S.J. Perelman

In this well-researched but humdrum biography of the noted Brooklyn-born author (19041979)"he preferred to be thought of as a writer, not a humorist"we follow Perelman's experiences from a poor Jewish boyhood in Providence, R.I. and aspiring playwright in New York to screenwriting in Hollywood and eventual emergence as a revered cult figure. Word-play and parody, not self-revealing emotions, were the foundations of his humor and personality. Inhibited, egocentric, insecure, Perelman was a meticulous stylist, fastidious dresser and ceaseless womanizer, but he never learned to be a loving husband or a warm, nurturing father to his two children, shows Herrmann. When he was in the mood, he could be charming socially, but in business he tended to be tough, suspicious ("to the point of paranoia"), rude and high-handed. Herrmann (With Malice Toward All describes his relations with Groucho Marx, Bert Lahr, Dorothy Parker and other entertainers, but focuses on his long infatuation with Nathanael West, the brother-in-law whose early death had a devastating effect on him. Sid (as Herrmann prefers to refer to Perelman) was an intensely private man, and he remains a rather blurry figureand certainly not an attractive one. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.