S.J. Perelman's Most Personal Selection of His Favorite Humor

S.J. Perelman's Most Personal Selection of His Favorite Humor presents a curated collection of the author's own work that he considered his finest comedic writing. The pieces span multiple decades of Perelman's career as a humorist and contributor to The New Yorker. The anthology includes travel writing, literary parodies, autobiographical sketches, and satirical essays. Perelman's observations range from Hollywood absurdities to the complications of modern life in mid-century America. The book preserves Perelman's characteristic style of combining sophisticated wordplay with slapstick situations. His fusion of high culture references and lowbrow comedy established an influential template for American humor writing that resonates decades after publication.

Based on limited available reviews, readers view this as a collection of Perelman's signature wordplay and absurdist humor pieces. Several reviewers note that while the humor remains sharp, some cultural references from the 1940s-1970s may be lost on modern readers. Likes: - Complex vocabulary and language puzzles - Parodies of advertising and consumer culture - Dense, layered jokes that reward rereading Dislikes: - Dated references require historical context - Some find the writing style pretentious - Humor can feel inaccessible without literary background Ratings: Goodreads: 4.32/5 (19 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (2 reviews) One Goodreads reviewer wrote: "His command of language and ability to create humor from the absurdities of everyday life remain unmatched." An Amazon reviewer noted: "You need a dictionary handy, but the verbal gymnastics are worth it." No significant presence on other review sites.

Getting Even by Woody Allen A compilation of Allen's printed humor pieces from The New Yorker presents the same blend of intellectual references and absurdist situations that characterizes Perelman's work.

The Insanity Defense: The Complete Prose by Woody Allen The complete collected short humor pieces span decades of writing that merge highbrow cultural references with lowbrow comedy in Perelman's tradition.

Without Feathers by Steve Martin Martin's essays and short pieces deliver cerebral wordplay and satirical observations that echo Perelman's sophisticated comedic style.

Pure Drivel by Steve Martin The collection of humor pieces from The New Yorker uses literary devices and intellectual wit to create comedy in the manner of Perelman's writing.

The Thurber Carnival by James Thurber This compilation of Thurber's essays, stories and cartoons demonstrates the same mastery of literary humor and satirical observation that defines Perelman's work.

🎭 S.J. Perelman wrote for the Marx Brothers, including the screenplays for "Monkey Business" and "Horse Feathers," infusing their films with his signature wordplay and wit. 📚 Though primarily known for his humorous essays, Perelman started his career as a cartoonist for Judge magazine before transitioning to writing. ✍️ Dorothy Parker once said of Perelman's writing style: "He is the only living parodist who is really funny." 🏆 Perelman won an Academy Award for his screenplay of "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956), demonstrating his versatility beyond literary humor. 🌟 His unique writing style influenced later humorists like Woody Allen and influenced the early days of The New Yorker magazine, where he was a regular contributor for nearly half a century.