Most of the Most of S.J. Perelman

I was pretty resistant to the charms of Perelman's prose in my early years, as I usually looked for writers who could give some hint as to life 's deeper meanings. Perelman I find at an age when I am perhaps a bit tired of finding deeper meanings, provides the kind of sheer amusement and escape that few other writers can. His vocabulary is extraordinary and delightful, and his sentences complicated artistic constructions which always seem to arrive at unpredictable and at times hilarious places. This is a writer who simply delights in making all of mankind seem as if we are one big foible of fun.

all you so familiar w/perelman read another review. this is for the uninitiated. buy it. try it. you won't regret it. you will then want seconds and move on as i will to what the other reviewers are wishing this one was. this book is a riot. hah!! laughed right out loud and had the people in the next booth at the restaurant get up and move to another booth. now that is what i want in humor. not some namby pamby wimpy what-the-heck-are-they-trying-to-convey junk one is so exposed to today. something you can grab a great big slice of and nearly choke on. this is a real feast. nearly my last as i was laughing so hard i thought i'd die. a real wordsmith as they say. i think they did say that and it is true. it is all true. every word of it.

To become a devout fan and follower of S.J. Perelman all you have to do is read any one of the stories in this compilation. Scratch that, all you need to do is read the title of one of the stories in this compilation. They all attest to how much Mr. Perelman loved words and how obsessed he was with turning a pretty phrase on its heels and knocking it off its feet.If you can't find this book, then find this book anyway. If you still can't find this book, then find some of his other books. If you are having a hard time and can't find any of his other books, then go watch "Horse Feathers" or "Monkey Business" by the Marx Brothers. Then start your letter-writing campaign to Simon & Schuster inquiring as to why they haven't re-released more of S.J. Perelman's writing. Do yourself (and the world) a favor, get started today.

How can a book that contains the most crafted writing in the English language be out of print?

Most humorous writing isn't funny when it comes out, let alone years later. The majority of the New Yorker's Algonquin Round Table -- people like Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker -- simply aren't that amusing when you read them today. Perelman is different -- read him and you'll understand where the best modern humor comes from (Woody Allen is unthinkable without Perelman). Read him and you'll also connect with the greatest writers of the past (T.S. Eliot was a great Perelman fan). Check out the brilliant parody of "Fairwell, My Lovely" (Perelman was a friend of Dashiell Hammett) and the definitive travelogue Westward, Ha! Happy reading!