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a_mae_z's review against another edition
I almost qualified this book as read considering I was 20 hours into this book. The story line drug on while also having no detail at all. I simply could not finish this book with the amout of times the n word was used and how comfortable the narrator said it. If I would rate this it would be a 1 star.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Yes it is set in history but there is absolutely no reason to use this slur, especially for a white man in 2009.hiltzmoore's review against another edition
3.0
While this book covered an impressive amount of history quite well, I think in general, the story fell short for me. Each segment would have been a great stand alone book, but trying to combine them together left me feeling like the families' stories were sold short. It read more like a non-fiction book. I also started to get the different Masters confused, and found myself disliking them more and more as the years went by. Rutherfurd is a good storyteller, I would just prefer a less daunting time period - covering from pre-Revolutionary times through 9/11 is just silly, really.
_sarah_reads_'s review against another edition
3.0
I find Edward Rutherfurd's books very comforting. They all follow the same formula, there aren't any major surprises, I learn a lot about the history of a particular place. Like all his other books, I found this one engrossing and there were many times during any given day that I thought to myself "I'd rather be reading my book right now."
ailurophile_bibliophile89's review against another edition
5.0
5 STARS
Oh my goodness, I couldn't put it down! Beautifully written! Truly! New York was suggested to me by an associate at the local Books-a-Million and I admit to feeling a slight hesitation upon picking it up. American history is not my forte and though I've been trying to branch out in recent years, I still struggle with finding interesting books that really catch my attention.
This was it. Rutherfurd is an excellent author and he really pays attention to the emotions his characters experience. It's not very obvious, in fact it's pretty damn subtle, but you find yourself cheering for different characters as they go through the motions of life. What's more, he pays attention to different events in the City's history that are not so well known (at least unknown to me). Of course, the War for Independence, the Civil War, and the Great Depression are given their dues, but its the lesser known events that make it so fascinating.
The Masters of New York are old money but like any family, their fortunes are tied to the major events, decisions, and changes that New York City experiences. Additionally, the fortunes of Hudson and his descendants, of the Kellers, and Sarah Adler are tied to the Masters and no one, except the reader, really sees that. Rutherford is a master himself as he weaves the lives of all the characters into a novel that portrays human suffering, loss, gain, and ultimately, survival.
The associate at Books-a-Million was certain I would enjoy the novel (this is his favorite of Rutherurd's) and he was absolutely right. Now I must go back to find him and tell him how much I loved the novel. And perhaps buy another Rutherford novel.
Oh my goodness, I couldn't put it down! Beautifully written! Truly! New York was suggested to me by an associate at the local Books-a-Million and I admit to feeling a slight hesitation upon picking it up. American history is not my forte and though I've been trying to branch out in recent years, I still struggle with finding interesting books that really catch my attention.
This was it. Rutherfurd is an excellent author and he really pays attention to the emotions his characters experience. It's not very obvious, in fact it's pretty damn subtle, but you find yourself cheering for different characters as they go through the motions of life. What's more, he pays attention to different events in the City's history that are not so well known (at least unknown to me). Of course, the War for Independence, the Civil War, and the Great Depression are given their dues, but its the lesser known events that make it so fascinating.
The Masters of New York are old money but like any family, their fortunes are tied to the major events, decisions, and changes that New York City experiences. Additionally, the fortunes of Hudson and his descendants, of the Kellers, and Sarah Adler are tied to the Masters and no one, except the reader, really sees that. Rutherford is a master himself as he weaves the lives of all the characters into a novel that portrays human suffering, loss, gain, and ultimately, survival.
The associate at Books-a-Million was certain I would enjoy the novel (this is his favorite of Rutherurd's) and he was absolutely right. Now I must go back to find him and tell him how much I loved the novel. And perhaps buy another Rutherford novel.
rebeccatc's review against another edition
3.0
This book uses the same formula as Rutherford's other novels in following fictional families throughout history. Here, the main family starts out as the Van Dycks and soon becomes the Masters, a waspy, wealthy family that ends up on Wall Street. Other families include a family of African American slaves, an Irish family living near Five Points, and a family of Italian immigrants. I didn't find this book to be as good as the other Rutherford novels I've enjoyed (particularly Sarum and Russka). I never felt like I really got a sense of New York and how it developed, and much of the story could have taken place anywhere.
ggoldberg626's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.4
Genre: Historical Fiction
Final Thoughts: If you like extensive histories where you get to follow multiple generations of family with the backdrop of a changing world, then this book has that. Some characters that you follow you'll like, some not so much. I learned some new things about New York's history, but considering this book took me just over 2 months to read? Though an interesting read, don't get me wrong, there were certain aspects of it that felt like didn't need to be written. Glad I finally finished it though.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Final Thoughts: If you like extensive histories where you get to follow multiple generations of family with the backdrop of a changing world, then this book has that. Some characters that you follow you'll like, some not so much. I learned some new things about New York's history, but considering this book took me just over 2 months to read? Though an interesting read, don't get me wrong, there were certain aspects of it that felt like didn't need to be written. Glad I finally finished it though.
laurensands's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed learning some new info about the history of NYC, particularly it's earlier history pre revolution. A fascinating and well intertwined tribute to the city.
lindasdarby's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this book. I love New York, I love history but I do not love New York the novel. There were several problems for me with this book: It follows the same family from 1600s to 2000s. Unfortunately most of the people in the family are not super likable. I find that a problem when I am reading a book that feels like a bunch of short stories strewn together. 2) You get somewhat invested in a character and the author dropped their story line - only to skip forward one or two generations. Very, very annoying. 3) While I quite enjoyed some of the history - I did graduate in American Studies so I have learned most of this already but of course forgot it - a lot of it was boring. I would have been better off reading a real history book. I liked learning about the strikes and what happened at Ellis Island and about the Revolutionary War but parts were really long and very boring. 4) Because the author focused on one family - a very wealthy family - you didn't learn about the many other wonderful cultures and peoples who populated the city from the beginning. Yes, at first you learn about the slave trade and the Dutch. It felt like the stories about the Irish, Italian and Jewish were gratuitous. they were the most likable people in the book but you got shortchanged on their story. All in all the book was okay. For 786 pages I really wanted more. I think New York deserves more. Kind of a bummer.