Out of Step: Notes from a Purple Decade

Reassesses ten years of American cultural life, in a collection of articles and essays that includes such sections as "The Lit'ry Scene," "The American Scene," and "My Scene"

For the nearly ten years Yardley has been book critic and columnist for the Washington Post , he has never pandered to the public in his commentary. Divided into three sections (literary, social, and personal commentaries), this book provides a collection of Yardley's opinions--among them, the state of the contemporary novel; the upstart Brat Pack novelists; the lowering of standards in education, ethics, and culture--that are as insightful as they are well written. The book serves well as a commentary on life in the Eighties as well as an excellent introduction to Yardley's readable style and curmudgeonly views.
- Martin J. Hudacs, Solanco H.S., Quarryville, Pa.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.