The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Creative Short Stories (Hardcover)) (Acting Edition S.)

by James Thurber

Musical comedy Based on the story by James Thurber Characters: 5 male, 6 female, and as many extras as desired. Scenery: Various simple sets (or one basic set). On his fortieth birthday Walter Mitty reflects on his drab, ordinary life. Defeated in his quest for wealth and glory by family responsibilities, a mortgage, and a routine job, he creates elaborate fantasies in which he is the hero. His secret world is so enticing that he often loses sight of the boundary between dream and reality and comically slips into his imagination. An attractive would be chanteuse aptly named Willa de Wisp encourages Walter to leave his wife, shed the burdens of suburban living and really live the secret life. Unfortunately it is as unattainable as it is appealing. At the end of the play Walter discovers that he is happily committed to the real world. "A thoroughly pleasant musical evening."-- Time.

• ISBN10: 1583415866
• ISBN13: 9781583415863
• Publish Date: 22 January 2008 (first published 1 September 1983)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 12 February 2014
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Creative Education
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 32
• Language: English

Reviews

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Admission: I saw The Secret Life of Walter Mitty before reading the story the movie is based on. Shame on me! That being said, I liked the movie just fine, it’s just very different from James Thurber’s work. I thought the movie was a bit more hopeful than the story seems to be. The story itself made me feel a little sad.

The titular character of the tale is Walter Mitty, a little man who kind of feels swallowed by life. He mentally retreats into fantastical situations in which he is the hero. Every part of his life feeds into these fantasies until it seems like his real life is actually his fiction. It really does affect every part of his life: he doesn’t seem able to really connect with reality. His relationship with his wife is one where she’s sort of his caregiver, which he resents. It’s obviously put a strain on their marriage. She nags him an awful lot and speaks down to him, but in my mind it’s because she is worried. She’s been thrust into a role that she probably didn’t expect, going from wife to almost-parent. I could be reading way more into that, but that’s the impression I got. I think she misses her husband because he’s become almost inaccessible.
The writing is simplistic, which I think helped show the almost child-like avoidance that Walter uses when life seems overwhelming, or just unsatisfactory. Which of us hasn’t escaped into our own imaginations before? That’s what reading is, to an extent. The difference is the underlying melancholy that pervades Walter’s life. I really enjoyed The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, but wow, did it make me sad!

I have no idea why I waited so long to read it, but I’m glad I did. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a pensive little tale, one that is definitely worth reading.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2021/07/17/the-secret-life-of-walter-mitty-by-james-thurber/

[adamfortuna]

This short story published in the New York Times in 1938 follows Walter Mitty as he is driving his wife to a hair appointment and running a few errands. During this afternoon out, his mind wanders to adventures, legal cases, sporting events and more. While completely different from the recent movie, the idea is still novel as a story today.