Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
New York History in a Novel
When you live in a place like New York it is easy to forget, amongst all the hustle and bustle, that this great city is as historic if not more historic than entire states in this Union that market themselves as the birth of this or that.
The great thing about this novel for any New Yorker is that it brings into focus the amazing transformation that's has occurred in just a matter of generations from forested Indian hunting grounds to one of the world's financial and cultural capitals.
The book is not perfect and it slows down and becomes a little vapid towards the end. Perhaps it is the exposure to a more mundane modern life, known to us all, that takes away from what makes the rest of the book so interesting.
Alas with all the progress human nature has evolved more slowly.
From Chapter 21 - Snow 1888
"A Wall Street man is greedy, too. No harm in that. Without greed, I always say, there'd be no civilization. But the Wall Street man doesn't have the patience to till the soil or manufacture things. He's clever, but he's not deep. He invests in companies, but he doesn't much care what they are, or what they do. What he wants is to bet on them. Wall Street will always be full of young men, betting."
When you live in a place like New York it is easy to forget, amongst all the hustle and bustle, that this great city is as historic if not more historic than entire states in this Union that market themselves as the birth of this or that.
The great thing about this novel for any New Yorker is that it brings into focus the amazing transformation that's has occurred in just a matter of generations from forested Indian hunting grounds to one of the world's financial and cultural capitals.
The book is not perfect and it slows down and becomes a little vapid towards the end. Perhaps it is the exposure to a more mundane modern life, known to us all, that takes away from what makes the rest of the book so interesting.
Alas with all the progress human nature has evolved more slowly.
From Chapter 21 - Snow 1888
"A Wall Street man is greedy, too. No harm in that. Without greed, I always say, there'd be no civilization. But the Wall Street man doesn't have the patience to till the soil or manufacture things. He's clever, but he's not deep. He invests in companies, but he doesn't much care what they are, or what they do. What he wants is to bet on them. Wall Street will always be full of young men, betting."
I really enjoyed the beginning but fizzled out towards the end. Wasn't happy that one of the families disappeared half-way through the book, I think it would have been a more interesting narrative if the family had been included in the whole book. However, I did learn a lot and I really enjoyed being able to learn about historical events from a different perspective.
While this author obviously has a fascination with New York, this book has reminded me that I would really hate living there.
Note: While I only rated the book two stars, I rate the audiobook performance 5 stars. Mark Bramhall read this book INCREDIBLY well and was absolutely fantastic.
While this author obviously has a fascination with New York, this book has reminded me that I would really hate living there.
Note: While I only rated the book two stars, I rate the audiobook performance 5 stars. Mark Bramhall read this book INCREDIBLY well and was absolutely fantastic.
I LOVED this novel! No surprise though, Edward Rutherfurd never disappoints. Starting in the 1600's and ending in 2009, the novel follows a family and those who interacted with them through the years. It's beautifully written and the characters just come to life. I could hardly put this down and at 1000+ pages that makes for some sore arms! LOL Mr. Rutherfurd just has such an amazing way of combining fact with fiction and making an enjoyable and compelling read. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!
So, normally I don't read these types of books. You know, it's usually YA novels, or manga, or something like that. Well, I think I discovered a new favourite genre!! I adored this book, and for so many reasons! Rutherford creates so many amazing characters, and before I knew it, I was falling in love with some of them, hating others, and wanting and wishing the best for nearly all of them!! And the way he paints the relationships between not only people, but also how some actions in the past affect our futures is amazing! I really loved it!
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
I absolutly love Edward Rutherfurd and the types of books that he writes. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I have his European ones, it just seemed to be lacking so much character. And I really didn't get the end at all. He clearly states in the last passage that the theme of New York, the city and his book, are imagine and freedom, neither of which I even picked up on reading the book. I was disappointed by the lack of a family tree, but understood why there wasn't one. This story did follow the Master family strictly, but the sub-families were so minimal and there was no great overlapping of all the different families; it's missing the idea that everyone and thing is connected, but I guess that's not the point or theme of this book. I'll never stop ready Rutherfurd, I was just expecting a little more from him.
5 stars for sheer scope and successfully covering 350 years of NYC history, following several family lines that nicely intertwine along the way. This doorstop of a book (860 pages) gets 4 stars for enjoyability because it was just sooooo long. Understandably long, but I was still very ready to be done around page 500.
I feel like I got a nicely well-rounded picture of the history of New York and it’s evolution from 1660’s settlers to present day. It makes me want to go to NYC again and view all of the historic buildings and sights with fresh eyes. This would be a great book to read before a trip to NYC or to anyone who has spent time there. Highly recommend, but just know that it’s a long one.
I feel like I got a nicely well-rounded picture of the history of New York and it’s evolution from 1660’s settlers to present day. It makes me want to go to NYC again and view all of the historic buildings and sights with fresh eyes. This would be a great book to read before a trip to NYC or to anyone who has spent time there. Highly recommend, but just know that it’s a long one.
Not a bad read. In the spirit of the John Jakes series, but focused on New York. Follows a family (or a couple, including immigrants) from the initial time of Indian hunting grounds up until 2009. Some good connections. Unlike the Jakes series, each chapter or so focused on one generation, so it was a little bouncy and I wanted to hear more from some. Especially Charlie and his Jewish girlfriend. Was sad to see them part.