THE RING LARDNER READER

A prodigal collection of the great humorist keeps him alive and available for a younger generation whose acquaintance may never have been extended past Haircut. His high spirits and resilient versatility and natural gaiety are still fresh today, and Maxwell Geismar, in his excellent introduction, does much to indicate Lardner's deeper, broader powers as both a ""savage...satirist and social critic""; he was not just, as frequently disparaged, a successful syndicated columnist. He was also a ""suffering, silent and dark spirit"" trapped, eventually, like his contemporary, Fitzgerald, by success, in the degenerative side-effects which led to his early death. The material here, excerpts from Gullible's Travels, from the You Know Me Al correspondence, also includes all of Lardner's best stories, as well as articles, essays, parodies, songs and a little from the less well known experimental plays.... All in all, a fine representation of this writer's work which will offer both casual entertainment and permanent enjoyment.