Acres and Pains

by S.J. Perelman

Book by Perelman, S. J.

Genres: Humor

127 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Sidney Joseph Perelman, almost always known as S. J. Perelman, was a Jewish-American humorist, author, and screenwriter. He is best known for his humorous short pieces written over many years for The New Yorker. He also wrote for several other magazines, as well as books, scripts, and screenplays.

Reviews

[None Ofyourbusiness Loves Israel · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his quest to flee the cacophony of urban life and embrace the bucolic charm of rural Pennsylvania, Perelman encounters a delightful array of eccentric neighbors, bumbling handymen, and stubborn livestock. The pastoral idyll he envisioned is anything but serene, yet it is mercifully and uproariously entertaining.

The book is a veritable treasure trove of zingers, so plentiful that one might inadvertently overlook them in the rapid pace of reading. Among the gems are: "he had a face of someone who just bit into an unripe persimmon," "a library of mortgages," "the soil was none too fertile, he admitted—it took a week for tomatoes to bear and his dahlias were only a foot across," and "profound student of the dollar." These are but a few of the bon mots scattered across a mere three pages. What a riot!

Perelman, who penned scripts for the Marx Brothers, contributed to The New Yorker, and authored numerous books and collections, was an undiscovered delight for me until a recommendation from GR David. I am profoundly grateful for this introduction. Do yourself a favor and pick up one of his works; your day will undoubtedly be brightened by his sophisticated puns, sharp satire, delightful absurdity, and abundant good cheer.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a word is wasted when Perelman (whom I love) decides to put pen to paper. This tale of moving from the city to a farm is no exception. His self-deprecating and oh-so-observant wit will have you laughing out loud, forgetting that the reason you think he's so funny is precisely because you recognize so much of yourself in him, which means he could be accused of deprecating you. It doesn't matter. Few writers can lay out so brilliantly, time and again, the way our fantasies can drive us to the sort of insanity we only recognize once reality comes along to tell us it's too late.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dahlink I love you, but give me Pahk Avenue!"

[William Leight · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Acres and Pains” is a series of vignettes — in Perelman’s usual style, none are more than a few pages — about the problems Perelman has with his country house in Pennsylvania, told with Perelman’s usual laceratingly self-deprecating sense of humor when writing about himself. Usually, Perelman is the sucker, taken to the cleaners by the locals — in an inversion of the usual trope about hicks and city slickers — real estate agents, or servants. His occasional bursts of enthusiasm for a project inevitably end in disaster when he massively overestimates his own capabilities, or when it becomes clear that dreams of country living cultivated in an apartment in Manhattan didn't have much basis in reality. I doubt that there’s much truth to the stories — Perelman admits as much by leading off with an obviously made-up description of how he was conned into buying the property by a pretty woman who got him drunk — but they are undoubtedly hilarious. If you’re unfamiliar with Perelman, this is probably a good place to start.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is possible to appreciate the wit of S.J. Perelman contained in this volume on country living, and still maintain that the contents have aged badly. Eighty years ago wordplay of this type, most prominently displayed in film scripts Perelman did for the Marx brothers, could produce gales of laughter. Today, I find myself watching Marx brothers movies only for Harpo, whose humor transcends time because it is wordless; the Groucho patter, and this book, mostly leave me cold.

[Boweavil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laugh out loud without fear.

[Treasure Island Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Authors I used to find humorous are no longer funny to me. What has happened?

[Michael David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book smashes the preconceptions that a sylvan, rustic life is easier and more desirable for a city-dweller. There are just as many opportunists and hypocrites out there as there are in the city. I think it's his best work among Crazy Like a Fox and Keep It Crisp. He is at the top of his game here.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.J. Perelman is my favorite humorist. I love the way he plays with words and sets a scene with eh cleverest turn. This short set is of his families move to the farm life of western Pennsylvania. Though short, it is best to savor each entry and take in the word fun and hilarious situations. Included is his infamous column involving Chicken Inspector No. 23. If you haven't read Perelman before this might be the best to get started as it is the shortest of the collections and a great taste of one of America's best humorists and writers.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, rueful account of a city slicker who moves to Bucks County PA to jump into rural life. A little like A Year in Provence but much much funnier. Perelman is in danger of being forgotten as Woody Allen and Dave Barry blaze brighter in the firmament. This should not happen. Find this book, or find Best of S J Perelman, a compendium that has parts of A and P in it.

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you come across a copy of this gem, don't pass it by. S.J. Perelman was an incomparable master of literary humor, often imitated but never equalled. These preposterous tales, inspired by his purchase of a farm in Erwinna, Pennsylvania, are not only rollickingly funny, but written in meticulous prose that will send you scrambling for a dictionary that will, all too likely, be inadequate for the job. Perelman's vocabulary is a mind-altering drug.

[Maxine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it many years ago riding on a NY subway train. A woman asked what I was reading because I had laughed aloud. Not as funny this time but enjoyable.

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absurdist vignettes of the author's struggles with country life. Perelman wrote some of the Marx Brothers' material--it shows.

[BookBec · Rating 2 out of 5]

I catch glimmers of how this was funny in the 1940s, but it hasn't aged well.