The PARTY

Rating:
Summary: Adventurous, indeed....
Review: Formerly of Washington, D.C., I couldn't resist reading this lighthearted romp into Sally Quinn's world of entertaining. I don't believe Quinn wanted to write a book that laid out clear "do's and don'ts" á la Judith Martin, but instead wanted to lead by example - sharing stories of her party successes and misfires. Some of the stories are absolutely priceless, especially the ones involving Colin Powell. Quinn stresses overall the Golden Rule of Hostessing: treat others as you would want to be treated. Another one of my favourite tips is "no matter how bad the food is or what disaster befalls you in the kitchen, when all else fails, make sure you have plenty of booze on hand, and the party won't be a total bomb." So very, very true.

If you have some down time in your own world of adventurous entertaining, pick up this book and settle in for a good time.

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious - I loved it!
Review: I entertain frequently, and Ms. Quinn has a most delightful way of discussing the angst (and disasters!) of every experienced hostess. "The Party" had me laughing out loud, and I have been giving this book as a gift to other friends who entertain. They love it!

On a more practical note, she has good suggestions about what really makes a party work. So whether your guests are 'famous' or not, her wisdom is true.

Rating:
Summary: Adventurous, indeed....
Review: I live in Bermuda and picked this book up at our local "high end" charity thrift shop for a dollar. Being from Virginia, I thought "Why not? - I entertain quite a bit, perhaps she'll have some pointers." Well, this book was SO funny, SO GOOD that I took it to six different countries with me while reading it. I got to the final four chapters, left it in the hospital accidentally, and am now frantic to find another one. I read parts of it to my hubby, and being a non-hostess-like, rugby playing Canadian - HE even found it funny!!! This book is PERFECT for us retired old sorority girls that still believe in crystal wine glasses, cloth napkins, and a proper dining room. - Would love to get all her books and meet her!

Rating:
Summary: The Party: A Guide Drinking with Lots of Famous People
Review: In many ways, "The Party" follows its own rules. Its main goal is for the reader to have a good time, and not get too stuffy. Quinn moves quickly through all the party essentials, in a conversational style that makes it an easy one-night read. Remember that she is culling from the Washington party circuit - if you get cranky from name dropping, this book isn't for you. What the names do is underscore how important the guest mix is when planning a great party. Certainly Quinn seems to gloss over the importance of full-time staff and caterers, but for the most part the suggestions are on target the anectdotes (real or imagninary) serve to illustrate the various topics. Miss Manners may certainly give you more precise formulae for parties, but Quinn's are realistic and fun to read. Remember - the point is to have a good time!

Rating:
Summary: One name drop to many
Review: Near the end of her book, "The Party: A Guide to Adventurous Entertaining," Washington "hostess" and Southern belle Sally Quinn discloses for whom she has written this book. Ms. Quinn says that ". . . many newcomers to Washington, whether they are members of Congress or administration types or diplomats or journalists, do find the whole notion of Washington and Georgetown dinner parties terribly intimidating." Through her outspoken and irreverent memoir-guide, she hopes to demystify "what goes on here."

Ms. Quinn does mention "names"; she says she does so in order to level the playing field, to show that anyone can drop the ball when entertaining. Her book is filled with anecdotes as well as practical tips. She exhorts would-be hosts and hostesses to follow the Golden Rule: "Treat your guests the way you would like to be treated."

Much of the book repeats commonsensical rules that those of us who entertain already know. However, I did pick up some pointers, such as ". . . no matter how bad the food is or what disaster befalls you in the kitchen, when all else fails, make sure you have plenty of booze on hand, and the party won't be a total bomb," and "[e]veryone in your home must be treated like a celebrity, must be made to feel wanted and special."

"The Party" may not appeal much to experienced party-givers and party-goers. However, it is an amusing addition to more "serious" books on entertaining. For someone who is starting out as a host or hostess, I think he or she will find some good tips here. As Ms. Quinn says, "the point is to have a good time." If one cannot do so, then she says to "get over it."

If you don't know what a "P.R.F." is, then that is reason enough to get this book.

Rating:
Summary: A collection of Sally Quinn's name-dropping stories
Review: The title of this book implies that it's a how-to-guide to throwing a great party. You do get a few tips here and there, but this book serves mainly for Sally Quinn to name drop, describe the fun parties she's hosted, and generally tell you how terrific she is. Sally Quinn was the style editor for the Washington Post; her husband is Ben Bradlee, the famous Washington Post editor during Watergate, the Pentagon Papers and a number of other significant historical events. The tone of this book is lighthearted, and many of the stories are quite funny. After a while, though, I got tired of reading about "when Hillary and Bill came over one time," or "when all these Senators and Representatives were at our house," or "when we hosted this fabulous dinner party and everyone in Washington was talking about it for weeks." The tone of this book was too self-congratulatory for me to fully enjoy it.