About the Author:
Susanna Johnston is the editor of "Parties: A Literary Companion" and the author of "Collecting: The Passionate Pastime" and "The Picnic Papers,"
From Library Journal:
In this compilation of excerpts from novels, poems, and plays of descriptions of parties, freelance editor Johnston uses numerous and wide-ranging sources, from Petronius to Robert Coover, that reflect the variation of possible scenarios in human social situations. The book is organized in sections: "Beginnings," "All Manner of Parties," "Revelry," and "Ending" (the final entry is a suitable short poem by Emily Dickinson, "This Quiet Dust Was Gentlemen and Ladies"). Commentary is provided only in the brief introduction, which points out that parties are not necessarily fun (see Lady Elizabeth Anson's advice on what to do when someone attempts suicide at your soiree). This is a handy reference on a festive subject, useful for quotations but nonessential.
Janice E. Braun, Mills Coll., Oakland, Cal.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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