What could be as entertaining as reading one author tear a strip off another?

Well, actually, I can think of a lot of things at least as entertaining, if not more so. But this collection of quotes, reviews and thoughts by authors about other authors, from the classics through to modern fiction, is often entertaining and occasionally gasp inducing. As Gary Dexter, the editor of Poisoned Pens notes, often a writer's best work is in his or her reduction of another's.

An easy one to skim or dip into at leisure, with more than a few read-out-loud worthy bits. ( )

The construction of this book was easy to follow since it grouped the writers by category. Since my reading has not been all inclusive of the classics, there were many of them prior to the 1700s I'd not read and thus the criticism of their writings meant little (though on occasion it made me want to read the material to decide for myself). The criticism of those books I have read (and often loved) was interesting, often amusing, and sometimes annoying. Some of the writings I didn't find amusing, interesting, or helpful and wondered why they'd been chosen by the author (were they the only quotes he could find?). However, the pettyness of Hemingway and the critique of AA Milne by Dorothy Parker are not to be missed. ( )