LANTERNS & LANCES by James Thurber...

LANTERNS & LANCES by James Thurber (Primus/Donald I. Fine: $10; 215 pp., illustrated). Originally published in 1961, this collection includes some of Thurber’s last essays. Although his health was deteriorating, Thurber’s whimsy remained strong. His complaint that stage comedy “has ceased to be a challenge to the mental process” has only acquired additional relevance in the era of “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats.” But the majority of these short pieces are devoted to affectionate musings on quirks and abuses of the English language.