sections of "The Thurber Carnival" were odd reads for me. The humor eluded me. I just chalked it up to different times and moved on, but it did lead me to a thought. As I read, I could not help but feel that this text is dated, really dated and I wonder if it will survive another generation. I do not know the answer to that.
I live just outside of Columbus Ohio, which is the place of Thurber's childhood and an inspiration for much of his work. He holds a sentimental place in my heart. I do hope he continues to be discovered by successive generations.