In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash

I consider the movie A Christmas Story a holiday classic, but what actually drew me to read this book and Wanda Hickeys Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters back to back, which provide some of the material for the movie, was Jean Shepherd's voice-over in the film, the whipped cream on top of the ice cream. I understand how Jean Shepherd culled pieces from both works to create a sanitized, nostalgic and happy movie. This series of stories, however, seems a more realistic version of Jean Shepherd's impression of living in Indiana during the depression presented in a humorous fashion but tempered with sadness at the same time. While A Christmas Story is presented in a chronological manner, these essays begin with a grown-up Ralph traveling from New York to visit his hometown by stopping in at his best friend Flick's tavern and reminiscing with him. Each bit of conversation then leads into a flashback of a story from their childhood. Some stories are pieced into A Christmas Story and some are not for good reason. One, all of the stories do not happen during the holidays. Two, not all of the stories are happy ones. The one about the Kissels is not exactly a feel-good romp. First of all, Mr. Shepherd presents a warts-and-all impression of his blue-collar hometown during a difficult time period. While he frequently describes the constant influence of the factories and mills on the air and water of Hohman, he also, unlike A Christmas Story which glosses over it, presents the town as a character in its own right shaping the lives of the people within it. It is far from perfect but it was the reality of his childhood years and it had an effect on him, his family, his friends and the people he knew. Second, while the depression is not its own character, it certainly has a constant influence on the people of Hohman who are far from well-off with the exception of the Bigelows and those in their social circle. Third, these essays, having the luxury of time and indulgence better flesh out Ralph's father and mother while leaving Randy to an inarticulate whiner. Flick appears to me to be a closer friend to Ralph than Schwartz and Kissel. Ralph beats up Grover Dill, not Scut Farcus. Plus many more of the occupants of Hohman are showcased in these stories, some of them unforgettable and engaging. Most importantly, however, Mr. Shepherd presents these stories that occur in a difficult era of American history in a witty manner that manages to find the humor in even the most trying of circumstances. At times, reading this book, I laughed out loud and, at other times, I was touched by the humanity of it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is attracted to a slightly sardonic wit. There is one thing about the book which threw me. Mr. Shepherd made a monumental effort in writing to make the people of Hohman as real as relatable to the reader as possible, yet he ends the book with an indisputable disclaimer that they are all fictional. I have seen this at the end of publications and movies for years but his seemed so vehement and tacked-on that it almost felt like a CYA afterthought. That is just my opinion. Sorry. Please enjoy.

Having grown up in a small town in northern Indiana (these stories take place in Hohman, a fictionalized version of Hammond) in the early 60's, many of the stories resonate with me. Having read this book (and its counterpart "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters") several times, I have somewhat of a mixed response. My initial response is that the books are wonderful - In fact, I rated them five stars, and I'm giving copies to my two brothers and sister for Christmas. But my secondary response is that the books give me conflicting emotions. On the one hand, he makes some rather disparaging remarks about Hoosiers in general, and the people in his small town in particular. Several times, as he's looking back, he thinks about how close he came to being "one of the boys" that never escaped. On the other hand, in describing his life as a writer in New York, he sounds less than happy, complaining about the superficiality of his life there. Yet amidst his disparaging remarks about his childhood, his sentimentality is so thick it could be spread on a slice of bread. Add some strawberry jam and you have a sandwich. I don't mean that in a bad way. On one level he obviously cherishes his memories, and is very glad to see his friend Flick. Most of the book involves the two of them thinking back about the times they had and the people they knew while Flick tends the bar he owns. To reiterate, the stories operate on several levels. Primarily the book is sweetly reminiscent. Behind that there's some lingering dispirited aversion to the small-mindedness and poverty of his childhood hometown and state. But behind that there's a vein of cynicism about his current life in the big city. His writing style is such that I laughed out loud on more than one occasion - and I'm not very demonstrative. Shepherd is a great humorist and is able to capture both the innocence and bitter tang of having grown up during the depression, or in the sparse times just after the depression. It's important to know that most of the stories were originally published in a magazine (Playboy). This is not a novel - it's a collection of stories. If you've seen A Christmas Story, you should know that he wrote the screenplay and is also the narrator. Supposedly, during the filming the cast had a great time EXCEPT when he was on the set, where they found him to be a grumpy old man. There are some differences between the book and the movie - in the book, for example, it's the holiday ham that's stolen by the Bumpus dogs, not a holiday turkey. But for the most part, if you like the movie, you'll love the book (and the counterpart). I know I'll be reading these books over and over, and I hope that my brothers and sisters enjoy them as gifts. Recommended very highly.

