ACRES AND PAINS

.........of a Pennsylvania farm, with a superb library of mortgages (all first editions) and the concomitant personal miseries of the author -- here's a book for those needing a barbed answer to country hosts. Perelman of course pushes exaggeration to infinity, underlines rural miseries, in attempting to assume the title of squire, in the ardors of self-sufficient existence, in architects and their malevolent activities, in hired and domestic help, in children and their diabolic adjusting to country life, in the actual processes of farming (plants, weeds, cattle et al), in the sucker market for antiques; in guests, dogs, doctors, ad infinitum. The vulgar touch that punctures the usual superiority of own-your-own ecstasies, this almost outblandings Blandings, and puts the poison touch on back-to-the land hysteria. For the devoted Perelman audience -- and for those who can take some back-biting at rural living.