cover image Against Joie de Vivre

Against Joie de Vivre

Phillip Lopate. Holiday House, $12 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-671-73367-4

Lopate entertains by blasting write-your-own-vows weddings, camaraderie in bars and the enforced gaiety of dinner parties but expounds more positively on movies, friendship and subletting as a lifestyle. ``Despite its cranky title, this lively, unpredictable collection of essays is a joy to read, and read again,'' PW said. (Mar.)