Edward De Bono the author once said that humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain. If this is true, then "Return of the Dittos" proves conclusively that the fertile brain of its author, Dale Andrew White, continues to work overtime, much to the benefit of his readers.
"Return of the Dittos" is a rich confection of satire and humor, all boxed in twenty short stories and tied with a ribbon. There is no central theme to the stories which adds an element of surprise and anticipation to each one. Browsing through the stories the reader will be entertained by the account of a bag boy revolt in a rundown grocery store; a cat fight to end all cat fights over the presidency of a posh woman’s club; the boring and mind numbing revelations of an aging, semi-retired rock star; and even a bit of revisionist history concerning what really happened when Christopher Columbus approached Queen Isabella about exploring the new world. My favorite of the lot is the story of B. B. Motley, an up-and-coming young lawyer, who tries desperately and unsuccessfully to conceal from the staid, old law firm he works for the fact that he comes from a family of circus clowns.
One of the things that makes the stories in "Return of the Dittos" so clever and humorous, is White’s agile use of names to identify places and people. Several stories take place in Swampwater, which is the county seat of Mosquito County, Florida for example; and while reading the book, the reader meets such characters as Mr. Knuckell, a heavy-handed and authoritative high-school principal; and Emily Hattcheck, a shy and unassuming member of the aforementioned woman’s club. But among the divers cast of character portrayed in the book my favorite is Parker Pry, a nose fetishist who succumbs to the charms of a nasally-challenged married lady appropriately named Wendy Schnott.
I have to admit that even after reading White’s stories several times, I still have trouble describing his writing style. Some of his stories come across as being written in the classic style of humorists like Mark Twain or the British satirist Saki, while others remind me of the kind of comedy portrayed in the slapstick movies of Charlie Chaplin or Laurel and Hardy. Still other stories come across with raw, in-your-face humor worthy of Comedy Central. All I know is that Dale Andrew White is a clever and talented writer and "Return of the Dittos" is a truly funny book. It’s the kind of book you want to have with you when you have some time to kill and are ready to laugh at yourself and laugh at the world.
Return of the Dittos
Dale Andrew White
BookSurge (2009)
ISBN 9781439227329
Reviewed by Ron Standerfer for Reader Views (6/09)
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