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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a recommendation for the 12 books by 12 friends challenge by pal Caitlin. This book had not been on my radar at all and I’m so so glad to have read it! Well, I listened to it - and I highly recommend this format due to the perfect narration by Xe Sands.
New Year’s Eve 1985- Lillian Boxfish walks for miles around Manhattan. She recalls her time in advertising, dates, her marriage, her divorce, motherhood, how the city has changed and how it’s stayed the same all while meeting new people.
This novel is a love letter to NYC. As a New Yorker, I LOVE stories set in the past here. Lillian’s outlook on her life coupled with her kindness towards strangers (and their kindness towards her) has really stayed with me. There’s a great interview between the author and narrator at the end of the audiobook, where I learned Lillian is loosely based on Margaret Fishback, the highest paid female advertising copywriter in the world during the 1930s. If you love long meandering tales about human connection, NYC, and a badass female protagonist this book is for you.
✨Content Warnings: Suicide Attempt, Self-Harm, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Medical Content
✨Themes: Human Connection, Identity, Memory
✨You May Like This If You Enjoyed:
-A Gentleman in Moscow (Amor Towles)
-Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Jonathan Safran Foer)
-Let the Great World Spin (Colum McCann)
New Year’s Eve 1985- Lillian Boxfish walks for miles around Manhattan. She recalls her time in advertising, dates, her marriage, her divorce, motherhood, how the city has changed and how it’s stayed the same all while meeting new people.
This novel is a love letter to NYC. As a New Yorker, I LOVE stories set in the past here. Lillian’s outlook on her life coupled with her kindness towards strangers (and their kindness towards her) has really stayed with me. There’s a great interview between the author and narrator at the end of the audiobook, where I learned Lillian is loosely based on Margaret Fishback, the highest paid female advertising copywriter in the world during the 1930s. If you love long meandering tales about human connection, NYC, and a badass female protagonist this book is for you.
✨Content Warnings: Suicide Attempt, Self-Harm, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Medical Content
✨Themes: Human Connection, Identity, Memory
✨You May Like This If You Enjoyed:
-A Gentleman in Moscow (Amor Towles)
-Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Jonathan Safran Foer)
-Let the Great World Spin (Colum McCann)
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Lillian Boxfish (based on the real-life Margaret Fishback) embarks on a walking tour of her beloved New York City on the last day of 1984. The city is gripped in fear of the Subway Vigilante and Lillian is gripped by the knowledge the bulk of her life is behind her. As she visits important locations, she reminisces on half a century of career, relationships, decisions and consequences. During her journey, she also encounters people from all walks of life and imparts a little bit of herself into their lives before moving on. This was such a lovely story although it did at times take a slow, meandering pace. However, that may very well be the point when spending a day with Lillian Boxfish.
I appreciate what this book was trying to do, but just like Lillian's walk, this book was kind of a meandering mess. I really wish the author had just written it about the actual woman that it is based on, but she chose not to. I wish this book was good, but it wasn't. It was a mess and it was confusing as to whether the chapter I was reading was past or present. I also didn't care for the kitschy idea that the book was based on a 10ish mile walk. It was literally just an old lady walking around reminiscing...it could have been better, much better.
No need to read this!
No need to read this!
emotional
funny
reflective
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
It’s New Year’s Eve 1984 and Lillian Boxfish, modeled on poet and advertising pioneer Margaret Fishback, spends the evening walking 10 miles around the city she’s lived in for nearly 60 years. The book is a love letter to New York City and the 20th century—and as someone who grew up in the New York area in the ‘70s and ‘80s and spent plenty of time in the City, I was all in. I also love how the novel emphasizes the power of walking to truly experience a place. A lovely, memorable novel.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The story was well written with just enough "Umph" to keep you wondering what would happen to Ms. Boxfish by the end. I loved learning about how advertising started out and how it has changed over the years. The story of Lillian's career made me grateful for the gains women have made in the workforce since the 30's through 60's (no longer forced out of office once childbearing). It wasn't my favorite novel, but it was a "good read".
Lillian would’ve HATEd the social media influencer ads of today
Lillian is a delight. I found myself wanting to be one of the lucky someone's she encountered on her ever brave and eventful walk around NYC. Great read!