First published 1992
James Thurber returns to his favorite subject: the endless capacity of humans for self-deception and foolishness. This collection presents itself as innocent animal fables, but Thurber fools nobody with this disguise. Each story holds up a mirror to human behavior, revealing our pretensions, vanities, and blind spots with sharp wit. Thurber quotes the old saying that "the noblest study of mankind is Man" and adds his own skeptical footnote: "says Man." His fables strip away our comfortable illusions about ourselves. A fox might outwit a crow, or a mouse might lecture a cat, but the real targets are always human. Thurber writes for readers who suspect they don't know everything about people yet. Those who believe they've already solved the mystery of human nature can skip this book. Everyone else will find uncomfortable truths wrapped in seemingly simple stories about creatures who act suspiciously like us.
Genres: fiction, animals, 20th-century, fables
Vibes: thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: animals-as-characters, social-commentary
192 pages · Paperback · Mandarin