For a romantic, it's life's ultimate question: What is This Thing Called Love? Actor and novelist Gene Wilder explores twelve possible answers in this emotionally involving book about different kinds of love: star-crossed, intense, needy, eternal, unrequited and even comical. With delicacy of feeling and a simple style that adds to the power of his fiction, Wilder creates memorable lovers and silly suitors, unexpected attraction and careful courting. What is This Thing Called Love? is for anyone who has ever yearned for a deep connection, made a study of love, and spent their life trying to find the real thing. "A lighthearted reminder of love's potential (requited, even unrequited) to make a life worthwhile."―Los Angeles Times “'It was cold and raining at four in the morning when Buddy walked out of Caesars Palace, stark naked except for the L.A. Times wrapped around his waist." These sweet, hilarious stories about love are dedicated to Gene Wilder's cousin Buddy: "When he was alive he really wanted love, but settled only for sex." Many are about the time wasted by lovers who choose to hide their true feelings -- Jane Austen without the happy endings. "She pretended to be a big flirt and I knew she really wasn't." Some are about unrequited love: "I asked Melanie to marry me when she came to my house for dinner.… Melanie just giggled. I was three and a half years old." Others illuminate the myriad differences between book love or screen love and the real, awkward world of miscommunication and lost opportunities. All together, they serve as a lighthearted reminder of love's potential (requited, even unrequited) to make a life worthwhile.'” ― Los Angeles Times Gene Wilder (1933-2016) began acting when he was thirteen and writing for the screen in the early 1970s. After a small role in "Bonnie and Clyde" pulled him away from a career onstage, he was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Leo Bloom in "The Producers", which led to "Blazing Saddles" and then to another Academy nomination, this time for writing "Young Frankenstein". Wilder appeared in twenty-five feature films and a number of stage productions. His first book, about his own life, was Kiss Me Like A Stranger . It was followed by the novels My French Whore, The Woman Who Wouldn’t, and Something to Remember You By and a book of stories, What Is This Thing Called Love?. What Is This Thing Called Love? By Gene Wilder St. Martin's Griffin Copyright © 2011 Gene Wilder All right reserved. ISBN: 9780312672799 The Birthday Rumor has it that Buddy Silberman drove up to Caesars Palace one afternoon with his best friend, Sonny Hurwitz, and was seen at the craps tables that evening, where Buddy was overheard making a bet with Sonny that he was either going to make forty thousand “smackers” that night or walk out of the hotel naked. It was cold and raining at four in the morning when Buddy walked out of Caesars Palace, stark naked except for the L.A. Times wrapped around his waist. As he hurried into Sonny’s car, the night doorman heard Sonny call out, “You jerk—I wouldn’t have held you to your bet.” Buddy answered, “A bet is a bet—I’m not a welcher—now get me the hell out of here.” Sonny and Buddy lived and worked in Los Angeles selling wireless cable television. While they were having lunch at Junior’s delicatessen, their usual eatery, Sonny decided to take the bull by the horns. “I wanna ask you something seriously, Buddy.” “Shoot,” Buddy said. “Have you ever been in love?” “Of course! All the time,” Buddy answered. “I’d go crazy if I wasn’t in love once in a while.” “You really mean it?” “Sure. When we were growing up, did you ever see a train standing in Milwaukee station, waiting to get started?” “Yeah . . .” Sonny answered, not having a clue where Buddy’s mind was headed. “Then all of a sudden you hear a big blast and the engine shoots out this gigantic gust of steam, maybe twenty, thirty feet in the air, like an explosion?” “So?” “That’s what I’m talking about, Sonny.” “What the hell have choo-choo trains got to do with being in love?” Sonny asked, almost choking on his corned beef sandwich. “YOU’VE GOT TO GET RID OF THE POISONS, SONNY! You can’t let them sit inside your nuts and wait for them to explode. You gotta release all that stuff or you’ll go nuts. Didn’t you ever study mental health in high school?” Sonny took a long pause before answering. Buddy’s weird meta phors always drove him crazy. “You’re talking about sex, Buddy. I’m talking about love.” “Same difference.” “Buddy . . . when you invite a young lady to your boudoir, how much time do you actually spend with her?” “Into my WHAT?” “Your bedroom! Didn’t you learn any French when you were taking all those mental health classes?” “Sure! Voo lay voo voo coo shay avec moi? They understand that.” “Who understands that?” Sonny asked, getting more and more annoyed. “French broads.” “Why do you insult women by calling them broads?” Sonny as