Here Comes There Goes You Know Who

by William Saroyan

Here is Saroyan at the top of his form--the unmistakable voice in all its resonant variety--setting out to tell the story of his life.

In superbly rendered scenes from his life as an orphan, schoolboy, newspaper-boy, messenger, fledgling writer, family misfit, world famous writer, man-about-town, husband, and father, this book gives us the characteristic fluency of Saroyan at his best, and it introduces a new emotional depth that was to become a hallmark of the writer's later work.

Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

William Saroyan was an Armenian-American writer, renowned for his novels, plays, and short stories. He gained widespread recognition for his unique literary style, often characterized by a deep appreciation for everyday life and human resilience. His works frequently explored themes of Armenian-American immigrant experiences, particularly in his native California, and were infused with optimism, humor, and sentimentality.
Saroyan's breakthrough came with The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (1934), a short story that established him as a major literary voice during the Great Depression. He went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940 for The Time of Your Life, though he declined the award, and in 1943, he won an Academy Award for Best Story for The Human Comedy. His novel My Name Is Aram (1940), based on his childhood, became an international bestseller.
Though celebrated for his literary achievements, Saroyan had a tumultuous career, often struggling with financial instability due to his gambling habits and an unwillingness to compromise with Hollywood. His later works were less commercially successful, but he remained a prolific writer, publishing essays, memoirs, and plays throughout his life.
Saroyan's legacy endures through his influence on American literature, his contributions to Armenian cultural identity, and the honors bestowed upon him, including a posthumous induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame. His remains are divided between Fresno, California, and Armenia, reflecting his deep connection to both his birthplace and ancestral homeland.

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jun 19, 8pm ~~ Review asap.

Jun 20, 547pm ~~ This is the first Saroyan title I have read that is neither a play, a novel, or a story collection.

It is a memoir: 52 essays published in 1961 and looking back over the author's life, but not in your standard memoir manner.

He was a deep thinker who lost me more than once. I need to reread someday soon when I can plunge into all of those philosophical depths and not find myself drowning.

I love his writing style. Each chapter, each gem of an essay, has what I can only think of as a zinger at the end. Even when I suspected the point he was leading up to, I was caught off guard more than once at the eloquent yet forceful way he made that point.

He doesn't shy away from talking about his gambling habit, or his problems with relationships, or his tax debts. He was a complex, fascinating man. I have been binging with his books the last few months and have a biography yet to go.

But as he says in one chapter in this book, in a biography the reader doesn't meet the subject of the biography, the reader meets the author's version of that person. He said in another book that to get to know William Saroyan all you have to do is read his writing.

I'll still read the bio when I get that far along, but I feel that I already know Saroyan, thanks a great deal to this book. I would have very much enjoyed having him as a friend and I look forward to savoring his work many more times in the future.

[Nara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely one of my favorite memoirs ever written. What a guy!!!! So humble, so himself. He writes for himself and for other people who he hopes will get it. He just gets It, is all I can say.