S. J. Perlman

Description:

Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.45. Seller Inventory # G039913154XI3N00

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Synopsis: Captures the life and times of Sid Perelman, the witty misanthrope who achieved fame as a "New Yorker" humorist and Hollywood screenwriter

From Publishers Weekly: 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.

Bibliographic Details

Title: S. J. Perlman
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Publication Date: 1986
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket