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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I went in with low expectations but this book has heart.
This book... Jami Attenberg's books deal with humanity and relationships in such deep and intimate ways. I have laughed and cried through every one of them but so far, this one is my favorite. Some of it has to do with time and place. Some of it has to do with the way this story unfolds.
This was a re-read, a rare thing for me and fiction (so many books, not enough time in the world), and it was a pleasure to uncover another round of hidden gems in a book I already loved so much the first time. There is so much in here.
This was a re-read, a rare thing for me and fiction (so many books, not enough time in the world), and it was a pleasure to uncover another round of hidden gems in a book I already loved so much the first time. There is so much in here.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5. I'll leave the details of my review for after book club meeting.
Fun historical fiction about a real life bawdy, self-possessed humanitarian and theatre owner. Mazie's love of New York and her community felt contagious. I loved the colorful cast of characters: the rotating cast of men, her obsessive mother-figure sister, the sister who actually ran away with the circus when that was a thing people did. The book is rooted in reality, but the details feel larger than life, much like Mazie herself.
Perfect train read - held my attention over distracting conversations and babies screaming, broken up into shorter segments with the diary entries, and a wonderful story with a fully developed protagonist. I'm just sorry I finished it before my trip was over! I'll miss Miss Mazie.
I loved the premise of this book but it had no follow through. With such a wonderful main character as Mazie Phillips and a compelling true story, I believe the author need to provide more details and fill in more of the holes to make this book work. Mazie Phillips was a proprietor at The Venice, a famous New York City movie theater, and became troubled by the issues facing addicts and the homeless in the Bowery. There is such interesting material there, and I loved the beginning of the book when Jami Attenberg was describing and helping us get to know Mazie and her indomitable spirit. The book just never seemed to move beyond this initial introduction.
I picked this book up after hearing the author speak at the Women's Literary Festival in Long Beach. I really enjoyed the author and was excited to read the book. While this wasn't a page turner for me, I did enjoy the story of Mazie Gordon. She was a woman with a lot of spunk and the heart to help almost anyone who needed a hand.
My favorite book by Jami Attenberg yet. Lots of fascinating characters, and creepy parallels to why’s going in the world today (as the main character’s wife takes place during a pandemic and a depression). I normally don’t love historical fiction but this one was so full a life and presented well— I like the flashes to today in between the diary entries. Very good.