Book Spotlight: Y&R Most Memorable Moments

One of the side benefits of researching American soap operas for my graduate thesis is that I have a built in excuse to buy publicity books. For those not familiar with the term, publicity books are ones that usually detail a show’s history. These types of books differ from the serialized fiction many shows have released with varying degrees of success in that they don’t advance a story but merely recount it. Often, there will be a high percentage of glossy pictures accompanying the text making them a wonderful keepsake for fans. I’ll be showcasing a new book every Tuesday until the collection is archived so if there is a certain book you’d like highlighted immediately, just drop me a line.

To kick things off, I want to start with The Young & the Restless: Most Memorable Moments. Compiled by Mary Cassata and Barbara Irwin, General Publishing released this book in 1996.


Intended to be more of a celebration of indelible moments as opposed to an in-depth history, the book showcases pivotal storylines and relationships from the show’s history. To see who and what made the cut, click on the images below to check out the book’s Table of Contents:


As an occasional viewer of Y&R this framework worked very well for me. The "Cliff Notes" version of the relationships, for example, gave me just enough information to understand why they were selected for the book. The wide variety of photos accompanying the text also allowed me to visualize a lot of what was being described.

Yet, I couldn’t help but think that to a true fan of the series this book would seem a bit disappointing. As the text offers a very surface treatment of the storylines and the characters, it is likely that many of nuances known by true fans of the series will be lost. As each section contains isolated vignettes, there really isn’t a clear showcase of how the storylines built off of one another. Despite this quibble, Y&R: Most Memorable Moments is a wonderful pictorial look at a show that has long dominated the daytime ratings and should not be missed.
For a sampling of what this book has to offer, click on the buttons below. Enjoy!

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