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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Amazing. I was a bit daunted by the size of the book but the storyline was so good I couldn't put it down.
A very good book that combines historical fact about a truly great and cool city, and follows the social/economic/emotional lives of one family and the following generations. It took me over a month to read and digest New York mostly because I had to stop and re-read the historical background. Also, trying to follow the happenings of each generation - beginning in the early 1600s through present day - was a challenge.
The first three quarters of New York was excellent. The characters had depth and the detail of their lives was rich. However, once we hit the 1950s, it became a bit stale. There wasn't as much detail, background or explanation of characters and entire families that we'd met in the early part of the century became a footnote at the end.
Obviously the history of how New York came to be an epicenter of social and economical influence was intense. As an original colony, understanding the "American" and "British" influence was really important. But as I am from modern times, it would have been nice to have more details about the things that happened in New York in the 21st century. September 11 had an enormous impact on American life and New Yorkers. I felt that this part of the tale of The City was lacking. To illustrate how it changed our prejudices (of which there were a lot in the past 300+ years), social aspirations, economical lifestyle and more just wasn't there. I wanted to know so much more about Gorham Master and his life AFTER 9/11. I wanted to know more about Charlie Master, his father. What happened to him all those years with out his love, Sarah Adler? Without his son?
A very good book for sure. But could definitely have used a strong ending. The destruction of the Wampu belt on 9/11, which had been passed down for hundreds of years, actually had me choked up. "Pale Feather's Father" is how it all began.
The first three quarters of New York was excellent. The characters had depth and the detail of their lives was rich. However, once we hit the 1950s, it became a bit stale. There wasn't as much detail, background or explanation of characters and entire families that we'd met in the early part of the century became a footnote at the end.
Obviously the history of how New York came to be an epicenter of social and economical influence was intense. As an original colony, understanding the "American" and "British" influence was really important. But as I am from modern times, it would have been nice to have more details about the things that happened in New York in the 21st century. September 11 had an enormous impact on American life and New Yorkers. I felt that this part of the tale of The City was lacking. To illustrate how it changed our prejudices (of which there were a lot in the past 300+ years), social aspirations, economical lifestyle and more just wasn't there. I wanted to know so much more about Gorham Master and his life AFTER 9/11. I wanted to know more about Charlie Master, his father. What happened to him all those years with out his love, Sarah Adler? Without his son?
A very good book for sure. But could definitely have used a strong ending. The destruction of the Wampu belt on 9/11, which had been passed down for hundreds of years, actually had me choked up. "Pale Feather's Father" is how it all began.
3.5, I think. This book is a MILLION YEARS LONG, and the author has done several like it, which makes for some inevitable sloppiness. The book follows a(n imaginary) handful of families from the settling of New Amsterdam through the early 2000s, so it was kind of nice to check back in on audiobook all summer and listen to new generations have their experiences. Some of it felt like fan service to lovers of NYC (Yeah? Wild strawberries all just happened to grow on the center-west side of the island in the 1600s just where Strawberry Fields popped up?) BUT as a lover of NYC I welcomed most of it. And I got all choked up at the end, thinking about my favorite place in the world and what it means to me, so yeah, I liked this. (EXCEPT the author named some guys Vorpal and Bandersnatch and said Vorpal's face was "sword-like" and i couldn't tell if I was Jabberwoo-ed or Jabber-ragey.) (Oh and the epilogue was unnecessarily preachy about old New York and kids nowadays and I really didn't need it except for the last few sentences.)
I enjoyed this book and all the characters in it. I did find some parts to be dull but most of it entertaining. I didn't understand why some names where kept thru out history and some you never heard from again. It was a really long read I thought maybe to make sure everything was included of the history of New York but I think some things could have been kept out and the book could have been shorter. Still a good read!
very readable history but it’s kind of nuts that like 85% of the history of new york is told through the POV of rich anglosaxon upper east siders
A solid piece of historical fiction, full of edifying asides, although nothing to write home about.
I very much enjoyed this novel. It is a grad sweeping epic of New York told through several different families down generations. This IS a historical novel first and foremost. Meaning it is less about the people and more about the city itself. The characters are just a mode to tell New York's history in a more entertaining way than a history textbook. That being said, there was always at least one character in each generation that I adored. The best parts of the novel takes place during the Revolutionary War. John and James Masters, father and son with different political views, are extraordinary characters that are driven by their morals along with their view of high class manners.
While I really liked this novel the length killed me. Somewhere in the 600s I wanted to be not reading it, not because I didn't enjoy it but because 800 pages is a long time to be in one novel world.
All in all, a really enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in New York and its history.
While I really liked this novel the length killed me. Somewhere in the 600s I wanted to be not reading it, not because I didn't enjoy it but because 800 pages is a long time to be in one novel world.
All in all, a really enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in New York and its history.
I really loved this book. I found it difficult in the middle however, it felt a little long in places (I mean I know it was long but to begin with it just flowed really easily and the first 200 pages or so but it then kind of hit a wall where I struggled to read more than 20 pages at a time)
What I really loved about this book is that though fictional I feel I've learnt a lot about the history and the politics of America. It was brilliantly and seamlessly integrated in to the book. The characters were deep and rounded and I loved the progression of the family through time - though I wish there were a family tree somewhere because drawing my own I feel I made mistakes! Reading about New York from it's conception - from where it was a heavy Dutch population to the influence of the English.
I got this book in a bundle from WHSmith (modern literature or some-such) and I am glad I did because it's not the sort of book I would ordinarily pick up. Though very interested in history, I confess the history of America doesn't draw much interest from me and the sheer length of this book would probably put me off (especially from an author I've heard very little to nothing about).
This was a really strong, brilliant piece of work and it's opened my eyes to an author I would more than likely otherwise overlook.
What I really loved about this book is that though fictional I feel I've learnt a lot about the history and the politics of America. It was brilliantly and seamlessly integrated in to the book. The characters were deep and rounded and I loved the progression of the family through time - though I wish there were a family tree somewhere because drawing my own I feel I made mistakes! Reading about New York from it's conception - from where it was a heavy Dutch population to the influence of the English.
I got this book in a bundle from WHSmith (modern literature or some-such) and I am glad I did because it's not the sort of book I would ordinarily pick up. Though very interested in history, I confess the history of America doesn't draw much interest from me and the sheer length of this book would probably put me off (especially from an author I've heard very little to nothing about).
This was a really strong, brilliant piece of work and it's opened my eyes to an author I would more than likely otherwise overlook.
This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. New York is a historical fictional book that ties actually historical people and events with fictional characters. The book is so well written I saw NY materialize before my eyes page after page. If you love American history and you love NY and what NY was about, is about and always will be about I strongly recommend this book.
A wonderful tale of the life of the greatest city in the world and the people who make it great. Rutherford is able to make a connection with each generation of immigrants, from the original settlers of the 17th century to those who came ashore in the late 20th century.