Product Description
Written with Saroyan's trademark clarity and compassion, Boys and Girls Together is a richly comedic portrayal of a couple caught in the toils of marriage with children. A masterful novel of human folly, it focuses on the eagerness of men and women to be something other than themselves.

Saroyan is a startlingly honest writer with an uncluttered style and a uniquely distanced vision of American life. His work gave rise to a new word, "Saroyanesque," and influenced Jack Kerouac and Sean Penn, among others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A novel that breathes.
Boys And Girls Together by William Saroyan is a humorous, touching, and insightful look at human fallibility and the strained interpersonal relationships that result.Probably somewhat autobiographical, the plot concerns an aging writer finding it difficult to feel inspired to work amid marital and financial strains and the time-consuming (though often joyous) demands of raising two children.His wife is a frustrating but pitiable younger woman whose combination of helplessness, sex appeal, and ability to manipulate her husband's emotions imposes a constant drain on his ability to focus (and thus his income), meanwhile perpetuating the dysfunctional union.The couple's individual personalities and relationships with each other are juxtaposed with those of their friends, many awkward truths being voiced under the influence of alcohol.Mortality and the mourning process are observed with a keen eye, as well as are human desire and the will to live (and procreate).Saroyan's characters are paradoxically complex - their flaws so understated and believable that they rarely provoke severe judgement so much as a nagging wish that they'd sober up and go home.Boys And Girls Together is full of life, unpretentious, and quick to read.I will definitely be seeking out more of Saroyan's work.

Saroyan's autobiographical glimpse into sex, marriage, children...
Boys and Girls together is the story of raising two small children while writing plays and trying to hold a once sexy marriage together. Saroyan's best writing are found in his plays and short stories -- My Name is Aram is the best -- but this novel, long out of print, can make anyone who is strugleing with child raising, writing and love smile: Saroyan makes us laugh because raising children and staying married are difficult things and the way saroyan gets through difficult things is by never taking anything too seriously. There is a wonderful part in this book where he explains the reasons for NOT having children with any of his girlfriends that were around before his wife. And this coming from the man who married and divorced the same woman twice... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very touching account of Saroyan-his life and fate
Since I am mentioned in the book, page 105 unnamed and having had the pleasure of knowing Bill Saroyan, I find that the son veryaccurately chronicled his father's life.. In later years, I made no effort to see Saroyan since I was sure he was not the same G.I. I had knownin 1944. People change unfortunately.Great Book and a good tribute son to father... ... Read more

Product Description
The only comprehensive Saroyan anthology The NewSaroyan Reader presents fans of The Daring Young Man on theFlying Trapeze, The Time of Your Life, and The Human Comedywith a literary feast. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A nice collection of a very important American writer
This nicely bound book will give you a highly balanced grasp of one of the most important American writers, William Saroyan - you will not only enjoy his short stories but also find out (more) about what this writer thought about his writing activities, how energetically he engaged himself with his work, his life, his death.

My only regret is that the book contains a rather large number of typos, which should have been avoided had it been the editor's wish to introduce this ingenious, productive writer to those who have not read many of his works; hence the four stars. Otherwise, it is joy to read, and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
William Saroyan, one of the most prolific writers in America, is profiled in this book with a broad range of information about his life in the theatre. A critical overview assesses Saroyan's contribution to drama, and entries for his plays include plot summaries, production information, and commentary. Annotated primary and secondary bibliographies list Saroyan's published works, production reviews, and other writings about his work in the theatre. ... Read more