A Story a Day #47: S. J. Perelman

April 4th, 2020

"Dental or Mental, I Say It's Spinach"

S. J. Perelman

This story doesn't really have much of a plot beyond a man who hates going to the dentist goes to the dentist. There are lots of odd and hilarious details that go with it, ending with the man leaping from the dentist's chair before he can drill into his teeth.

By far the best part of the story is the humor. Everything in it is so exaggerated and unrealistic that you can't help but giggle. Of course, most people have a fear of the dentist, but none quite as extreme as this. The procedures are insane, the needles as long as horse tranquilizers, the medical bills large enough to clear your whole wallet (okay that part might be true). If anything, this story is a masterclass in tone and in humor. It commits to this wacky, over the top world and it works. It really works.