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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
I came to this book because my book club will next be reading Amor Towles' just-released novel, "A Gentleman in Moscow." This is a novel of late-1930s New York, the old-moneyed and powerful as well as the new-moneyed and powerful but especially of those with neither money nor power, typing the letters and editing the manuscripts of the former. It is a first-person tale of a young woman who does not quite let herself get swept up into it all, but who eventually makes her way on her own terms (mostly after the narrated tale is over). It is also the story of so many of the people who are her companions at this time, and I loved them all--the rich villainess, the madcap denizen of the woman's hotel, the feckless heir, the charming investment banker in turn charmed into getting out of his rut, the angry brother, the gossiping socialite--all of them. I loved reading of this New York, from waterfront to the Plaza. It reminded me of "The Great Gatsby" for obvious reasons of similar themes (a decade apart), but while it is not going to become a touchstone, it is absolutely worthy in its own right.
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Masterfully written with characters one's sad to leave behind.
I loved the book. It is one of those stories that makes you want to stay up into the wee hours reading.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2019: never fails to get me in my feels and I have no idea why. 1938 just seems like an ideal year and katey kontent the kind of person I wanna be
2021: please i screamed "I'm gonna cry" at like every single chapter. I love wallace and dicky SO much and eve and fran
2021: please i screamed "I'm gonna cry" at like every single chapter. I love wallace and dicky SO much and eve and fran
Perhaps it's my fondness for the era, perhaps it's my admiration for a strong female character, but I devoured this book. Felt sad when it ended, although it was structured so beautifully that it wrapped up just right. Katey Kontent is a 20something in 1930s New York City, caught between her own struggling working class life while being seduced into the grand life of society. New York is a magical creature in this novel, and it made me long to be whisked back in time.