I greatly enjoyed this book, complete with wonderful illustrations!
It was a quick read and it was the exact text thrust into Andrew Lippa's musical by the same name! Wonderful history and research for the musical!

I decided to buy this book for no other reason than that I loved the 1949 Robert Wise film, "The Set-up", and wanted to check out the other book written by the original story's author, Joseph Moncure March. Certainly the brief description of the book made it even easier to buy.

But now having read it in one sitting, I was blown away at how brilliant it was! The poetic style is very easy to get into, and its use to tell this gripping tale was amazing. It never seems forced in the least, but flows well and succeed's in pulling the reader into the party itself.

The characters are great, the kind that one wishes to know of some more. Queenie remains the center of the story, and rightfully so, she is the most developed and most fascinating.

Apparently this book was banned in Boston, and I guess it is understandable given the times. Still, even today the story maintains a kind of rawness and edge that stays with the reader.

I have not seen the move or the Broadway plays, and chances are won't, the original poem is more than satisfying enough for me.

Very very hghly recommended.

My interest in THE WILD PARTY started with the flop American-International Picture of 1975, a Merchant & Ivory production, with James Coco, Perry King and Raquel Welch. THE HERBERT HOOVER DRAG "stayed with me" for years, to the extent that I expect to perforate a Pianola roll of this music, using the soundtrack of the out-of-print Embassy VHS tape for the source.

Few reviewers have probably seen the original 1928 book, which I have, in my player roll Studio, here in Maine. Thus, I can compare the 1999 revival version with what was sold (quietly, or under the table) in the late 'Twenties.

The illustrations destroy my images of the narrative, since they remind me of a 'Forties "noir" film and not a 'Twenties apartment, which the author vividly describes, in his engaging minimalist poetic epic (or whatever this prose is called). The few pen-and-ink illustrations show Burrs as a James Coco type, physically ... and the text for Black (the Perry King character, in the film: Dale Sword) sounds not unlike a thumbnail bio for him, as well. Far better to have drawn from images of old MacFadden magazines (the sleazy publications of that day) or stills from silent movies, for the modern illustrations.

The 1928 book has only a few drawings, and - perhaps - for good reason. As with radio, in the days of drama (before television), the theater of the mind conveys the major impressions.

Sans serif type and the lack of "word clusters", plus spaces, which pepper the original volume, are also a downer, for me. The power of the raw story is heightened by the dignity of the Garamond (or whatever) typeface, in the 1928 book.

Having said the above, this book is better than none, so I would recommend it. Only 750 copies were printed, of the first edition, by Pascal Convici (mine being #459). As with the other reviewers, I kept being drawn back to the narrative, repeatedly. No pictures were necessary!

Regards, Douglas Henderson
ARTCRAFT Music Rolls...

A brilliant piece of writing. I truly enjoyed this book.March has created a vivid world with a minimal amount of words and a very interesting style of poetry. I don't know that I've ever read an extended poem (for lack of a better word, it doesn't really qualify as an epic) that had me so involved and so interested in the story being told. The illustrations are amazing in this edition of the book as well. Highly recommended!