Quote: It is not a novel to be thrown aside lightly (Dorothy Parker) (cite in Oxford Dictionary of American Quotations)

[Garson O'Toole]

The Oxford Dictionary of American Quotations (online) contains an
interesting but imprecise citation for the Dorothy Parker quotation
about throwing a book with great force. The cite is given in a comment
appended to another quotation by Parker.

Begin excerpt:

Dorothy Parker section:

8. And it is the word “hummy,” my darlings, that marks the first place
in The House at Pooh Corner  at which Tonstant Weader fwowed
up.Constant Reader column, The New Yorker, Oct. 20 , 1928

Parker is also said to have coined the terse review: “It is not a
novel to be thrown aside lightly. It should be thrown aside with great
force”; quoted in A. Johnston, Legend of a Sport, in The New Yorker.
See her theater reviews below.
[subject: Insults]

End excerpt.

The profile of Wilson Mizner by Alva Johnston in the New Yorker is
titled "Legend of a Sport". This profile is spread across several
issues in 1942. In addition, the profile was continued in 1950 with
the same title and author. Below are the cover dates of issues of the
New Yorker that contain parts of the series "Legend of a Sport". (I
may have missed an issue.) At this time I have not located the
quotation. I have not read the entire multipart profile. Searching the
OCR text at the New Yorker archive (for subscribers) has not resulted
in success.

Perhaps someone else may succeed. Alternatively, some editor working
with quotations at the Oxford Press might be willing to share a more
precise citation.

October 10, 1942
October 17, 1942
October 24, 1942
October 31, 1942
February 25, 1950
July 22, 1950
July 29, 1950
December 23, 1950
December 30, 1950

Garson

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org