Different Dances

by Shel Silverstein

Book Overview

Startling, irreverent and provocative, the incomparable creator of poems and fables for children turns his eye and pen upon the social calamities and absurdities of the adult world. a modern ballet where lovers are ground to hamburger wives are turned into chairs TV sets eat people flowers grow from children's heads God is uncovered -- and re-covered and men are hung by the instrument of their desire And don't miss Runny Babbit Returns, the new book...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060554304
• ISBN13: 9780060554309
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 2.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 9.0" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

a second chance for a hidden treasure

i found my copy of this treasure in a used bookstore 20 years ago. when i took it to the register the clerk looked down at me and said "I wondered who would buy that thing." i can't believe how narrow minded he was! this book is the most clearly drawn picture of the human condition i have ever found. i took it to a pshych. class in college, highlighting some of my favorites. i had to bring back 3 night running because everyone wanted to read/see the whole thing. great extra credit points just for owning it. it is for adults and it will make you laugh, but it will also make you think. enjoy.

Humor with a dark edge

These simple drawings, one or just a few per page, are some of the funniest around. Some have a macabre side, but that is always used to make a point. Others seem to radiate quiet desperation. Still others comment on the compromises people make. Some do all of the above, and more. There's no text in these drawings, or almost none. The style is spare, even more than in "Where the Sidewalk Ends." My only complaint, and this is a very quiet one, is that that most pages hold only one drawing, and that one is small. I'm used to a lot more density, but the open, airy pages do a good job of framing Silverstein's characters, or of echoing their isolation. One more thing - unlike the better-known Silverstein books, this one is decidedly not for the kids. //wiredweird

ONE MAN'S GARBAGE IS ANOTHER MAN'S TREASURE

My introduction to DIFFERENT DANCES was by way of a trash can. A good friend of mine had given his father a copy of DIFFERENT DANCES his immediate reaction upon opening it was "this is pornographic trash " He then put it into the garbage can . My friend ,being thrifty by nature and knowing that I appreciated both art and humor retrieved it from the trash and his father's trash became my most treasured Christmas gift of that Christmas and many more . Shel's mastery with a pen was unmatched whether he was commenting on "civilization"with words or pictures he ran the gamut from children's books ,Dr. Hook songs ,Playboy cartoons to Different Dances He was most definitley a MAN FOR ALL AGES. We'll miss you SHEL but we are richer due to your legacy,THANKS for showing us a little bit more of ourselves.

A Masterpiece

Rarely a single day goes by that I don't recall to mind one of the many incredible stories told in this amazing book through pictures. It has changed the way I look at the world over and over again. The last three years or so, I have been miserable without my copy as someone cold-heartedly stole the book from me. Not that I can blame them really, but I fail to believe someone could treasure this work as much as I ever did or will. If you are lucky enough to own a copy - hold it tight. Thank you Shel.

I miss you Shel!

I first found 'Different Dances' about 22 years ago when I was 15. I bought two copies and gave them as gifts because they said so much about humanity...and said it without words. My favorites are 'The Bridge' and the story of a woman chained and ignored by her mate hiding behind a newspaper. She manages to slip away from the one only to be attached again to a musician. I found that to be very eye opening for sure. I am in desparate need to find a copy for myself as the copies I bought long ago were given away as gifts. I have searched local and not-so-local book stores and have found none. Please readers, help me locate a copy.