A review by wdudley89
Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell

3.0

I gave up on this book, which is rare for me. Mitchell’s writing might have been better enjoyed in its original form, as a series of pieces in the New Yorker, consumed every few months or so, rather than as a 700-page book. Some of his profiles of quirky characters are interesting, but I did not find that they collectively enhanced my understanding of 1930s and 40s America sufficiently to justify the effort of ploughing through them all. Mitchell’s prose is solid, but not elegant or varied or witty. When I found myself skimming, I decided my time would be better spent with other books.