Mr. Dooley Says

Dunne, Finley Peter, 1867-1936Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 229K words
Chapters: 23

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Mr. Dooley Says by Finley Peter DunneAuthor: Dunne, Finley Peter, 1867-1936,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: Jan 13, 2005

Editor's review

Mr. Dooley Says is a collection of satirical essays by the American journalist and humorist Finley Peter Dunne, narrated by Mr. Dooley, an Irish-American Chicago saloon keeper. Written in English and freely available from Project Gutenberg, its value lies in its thick Irish brogue and saloon-talk style, which comment on American society, politics, and daily life of the time, turning serious issues into street-corner jokes. It is vivid material for understanding the newspaper humor and satirical tradition of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century America. Its strength is the distinctive narrative voice; the short-piece structure suits fragmented reading, and the humor often lies in mismatched tone and wording. As reading material, it works as a supplementary text for American humor literature and newspaper history, and for English learners to feel the rhythm of dialectal spoken English. Note that the book deals heavily with political figures and events of the time, so lack of background knowledge weakens the satire, and the dialect spelling poses some difficulty for non-native readers.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in American humor literature and the newspaper satire tradition
Those who want to understand late nineteenth-century American social topics through short essays
Learners with good English willing to experience dialectal colloquial writing
Teachers and students who need public-domain humorous texts for class or reading groups

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for coherent long-form narrative or complete plots
Those completely unfamiliar with the political figures and events of the time who do not want to look up background
English beginners, for whom dialect spelling and colloquial narration add comprehension burden

Reading tips

Read two or three pieces first to get a feel for Mr. Dooley's voice, then decide whether to read the whole book.
Look up brief background on names and events as you go; the satire lands much better.
Read the dialect spelling aloud to restore the narrator's tone through sound.
Pick pieces by theme—politics, city government, daily life—no need to read in order.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is Mr. Dooley a real person?

No. Mr. Dooley is an Irish-American saloon-keeper narrator created by Dunne, through whose voice he comments on current affairs. The views in the book are literary satire and should not be taken as the author's direct opinions.

Why does the English spelling in the book look so strange?

The author deliberately uses spelling to mimic an Irish accent and street-corner speech; it is a voice experiment in humorous literature. Reading it aloud makes it easier to understand and to catch the jokes.

Do I need to read it in order from start to finish?

No. Most pieces are independent short essays; you can skip around by theme or interest. For a systematic overview, start with editorial introductions, then read in groups by politics, society, and other themes.

Comments

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About the author

Dunne, Finley Peter, 1867-1936 Author

Finley Peter Dunne (1867–1936) was an American humorist and newspaper columnist. Public information on the details of his life is limited, but he is known in American literary and journalistic history for creating the character Mr. Dooley, an Irish-American saloon keeper. This collection includes five of his works: Mr. Dooley's Philosophy, Mr. Dooley Says, Mr. Dooley: In the Hearts of His Countrymen, Observations by Mr. Dooley, and Mr. Dooley in Peace and in War. These works mostly use Mr. Dooley's voice to comment on society, politics, and daily life. The language is humorous and strongly colloquial, often using the perspective of an ordinary man to satirize current affairs and the ways of the world, combining humor with irony. His style is natural and vivid, and he is skilled at revealing character through dialogue and dialect. He holds a place in the tradition of American humorous literature and has had some influence on later columns and satirical writing.