"... "Portrait of Max" is a very comfortable read, and about as much fun as you can have with a book. (Fadiman is right to compare it to "Life of Johnson". It is that much fun, although in a far different weight class.) You'll read and re-read every page, and then skim back over the sentences to make sure you haven't missed any little hidden delight. The drawing are, of course, wonderful, my favorites being side-by-side caricatures of Oscar Wilde and his ne'er do well brother William. If you are even checking out this page, you are probably someone who will really love "Portrait of Max"."
Samuel Nathaniel Behrman was an American playwright, screenwriter, biographer, and longtime writer for The New Yorker. His son is the composer David Behrman.