Criticism > Short Story Criticism > Perelman, S(idney) J(oseph) - The Saturday Review of Literature (review date 1937)

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The Saturday Review of Literature (review date 1937)

SOURCE: Review of Strictly from Hunger, in The Saturday Review of Literature, Vol. 16, No. 14, July 31, 1937, p. 21.

[In the following review, the critic notes Perelman's wit, and places him among the top of American humorists.]

Few people would question Robert Benchley's position as the funniest man writing today. He would be the last to hold himself up as an authority on humor, but when he yields his own place in the field of humorous writing to another, it is important. If Benchley is anything (which we will assume for the sake of argument), he is honest. Therefore his tribute to S. J. Perelman deserves serious consideration.

Benchley alleges that he has been forced out of the competitive field of humorous literature by Perelman and is now on "movie relief." This statement, however graceful, is not entirely true. Benchley is good for another year of competition....

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1. Introduction
2. Principal Works
3. Criticism
   1. The Saturday Review of Literature (review date 1937)
   2. Beatrice Sherman (review date 1943)
   3. Time (review date 1943)
   4. Eudora Welty (review date 1944)
   5. Thomas Sugrue (review date 1944)
   6. Russell Maloney (review date 1946)
   7. Harry Gilroy (review date 1949)
   8. The New York Times Book Review (review date 1950)
   9. Ted Robinson, Jr. (review date 1952)
   10. Herbert Kupferberg (review date 1955)
   11. Dorothy Parker (review date 1957)
   12. Walker Gibson (review date 1958)
   13. Eudora Welty (review dates 1958 and 1970)
   14. Michael Flanders (review date 1962)
   15. The Times Literary Supplement (review date 1962)
   16. S. J. Perelman with William Cole and George Plimpton (interview date 1963)
   17. Norris W. Yates (essay date 1964)
   18. The Times Literary Supplement (review date 1967)
   19. Richard Freedman (review date 1970)
   20. Roderick Nordell (review date 1970)
   21. Stefan Kanfer (review date 1970)
   22. Paul Theroux (review date 1976)
   23. Paul Theroux (review date 1977)
   24. Michael Wood (review date 1978)
   25. Barry Fantoni (review date 1978)
   26. Marshall Brickman (review date 1981)
   27. Terry Teachout (review date 1981)
   28. Wilfrid Sheed (review date 1981)
   29. Prudence Crowther (review date 1984)
   30. Steven H. Gale (essay date 1987)
4. Further Reading
5. Copyright

1. Dorothy Parker