Max Perkins: Editor of Genius

Thoroughly researched and excellently presented book about Perkins and the three major writers whose careers he nurtured - F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Wolfe as well as the many other very fine writers that he helped to form.The thing that I took away from this book was the fact that Perkins was constantly having to mollify, prod, steer, coddle etc. the triumvirate of writers. Three very different personalities. Fitzgerald was literally a tragedy -- a man who brilliantly captured an era and a mood who wrote four stunningly brilliant books and many short stories while battling his own insecurities, alcohol, and his erratic wife and who ultimately was almost forgotten in his own lifetime because his kind of book had fallen out of favor but have gone on to be classics. Hemingway -- the self-starter of the group who always seemingly had a book subject in mind and then would go off to pursue adventures that he would ultimately write about in the book and turn it in to Perkins without the begging and pleading that he did with the others. Wolfe -- brilliant but erratic and the one writer who I felt would never have been published had not Perkins taken him in hand and literally formed his books to the point of having practically re-written them. Ultimately Wolfe fell out with Perkins when others suggested that his books were totally dependent on Perkins' hand in shaping them -- I guess the truth hurt. But there is little doubt from this book that without Perkins, Wolfe would have remained an unknown. I did think that Perkins over stepped the bounds of an editor with the manner in which he directed Wolfe's rewrites. These books were more a collaboration than a writer/editor situation.Perkins himself was quite an interesting person aside from the men with whom he worked. His relationship to his wife was odd in that it appeared that he did not wish for accomplishment on her part. She wanted to act and he discouraged it at every turn by disapproving of it and making it difficult for her to proceed. He didn't seem particularly interested in her as a wife either. Generally he appears to have been a misogynist who attempted to hide his misogyny by saying that he was "disappointed" in women because he felt they could do so much more but they didn't -- yet his attitude re: his own wife's ambitions was the kind of thing that kept women in general from accomplishing more because men thwarted their efforts to do more. It was rather interesting that when he did work with women authors, he appeared to have successful professional relationships with them. His strangest aspect was the "romance" he had with a woman he'd met, with whom he corresponded, visited, etc. and with whom his wife was also friendly but with whom he never had a physical relationship while seemingly "enjoying" worshipping her from afar. There was something absurdly juvenile about that "affair" -- him appearing to pine, yearn, for her and attributing characteristics and other attributes to her that were not readily apparent -- like incredible beauty. Maybe he just needed this fake "romance" in order to make his life bearable. He reminded me of the young men who were troubadours and wrote lovely poetic songs to women filled with outrageous flattery which were chivalrous but also quite unrelated to reality. I'd like to have known more about the motives of the woman who allowed this "affair" to continue via occasional letters, infrequent visits etc. She never married nor do we get any information about any relationships she may have had with other men or possibly women. It seemed odd that she went along with this rather silly situation.I enjoyed the book tremendously for the insights into the three authors particularly and their creative process.

Long before his bestseller ":Wilson":": ":Lindbergh": and other celebrity subjects, A. Scott Berg published in 1978 ":Max Perkins Editor of Genius.": As an old English major I would bet that most college English professors never heard of this important man of American letters! This excellent biography should fit the bill in introducing to modern readers a crucial figure in publishing history! Maxwell Perkins was born into the home of an affluent attorney in New York City in 1884. He graduated from Harvard with a degree in economics. Perkins worked briefly as a newspaper report before being hired by Scribners in 1910. He died in 1948. What makes this book a joy is to see Perkins working as a mentor, critic, friend and editor of many important authors. Among them":Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald": Perkins had a close relationship with the alcoholic and depressive Fitzgerald. Chapters are devoted to how Perkins guided Scott through such masterpieces as The Great Gatsby, Tender in the Night and his first big seller This Side of Paradise. Many anecdotes deal with Perkins visits with Scott and Zelda his mentally ill but talented wife.Ernest Hemingway was the best seller of all the Scribners authors. Hem won the Nobel Prize for Literature for such great novels as The Sun Also Rises, Farwell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Green Hills of Africa and many more novels and short stories.Hemingway was rough hewn who loved his role as a macho he-man. Perkins viewed him as a younger brother. Perkins often visited with Hemingway in Key West and other locales where the two close friends hunted and fished together.Thomas Wolfe-The giant in size novelist from Asheville North Carolina viewed Perkins as a father figure. Without the revising of such mammoth Wolfe books as Look Homeward, Angel and Of Time and the River it is doubtful if these works would have been publishable. Perkins also provided advice for Wolfe in the latter';s long affair with Aline Bernstein. Perkins was loved by women authors though he was faithful to his wife Louise. The two often argued. She wanted to act. They had five daughters. Perkins had a long Platonic relationship wiith Elizabeth Patterson of wealthy Virginia stock. Perkins loved to wear his hat inside the office and enjoyed drinking in bars. He was a kind man who became Vice-President of Scribners guiding thecompany through the Great Depression. This is an excellent biography of a man who is little known today to the general public but is a fascinating and important editor.

I bought this book a while back and only recently took the time to read it. It touches on my favorite writers, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, illuminating their relationship with their editor, Max Perkins of Scribner's.I enjoyed the book and also learned a lot about Thomas Wolfe. It is definitely the story of someone who nurtured and encouraged great artists with their careers. Mr. Perkins perfected the art of supportive friend and became that to all he encouraged in their writing endeavors. This book was written a while ago, but gave way to a movie not too long ago. Even though its main focus is on the relationship with Mr. Wolfe, I would like to see it.For what I was interested in (stories about Hemingway and Fitzgerald) it illuminated what I already knew and I enjoyed reading about this somewhat backstairs figure, who was responsible for so much great storytelling in the world. I came away from the experience admiring him greatly and feeling like I have more insight now into my two favorite authors of twentieth century fiction.

I bought this book to read prior to seeing the movie, Genius. The book is fascinating and reveals the absolute importance of this editor in nurturing (practically parenting in many cases) and contributing to the success of his writers. I just wish the movie would have followed the real stories in the book rather than inventing situations that weren't necessary or true. The lives Perkins and his writers lived need no messing with to be compelling! Perkins was an amazing man and if there is anything I can recommend about the movie, it's Colin Firth in the role of Perkins, showing his humanity, patience and how the swirl of all their lives together yielded iconic results in publishing if not so happy ones in life.

Brililant construction through extant correspondence. Everyone comes off both better and worse than you expected. Literary history of one of the past century's most alluring ages for English-language literature.

A must for every budding writer, editor or men and women of letters interested in knowing behind the scene tales about the making of some of the greatest literary masterpieces written at the turn of the last century. Watch the movie but don't miss the book. Good discount, arrived in great condition and very very promptly but as usual without any bookmark which is getting to be a so very amazon habit lately.

For me this is a reread. I read this book years ago and when I worked in NYC I always visited Scribners on 5th Avenue. It was a thrill to look up to the office where I think Perkins worked and helped fire the imaginations of hundredsof readers. Thanks Max. 'best John Moore

My, my !!!! Wt a book ...scot has a smooth flowing style of his own ...n mr perkins...all adjectives needs to be adjusted to describe this man...of all other virtues of d book ... this book is excellent bible for d wannabe writers

Brilliantly written book about both Max Perkins and the editorial process.