Partial Payments: Essays on Writers and Their Lives

“Joseph Epstein may well be the only first-rate American literary critic who can be said to have—and deserve—fans. His essays have captivated readers with their wit, learning, and unabashed love of reading. . . .He has high standards for craftsmanship and a low tolerance for cant.” —Washington Times

Epstein writes about authors to whom he feels indebted, those he has revered and learned from. His range extends from Matthew Arnold to Tom Wolfe, from George Santayana to S.J. Perelman.