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carmenghia's review against another edition
2.0
A complete dud. Plotless. All dialogue, little in the way of setting (and it was supposed to be all about the setting), and character development that relied on stereotypes and not always well done dialect. It flashed from character to character in a way that was meant to be "expressionistic" but was just frustrating.
zoepol's review against another edition
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bent's review against another edition
1.0
Over the last 60 pages of this book, my rating dropped from two stars to one. I never really enjoyed it - it was readable enough, but none of the characters were compelling enough to care about. The last sixty pages, however, just seemed to drag on and on.
I found the names of the characters too similar - Jimmy, James, Joe, John, George, Alice, Anna - early on I was flipping back and forth to figure out who I was actually reading about. We don't get to know any of the characters well enough to have much interest or sympathy in their stories.
The book reminds me a lot of Hugh Garner's Cabbagetown but I preferred the latter, partly because it's set in Toronto where I live and can identify with, but mostly because I found I cared about the characters' lives. There was more of a sense of progression in that book. With Manhattan Transfer, I really felt most of the characters were going around in circles, with go-nowhere lives that seemed depressing. I don't think I'll be tackling the USA trilogy any time soon.
I found the names of the characters too similar - Jimmy, James, Joe, John, George, Alice, Anna - early on I was flipping back and forth to figure out who I was actually reading about. We don't get to know any of the characters well enough to have much interest or sympathy in their stories.
The book reminds me a lot of Hugh Garner's Cabbagetown but I preferred the latter, partly because it's set in Toronto where I live and can identify with, but mostly because I found I cared about the characters' lives. There was more of a sense of progression in that book. With Manhattan Transfer, I really felt most of the characters were going around in circles, with go-nowhere lives that seemed depressing. I don't think I'll be tackling the USA trilogy any time soon.
jessferg's review against another edition
1.0
I like a challenging read, I even like an esoteric read. But I did not like this.
Halfway through I decided I was wasting my time, then I decided I was being shallow - I mean, was I an English major or not?! So I persevered when I should have ditched.
Various notes I wrote to myself include "Faulkner's run-ons still had grammatical structure," "Steinbeck wannabe," "Missing Kerouac's cadence," "Garcia-Marquez is the only author allowed to introduce new characters this late in the book," and "for the love of God, WHAT IS THIS GUY'S POINT?!?"
As if that's not enough, the story also, unfortunately, does not hold up as a timepiece. The slang is outdated and difficult to contextualize. There are dozens of characters who we don't care anything about. Some of them manage to make it all the way to the end of the book. The only thing to take away from the novel is "everyone suffers" and that seems like the take away from any and every novel ever.
I thought at first that perhaps the edition I had also did a disservice to the story since it has no proper breaks to the in-chapter sections that change from character to character. But then I looked at another copy and it's the same. Does Dos Passos hate readers? Why would he make it MORE difficult to read?
Whatever. I've certainly read "classics" I didn't like before but I've always kind of been glad I read them anyway but I can't even offer that distinction to this mess of a book.
Halfway through I decided I was wasting my time, then I decided I was being shallow - I mean, was I an English major or not?! So I persevered when I should have ditched.
Various notes I wrote to myself include "Faulkner's run-ons still had grammatical structure," "Steinbeck wannabe," "Missing Kerouac's cadence," "Garcia-Marquez is the only author allowed to introduce new characters this late in the book," and "for the love of God, WHAT IS THIS GUY'S POINT?!?"
As if that's not enough, the story also, unfortunately, does not hold up as a timepiece. The slang is outdated and difficult to contextualize. There are dozens of characters who we don't care anything about. Some of them manage to make it all the way to the end of the book. The only thing to take away from the novel is "everyone suffers" and that seems like the take away from any and every novel ever.
I thought at first that perhaps the edition I had also did a disservice to the story since it has no proper breaks to the in-chapter sections that change from character to character. But then I looked at another copy and it's the same. Does Dos Passos hate readers? Why would he make it MORE difficult to read?
Whatever. I've certainly read "classics" I didn't like before but I've always kind of been glad I read them anyway but I can't even offer that distinction to this mess of a book.
louisegnd22's review against another edition
4.0
I really quite enjoyed this book, even though its reading was not so simple due to the great number of very diverse characters whose lives intertwine throughout the narration. Really had the feeling of a city that never sleeps.
another_shoe's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
bookish_barista's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really enjoyable read. It kinda has the same energy as sitting at a nice cafe bar and spending the afternoon people watching. The author's words, descriptors, imagery - chef's kiss. It's definitely a book that has a poetic aspect without being pretentious. He just captures city life so so well. I especially like how he blends hustle and bustle of NYC with quite peaceful descriptions of the sun and trees. The only reason I'm marking it as 4 stars is that it can be quite hard to follow sometimes because there are so many characters and storylines. Also, bear in mind it was written in the 20s, so whilst the language is generally quite modern there are some very dated phrases used occasionally.
Some of my fav quotes:
"The trees spread branches of brittle purple into a dove-coloured sky; the large-windowed houses opposite glowed pink, nonchalant, prosperous."
"An elevated train shattered the barred sunlight overhead. He could see Ruth's mouth forming words."
"He wanted to break down the door after her. He dropped on his knees and kissed the step where she had stood. The fog swirled and flickered with colours in confetti about him. Then the trumpet feeling ebbed and he was falling through a black manhole. He stood stockstill."
Some of my fav quotes:
"The trees spread branches of brittle purple into a dove-coloured sky; the large-windowed houses opposite glowed pink, nonchalant, prosperous."
"An elevated train shattered the barred sunlight overhead. He could see Ruth's mouth forming words."
"He wanted to break down the door after her. He dropped on his knees and kissed the step where she had stood. The fog swirled and flickered with colours in confetti about him. Then the trumpet feeling ebbed and he was falling through a black manhole. He stood stockstill."
jboira05's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
nickkmarshall's review against another edition
3.0
The book follows the intertwined lives of New Yorkers - both native to the US and coming from abroad. As well as this, it depicts their reception, successes and failures in the city and how their lives impact one another. Each character comes to find more flaws with the city as they indulge in its glory, leading to deep unhappiness for many.
Themes of migration and prohibition are very prominent in the novel - however there were vast undertones of racism and xenophobia throughout the novel (which I found overcast the intentions of the novel’s motifs).
Themes of migration and prohibition are very prominent in the novel - however there were vast undertones of racism and xenophobia throughout the novel (which I found overcast the intentions of the novel’s motifs).
gabi_leoncini's review against another edition
4.0
So, I don't usually enjoy modernist literature but this was excellent. I feel the best way to tackle this text is with pen and highlighter in hand because it is CONFUSING. There are still parts I don't understand, even after studying the text. However, it's definitely worth the read, Dos Passos' writing is genius.