Over the years, several non-railfan friends, upon learning I like trains, have recommended the Rogers EM Whittaker essays that appeared in the New Yorker.
So recently I finally bought a book of the entire collection.
I’m disappointed. To be honest, I find a lot of it boring and pretentious. Whittaker amassed a truly staggering number of rail miles, and I’d love to have heard about his journeys in a straightforward down-to-earth telling. But using the alter-ego Frimbo character, and employing an odd point of view whereby some unnamed “we” relays Frimbo’s tales as accounts told to this “we,” well, it’s tiresome. I put it down halfway through, and I’m not sure I’ll ever go back.
There is definitely a lot of interesting railroad info contained in the pieces, but I just didn’t find it a good read overall.
Have any of you folks read the essays? What was your opinion?
I’d heard so much about the essays, I was totally predisposed to like them. It’s been a letdown.
It’s a lot like reading Beebe: the style is overdone, almost as though a subject like railroads can’t be in The New Yorker unless there is some highbrow literary style in the mix.
Those familiar with what usually passed for prose in the magazine in those years will recognize it.
Perhaps a better ‘feel’ for his style is in the Decade of the Trains book. You may still not like it then … but you will have a fairer assessment.
I’m assuming you’re talking about “All Aboard With E.M. Frimbo?”
Well, it’s a shame you were disappointed in the book. I’ve got a copy and have re-read it several times and always found it very enjoyable and fun. But I suppose Whittaker’s style doesn’t appeal to everyone.
I do concur with Overmod though, “Decade Of The Trains, The 1940’s” has some excellent writing by Whittaker about the American rail efforts during WW2. The prose has almost a haunting quality to it, I find it hard to explain it any other way, there’s no joking around or raconteur style of storytelling, in a real sense Whittaker’s telling the story of a battle, the lead-up, the battle itself, and the aftermath.
And if you don’t like the writing in “Decade” there’s always Don Ball’s magnificent compilation of photographs of the railroads in action to enjoy.
It’s necessary to point out that All Aboard With E. M. Frimbo wasn’t written by Rogers Whitaker alone; the co-author is Tony Hiss, a good friend of his.
Yes, Decade of the Trains is a book with knowledgeable and beautifully written prose by Whitaker. I also recommend, on a different topic altogether, his superb program notes in a c1975 Columbia record set of music from the 1920’s. Being a railfan of exquisite credentials and writing ability was just one of his many facets.
He had a very important and responsible job during the War that concerned trains (just now I forget his title) and he was one of those countless people behind the scenes whose efforts and sacrifices helped us achieve victory.
Whitaker was also a big booster of Broadway and personally helped Debbie Reynolds (among others) become a star.
As for his work at The New Yorker, that speaks for itself.
This is the first time I’ve ever read any criticism of All Aboard With E. M. Frimbo, I’ll bet the pleasure ratio for this fine book (I love it!) is 1000 to 1, at least. However, as perhaps Frimbo would observe, You can’t please everyone and that’s OK.
As I noted here once before, for a few years Rogers Whitaker used his vacation time to work as a waiter on several notable western cross-country trains. He didn’t need the money and he was in his 50’s. He did it just because he loved riding trains. How I wish I could have done something similar.
I miss him and his train-riding essays in The New Yorker very much, indeed. There hasn’t been anyone like him since, nor is it likely there ever will be again.
He was a major in the US Army’s Transportation Corps and assigned to the Office of Defense Transportation. The ODT co-ordinated movements of troops and supplies, and had a mix of military personnel and civilian railroad executives, I think John Barringer was one of them.
Definately a behind-the-scenes and unsung organization. I don’t think we’ll ever know all the transportation miracles they pulled off.
Some people read to gain knowledge, while others read to be entertained. It can be tedious having to dispense with a self flattering ego, when all you really want are facts.
I’ve seen some typify the presentation as a “cross between Winston Churchill and W.C. Fields”. Does that accurately sum it up in your estimation?
Convicted One, I think that IS a good description of the style.
I hope no one was offended by my comments; I know it’s no fun to hear someone badmouth something you like.
Since there are some positive appraisals here, I’m going to try to finish the book. Maybe my view will change by the end. Maybe the better stories are in the second half.
I do read for entertainment as well as information. But I guess this work was just not what I expected.
Yes, I should have mentioned Tony Hiss. Am I correct that he was/is the son of Alger Hiss?
I’ve had All Aboard with E.M. Frimbo for about six years and periodically pull it off the shelf to read again. I’ve always found most of the stories to be entertaining although there is a stinker or two.
It has been years since I had read, or even thought about All Aboard With E. M. Frimbo by Rogers Whitaker. My family had purchased subscriptions to NewYorker Magazines for years; and I had read a number of the articles on ‘Mr. Frimbo’s’ travels. Being still (then) a teenager, I found them to be informative and ‘obnoxious’ at the same time. I did not know why at the time, style(?) possibly; educational, certainly.
I do appreciate the ‘trip’, back down memory lane; it gave me some insights to those previous times. Thanks, all.
He went by the callsign “Wanswheel.” Miningman and myself call him “Magic Mike” because he had an amazing, astounding really, ability to come up with the rare, forgotten, and obscure.
You’ve gotten just a taste of his talents in this topic’s discussion. Now he works through surrogates ( or minions ) like myself and Miningman.
I knew Frimbo well. He was a frequent passenger on private car tours I operated in the 70’s, and all the regulars enjoyed his company. He knew everyone in the railroad world, my little sphere, but the extent of his interests, accomplishments, and friendships is best remembered by me when I recall the memorial service after his passing, in a church on Park Avenue in New York. There were people there I recognized from every walk of life - our rail crowd was just a small part. It was the best, most joyous (if you can say that about such an event) memorial I ever attended. Bobby Short played the piano. Those were the days.