The movie "A Christmas Story" is and has been a Holiday staple for my household for many years...I am inexplicably drawn to the irreverent charm this movie portrays...and admit that I spend many hours watching it during the 24 hour marathon beginning on Christmas eve. Each time I watched the movie I could not help but notice the credits which indicated that the movie "A Christmas Story" was based on Jean Shepherd's book "In God We Trust: All others Pay in Cash". Last year I finally bought a copy of the book on Amazon and read it...not really sure what to expect and not completely pleased with the result. I think in most cases where books are made in to movies the book is typically better than the movie. I think though...and in my opinion...that it is the other way around with this book. While the book does indeed portray many of the iconic scenes depicted in the movie (the Red Ryder BB Gun, Black Bart, Little Orphan Annie, etc.) there are many additional scenes in the book that did not make the movie and I suspect for good reason. The book, as in the movie, is narrated by the central character who goes back to his old home town after being away for many years...he meets up with an old friend and recounts many tales from their childhood...again many of which are in the movie. The book though has a dark edge to it that does not come across in the movie and to some degree is actually a bit depressing...the movie does a nice job balancing the realities of life in Pre-War America but at the same time includes a charming tinge of idealism and hope for the future...not so in the book. While I found the book entertaining and humorous I must admit that it wasn't quite as good as the movie. I think if anyone buys the book for the same reason as I...to fill in the details often left out in the movie...I'm not sure that I would recommend it. On the other hand if you are looking for an irreverent, humorous, trip down memory lawn in the Pre-War industrial heart of America then by all means this book is for you. Overall a pretty good read, but not quite as good as the movie.

If you have ever heard of Jean Shepherd, this book is a must-read! Shepherd is the guy whose voice you heard narrating "A Christmas Story" that hit the silver screen back in the 1980's. It's been a classic ever since. The Hollywood version of the film was from a collection of stories written by Shep about his childhood. Stories we all can relate to. "A Christmas Story" was the film most everyone has seen but Shepherd made about four other films that were only shown on PBS and not seen in theaters. Once you start this book, you won't want to put it down. His childhood in Indiana, is something we can all relate to. I guarantee you'll cherish his humor and writing style from cover to cover!

Jean Shepherd was a one of a kind . First met him in monthly articles in Car and Driver .. Later I clipped the articles and collected them . Got to go back and find that collection . ?? He wrote excellent stories on his sportscar experiences. Like the story of Lucas ignition systems with their motto of "Home Before Dark" and small British sedans that came with a pre-rusted jack . Such things like that made me smile . This book is a compilation of stories that will make you laugh .. Buy the book . Meanwhile I must go and purchase the rest in the series .

New York-based writer Ralph Parker is sent back to his hometown of Hohman, Indiana, to write an article about small-town life. Instead, he winds up in a bar run by a childhood friend, trading stories and reminiscing about what it was like to grow up in Hohman during the Great Depression, warts and all. Most of you are probably already familiar with at least parts of this book, even if you don't realize it. Several of the stories in this book were pieced together to make the script for the classic movie A Christmas Story. Those stories are just as entertaining here in their original form. But in addition to the stories of the Red Ryder BB Gun, Ralphie's battle with the school bully, and the tale of the Old Man's still legendary Major Award, Jean Shepherd provides us with over a dozen other stories of life in Hohman -- the trip to the top of Magic Mountain, Ralph's attempt to impress his teacher by writing a book report on the biggest book he can find and the climactic tale of a movie theater promotion gone wrong all come together to make this a truly wonderful book. It isn't quite a novel, but more a collection of short stories with a framing sequence. It's clearly autobiographical, wonderfully satirical and at turns even a little heartwarming. This is the sort of book that really makes a writer's reputation, and it certainly elevated Shepherd to the status of one of the greatest satirists in American literature.

