Reviews with content warning for Death - City of Girls

Reviews tagging 'Death'

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

35 reviews

lostbuthey's review against another edition

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inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

City of Gils is a New York Time’s Bestseller about love, friendship, glamour, and sex.

1940: After dropping out of college, nineteen-year-old Vivian is sent to live with her aunt in New York City. During the day, she sews costumes for the musical performances in her aunts' theater called the Lily Playhouse. And at night she and her friend Celia chase trouble from one side of the city to the other. Until a small mistake leads to a scandal that flips her world upside down.

This book was great. Technically, this could be my entire review, but let’s go a bit more into detail, shall we?

The characters were amazing; lovable, hateable, funny, talented, and sometimes stupid. And that’s what made it interesting. I found Vivian’s character development particularly interesting and relatable. She was young and thought she already knew everything. And when she got older, she realized how wrong she had been. I think this happens to a lot of us.

The relationships between the different characters and the way they evolved were nicely done. In the end, I was surprised about which relationships lasted and which ones didn’t.

In addition to that, I enjoyed that certain characters were introduced late and certain left early.

And the last few chapters made me sad. Not only because that part of the story was particularly emotional but also because it was beautifully written.

However, this book is written like one long letter. I personally think it would have been better if this weren’t the case since it is unlikely for someone that old to remember every detail of their life. Furthermore, the narrator [Vivian] kept repeating the name of the woman she was writing to. Now, don’t get me wrong: in some cases, this is fitting, but sometimes it was a bit too much and thus felt repetitive.

I recommend you read this book if you are intrigued by the glamour of New York City and/or if you are a young woman trying to find your place in this world. But: Be cautious. You might just get lost in this book.

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laurenw's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book started off as a fun romp, and then slowly drew me deeper into its world and characters. Vivian is such a human character, wonderfully scuplted, and her life's story provided much entertainment. Reading this was like making a new friend.

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smlima1992's review

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adventurous informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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witmol's review

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funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Vivian receives news from a friend's daughter, Angela. Angela's mother has passed and Angela now wants to know: "who were you to my father?". The framing story means this novel is ostensibly a long letter in response that works as part-'How I met your father' and part-memoir. On one hand this device feels gimmicky, but on the other, it's a great way to focus the parts of the story that will lead to both the identity of Angela's father and the salient parts of Viv's life that intersects with his.

The first two-thirds of the book therefore feel over-indulgent as Viv reminisces about her youth. Gilbert makes certain that all the threads of this pre-WWII segment do actually connect with the character in question, entertainingly so, but in some regards it's easy to lose the facade of a letter in its lengthy diversions. This is not to say the novel lags. It canters along with Gilbert delivering vivid prose, and a distinct sense of place. While we don't get to 'see' much of New York through descriptions, we 'feel' it through a young Vivian instead.

When we do get to Viv meeting Angela's father, by comparison it feels anti-climactic. Viv has already described other characters in such great detail and with some effervescence that this character, while well drawn, feels distant and ancillary rather than central to her life. In short, the narrative here feels as if Viv is trying to convince us (and Angela) that her father was one of the most important figures in her life. It's the 'trying to convince' part that grates especially, particularly as the denouement does have a deep and abiding message about the nature of friendship and the value of being with someone and accepting the truth of each other without judgement.

Gilbert's expert handling of plot and pace, together with her witty writing, however, do make this a worthwhile read, and I'm more than pleased that she continues to write interesting female characters who do not need a partner to make them interesting.

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1414's review

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adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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my_plant_library's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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linesiunderline's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

City of Girls is one of those books that manages to feel like a whole world. If you are looking for an immersive reading experience where it’s all about getting inside the head and life of the narrator, this is a great book to pick up. By the time you’re finished, Vivian feels as alive and complicated as any person you might know in real life. She really is the heart and point of the story, and she is imperfectly glorious.

Speaking of imperfection, one of the thematic aspects of this book that I loved most is the notion that we are all messy, flawed beings, who make mistakes, and we deserve love in spite of it all.

I listened to this one and the narration was wonderful. Vivian is a character who will stay with me.

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