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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Someone once told me beginnings are not Rutherford's strong suit. They weren't wrong. Getting through the opening bit of this book was a tad painful. The premise sounded so interesting -- a fictional history of NYC, from Dutch settlement to current day, sprinkled with actual historical figures and events -- that I was disappointed when the first few chapters drug, with prose that seemed too simple and stilted. Thankfully, Rutherford's story does well when time helps to add layers. New York: The Novel essentially follows one family, of course connecting in and out with a few other families along the way. For the most part, the family is very wealthy, which means our characters are key players in some major events, but also ignores a lot of the grittier aspects of history or New York herself. A few attempts to dirty it up seem to happen when characters go "slumming."
While the book is certainly engrossing, and watching New York slowly grow and build and form into the gleaming city we know today, Rutherford's novel also struggles with repetition of stock characters. Men seem to almost always follow the same path: rebellious youth and disconnection from their families, fathers in particular, followed by a period of estrangement where they realize they've strayed too far afield, get their lives back together, and rejoin the family and the family business to add even greater wealth and stability and be a great father for the next generation.
Women on the other hand have two roles, and both of them, frankly, suck. Women tend to be harpy shrews, who commit some of the worst offenses in the book, or they are such pious, virtuous little pushovers, that their only character traits seem to be willingness to agree with everything their fathers/brothers say and the ability to not matter a damn bit. After reading a few hundred years of these same interactions, I was so pleased to find an oh so tiny variation in the mid 20th century that despite the horrible treatment of the characters, I just went with it.
While this review has sounded mostly negative, New York was still a very fun book to read. Rutherford's done a few other novels in this form, and though I can't say I'm dying to plod through his prose in another book, this is a style that works well for him -- very few intros when you're just continuing the family line -- and it's a great way to read about the history of a city. A fun summer read if nothing else.
While the book is certainly engrossing, and watching New York slowly grow and build and form into the gleaming city we know today, Rutherford's novel also struggles with repetition of stock characters. Men seem to almost always follow the same path: rebellious youth and disconnection from their families, fathers in particular, followed by a period of estrangement where they realize they've strayed too far afield, get their lives back together, and rejoin the family and the family business to add even greater wealth and stability and be a great father for the next generation.
Women on the other hand have two roles, and both of them, frankly, suck. Women tend to be harpy shrews, who commit some of the worst offenses in the book, or they are such pious, virtuous little pushovers, that their only character traits seem to be willingness to agree with everything their fathers/brothers say and the ability to not matter a damn bit. After reading a few hundred years of these same interactions, I was so pleased to find an oh so tiny variation in the mid 20th century that despite the horrible treatment of the characters, I just went with it.
While this review has sounded mostly negative, New York was still a very fun book to read. Rutherford's done a few other novels in this form, and though I can't say I'm dying to plod through his prose in another book, this is a style that works well for him -- very few intros when you're just continuing the family line -- and it's a great way to read about the history of a city. A fun summer read if nothing else.
An epic historical novel that begins in the 1600s during the Dutch colonization, to the 9/11 destruction of the World Trade Center and end in 2009 (epilogue). Edward Rutherfurd tells the story of New York City by following families down through the centuries. This is a extensive history book NYC along with fiction. I absolutely loved the book!
Wow, this was loooong. It hit the spot though, a mood read to help me deal with my youngest moving away to NYC. I learned a lot!
This book is epic - literally. Spans the history of New York from the Dutch settlements of the 1600s through the effects of 9/11, following fictional families through the biggest events in the city's history. It's a commitment to read, but worth it.
The revolutionary war section dragged a little, but other then that this book is an excellent portrayal of the city of New York.
4.5 ⭐
Dos palabras: ¡Me encanto!
Es una novela histórica que va explicando el origen, el crecimiento y desarrollo de la bella Ciudad de Nueva York, durante la cual, mientras se llevan a cabo procesos importantes que la marcaron, se cuenta la historia de la familia Master.
Personalmente, me pareció muy bien escrita, es muy clara, fluida y detallada y, a pesar de tener varios personajes, profundiza en los principales y es fácil entender sus posturas antes los sucesos que se van suscitando. Asimismo, el hecho de que hayan sido incluidas comunidades de diversas procedencias (ya sean negros, irlandeses, judíos, puertorriqueños, etc) lo hace más realista, puesto que es una ciudad que ha sido construida gracias a la diversidad.
Es una lectura que, contando con el tiempo suficiente, se puede leer y disfrutar y sí, ¡sin duda alguna la recomiendo!
Dos palabras: ¡Me encanto!
Es una novela histórica que va explicando el origen, el crecimiento y desarrollo de la bella Ciudad de Nueva York, durante la cual, mientras se llevan a cabo procesos importantes que la marcaron, se cuenta la historia de la familia Master.
Personalmente, me pareció muy bien escrita, es muy clara, fluida y detallada y, a pesar de tener varios personajes, profundiza en los principales y es fácil entender sus posturas antes los sucesos que se van suscitando. Asimismo, el hecho de que hayan sido incluidas comunidades de diversas procedencias (ya sean negros, irlandeses, judíos, puertorriqueños, etc) lo hace más realista, puesto que es una ciudad que ha sido construida gracias a la diversidad.
Es una lectura que, contando con el tiempo suficiente, se puede leer y disfrutar y sí, ¡sin duda alguna la recomiendo!
I wasn't a big fan of this book. It just wasn't for me.
The whole concept of this book was interesting. The history of New York in a fiction novel. It was really cool how he connected the stories of the families together and how it really all came back to the belt that Pale Feather gave Van Dyck at the beginning of the novel.
The storyline was nice, and I liked some parts.
My biggest problem with this book was the length. Yes, I understand that this book needed to be long. The 1000 pages it was in paperback were quite intimidating. This book had to be long, but that doesn't mean I had to like it. I think I would have preferred it being a series, instead of one big book.
Even though it wasn't my favourite, it was still a neat book and I suggest that any history buff or New Yorker try it out. Not bad, just not for me.
The whole concept of this book was interesting. The history of New York in a fiction novel. It was really cool how he connected the stories of the families together and how it really all came back to the belt that Pale Feather gave Van Dyck at the beginning of the novel.
The storyline was nice, and I liked some parts.
My biggest problem with this book was the length. Yes, I understand that this book needed to be long. The 1000 pages it was in paperback were quite intimidating. This book had to be long, but that doesn't mean I had to like it. I think I would have preferred it being a series, instead of one big book.
Even though it wasn't my favourite, it was still a neat book and I suggest that any history buff or New Yorker try it out. Not bad, just not for me.
very long, but worth it for fans of historical fiction
Really interesting how author wove the history of New York into multi generations of fictional families. The chapters on the Revolutionary War went on and on while some of the later chapters were too short. Once past the Revolutionary War the book picked up for me.