This was supposed to be a new book. I’m not sure if it was damaged during delivery or it’s a used book. At least it’s still readable, I just would have bought the used one at the used price.

If your family loves A Christmas Story, purchase this for them to browse. Various MidWestern anecdotes and stories adding to the rich tapestry of that holiday classic film.

Éste es un libro publicado en 1966; lo cual no es ni bueno ni malo sino que lo acoto simplemente para dar "ubicación temporal", pues es muy diferente leer un conjunto de anécdotas pseudo ficionales y pseudo reales de la infancia, escritas en una década, que en otra. Es el libro de donde se hizo el guión para A Christmas Story, una película que ya ha tenido por mi parte su respectiva reseña, y que vale la pena ver y disfrutar. En mi caso, fue por esa razón que adquirí el libro,, para conocer la materia prima del filme, que mucho me gustó. Fue escrito por Jean Sheperd; que cabe aclarar es un autor, no autora (aunque se llame Jean y no John). La dedicatoria nos hace levantar la ceja: "A mi madre, a mi hermano menor, y al resto de la pandilla..." Traduje casi textual. El levantamiento de ceja es porque en ella no se menciona al padre, pese a que, tanto en libro como en película, resulta importantísimo personaje... Mmmh... (de nuevo, levantamiento de ceja). El libro se divide en 31 apartados, cada uno con un titulo como invitación a su lectura y señalado con número romano. Realmente creo que se pueden leer en el orden que uno decida, porque no hay en el libro lo que conocemos como una narrativa lineal. Más bien se trata de una serie de situaciones que, casi, cada una de ellas inician y terminan en su propio apartado. El arranque es el bar de Flick, ya adulto, amigo de la infancia del narrador. Ambos rememorarán escenas y sucesos de su infancia. Es decir, cada apartado. La gran mayoría de lo que presentó A Christmas Story en pantalla, se encuentra en el número X, que, (traduzco nuevamente) se llama Mi viejo y el premio especial lascivo , que anunció el nacimiento del arte pop. Y en el numero IV viene la anécdota del decodificador pedido por correo para descubrir secretos de un programa radial; y así podríamos hacer la relación entre libro y filme, pero ¿cuál sería el punto? Creo que hay que leer el libro; en especial si se desea, como mencione al inicio, saber cuál fue la piedra primigenia que dio origen a la película. Pero aún si no, yo lo leería. Al menos una vez.

Classic Americana story (Movie the Christmas Story is based on this and narrated by this author)

Big fan of "Christmas Story" and "Olly Hopnoodles Haven of Bliss" .Both based on Mr Shepperd's works. A Christmas gift to myself. Have been looking for this book for sometime. Just getting into this collection. Great so far and I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

I read this brilliant book several years ago, having been a huge fan of the iconic film it inspired, 'A Christmas Story'. In fact I gave copies of it to my dad and brothers, who found it as hilarious as I did. Jean Shepherd's laconic wit, sharp observational humour and storytelling are sublime and transport the reader back to his 1930s childhood in the industrial town on the frozen shore of Lake Michigan. Written a generation before Bill Bryson, Jean Shepherd's writing shares the ability to make his readers laugh out loud. I have bought this latest copy to replace my old one which is worn out! Highly recommended.

A good heartwarming novel to end a great year. 2025 I have not read thin one, enjoyable! I will read others from Jean Shepherd.