138. Shepherd, Jean. In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. 264 pages. 12.13.09.
The image of a fishnet-clad leg glowing in a window and the call of "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" have become as much a part of American Christmas traditions as stockings and trees. Ralphie and his "Official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle" were first introduced in Jean Shepherd's In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, published in 1966 (seventeen years before the making of "A Christmas Story"). The iconic tale is only a few chapters of the book that recounts growing up in Indiana during the Depression. After escaping to New York City, narrator Ralph returns to his home town for a business trip and find himself planted on a bar stool with an old friend, reminiscing about their shared adventures.
Taken as a whole, In God We Trust... is a mixed bag. For every entertaining anecdote Shepherd relates he has an equally tedious chapter to follow. While the exaggerated purple prose adds humor as Shepherd describes some rather bleak realities, it can quickly lose its charm. 2.5 stars.
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