Damon Runyon: A Life
This biography of the hellraising journalist Runyon, written by another hellraising reporter, reads a lot like one of Runyon's short stories. Although a popular and widely read journalist, Runyon became famous for his fiction depicting gangster life on Broadway in the 1920s and 1930s. From the stories came the film Little Miss Marker with Shirley Temple, and the musical Guys and Dolls . Breslin, author of numerous books and a long-time New Yorker, knows the territory well. His book is sprinkled with scenes of the colorful lifestyle that was glamorized in Runyon's short stories. Although Breslin's affection and appreciation for Runyon shine through, his view is not an uncritical one. We see Runyon and his times, warts and all. Recommended for all libraries.- Rebecca Wondriska, Trinity Coll. Lib., Hartford, Ct.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.