--- product_id: 35959885 title: "A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago" brand: "ben hechtherman rossewilliam savage" price: "S$31" currency: SGD in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 category: "Books" url: https://www.desertcart.sg/products/35959885-a-thousand-and-one-afternoons-in-chicago store_origin: SG region: Singapore --- # A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago **Brand:** ben hechtherman rossewilliam savage **Price:** S$31 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago by ben hechtherman rossewilliam savage - **How much does it cost?** S$31 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sg](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/35959885-a-thousand-and-one-afternoons-in-chicago) ## Best For - ben hechtherman rossewilliam savage enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted ben hechtherman rossewilliam savage brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Review “The columns in 1,001 Afternoons inChicago are scruffy time capsules of an earlier Chicago, an era that is long gone but still recognizable to readers' imaginations. Michigan Avenue, Lake Michigan, street names such as Dearborn and Adams and LaSalle and Wabansia, places such as the Art Institute of Chicago—they're all here, sprinkled amid Hecht's nervous little haikus of urban life. He calls Chicago ‘a razzle-dazzle of dreams, tragedies, fantasies,’ and his tales capture gorgeous scraps of it, vivid vignettes starring businessmen and hobos and cops and socialites and janitors. . . . Thanks to Hecht, the Chicago of 1922 and the Chicago of 2009 bump into each other, shake hands, exchange greetings. Then, this being Chicago, they go for a drink and talk about old times. New ones too.” (Julia Keller Chicago Tribune 2009-07-12)"Hecht's youthful journalism remains both movving and dazzling. He sided with the scrappy underdog and was endlessly alert to the moods of the great city that was his subject. . . . Saul Bellow read this book while still in high school and would always remember it, maybe because Hecht's sketches, while sometimes gritty and violent in content, also present a quest for lyricism and hope." (Richard Rayner Los Angeles Times) Read more About the Author Ben Hecht (1894–1964) was a reporter and columnist for the Chicago Daily Journal and the Chicago Daily News as well as a playwright, novelist, short story writer, and scriptwriter.    Read more ## Images ![A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41TEmnHpCYL.jpg) ![A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51uxI7PYv8L.jpg) ![A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago - Image 3](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31b4Mm5f8sL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Top Notch Hecht Introduction *by P***P on November 25, 2014* Lots of times the Kindle freebies of works by well known authors are just collections of juvenilia or minor pieces, or otherwise obscure spinoffs from their main body of work. Not so here. There are at least a dozen versions of "A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago" for sale on Amazon as I write this, and many more available from booksellers as collectibles, so I'm sort of surprised this freebie is so readily available. That said, this Kindle version doesn't have the illustrations that graced the upper end hardbound editions; it does have the original preface and all of the important words, though.Hecht was a fascinating and celebrated author, tied intimately to Chicago, (like Sandburg or Nelson Algren), in the public's mind. He was a successful novelist and a supremely successful Hollywood screenwriter. (Often considered to be "the" ultimate screenwriter he had six different scripts nominated for academy awards, and his list of plays and movie scripts reads like an index to the golden ages of both venues.)But even these early pieces, (64 total), display all of Hecht's skills of observation, empathy and expression. They were written after the publication of Hecht's first book, but predate his most famous and successful screen writing years. They were written on or before 1921, but they have a light, breezy and modern feel. In some ways they prefigure the new journalism of writers like Wolfe and Capote and Mailer and Hunter Thompson, in that they bring a literary and fictional sensibility to what are basically colorful news and newspaper feature stories.Anyway, if you are curious about Chicago in the 1920's, or about what really good newspaper writing was all about during that era; or, if you recognize Hecht's name and are curious about his work and his style; or, if you just like good punch-in-the-gut or comic or sardonic audacious writing, this is a very nice find. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Chicago in all its glory *by D***R on January 25, 2015* Ben Hecht ran away from his home in Racine, Wisconsin when he was sixteen and came to Chicago where he became a reporter. A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago is a collection of columns he wrote for the Daily News. These amazing stories brim with the undercurrents of the city bringing to life the everyday characters who wandered its streets during the 1920s. Mr. Hecht was one of those rare souls who immersed himself into Chicago and in doing so captures not only its spirit but speech and the mannerisms of its denizens. This collection of stories is a marvel! Highly recommended! ### ⭐⭐ the essays are excellent. *by G***. on September 18, 2018* A poorly produced reproduction of a book published during the 1920s. However, the essays are excellent. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sg/products/35959885-a-thousand-and-one-afternoons-in-chicago](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/35959885-a-thousand-and-one-afternoons-in-chicago) --- *Product available on Desertcart Singapore* *Store origin: SG* *Last updated: 2026-07-07*