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janp's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
5.0
fyoosha's review
4.0
I started reading this book because, as a native New Yorker desperate to leave New York, I was curious to read about other perspectives. In that sense, this essay collection was a bit of a disappointment, because most of the essays were from transplants rather than natives, and even the natives shared nothing in common with my experience: they were all white or somewhat wealthy, and all from Manhattan. More generally speaking, I was disappointed that most of the contributors to this book are middle-class white women. I could have used a lot more diversity, especially considering that New York City is home to the biggest immigrant population in the country. Despite that, not a single essay in this book is from the perspective of an immigrant or a child of first-generation immigrants.
Most of the contributors are also much older than I am, which means they have written about New York City of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, a city that is almost entirely unfamiliar to me (I was born in '92). Still, it was fascinating to read about just how different the city was back then - the danger, the seediness, the art, the allure. Compared to that city, today's city feels like a soulless corporate husk.
Several themes come up again and again. The idea of New York City as a fantasy or an escape. The cost of rent (this comes up so often, as it rightfully should, given the city's ridiculous housing market). The effect of the September 11 attacks. The glitz and glamour of the city juxtaposed with the poverty. Many of these themes resonated with me, as did the references to various locations and restaurants, but many of the essays made me feel bereft. These writers, in moving to New York City, truly experienced the city. They lived. I've lived in the city most of my life and I haven't experienced a fraction of what these writers have. Is it because I'm a native and I take the city for granted?
Most of the essays were top-notch, stylistically speaking, and some were absolutely excellent. I think maybe only one was kind of boring? They're all written in a relatively straightforward manner, even with all the divergences in style and tone. I intentionally slowed down my reading of this book because reading huge chunks of it in one sitting made it feel repetitive, so I read only a couple of essays every few days.
I have to comment on the essay the book is named after. Incidentally, I do wish that Joan Didion's essay had been included in this book so that I didn't have to hunt down a suspicious-looking PDF of it. Honestly, so many of the essays in this book blew Didion's out of the water. Her essay felt very nebulous to me, and I was unimpressed. Perhaps I need to read it again more carefully to understand the purported genius of it.
Most of the contributors are also much older than I am, which means they have written about New York City of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, a city that is almost entirely unfamiliar to me (I was born in '92). Still, it was fascinating to read about just how different the city was back then - the danger, the seediness, the art, the allure. Compared to that city, today's city feels like a soulless corporate husk.
Several themes come up again and again. The idea of New York City as a fantasy or an escape. The cost of rent (this comes up so often, as it rightfully should, given the city's ridiculous housing market). The effect of the September 11 attacks. The glitz and glamour of the city juxtaposed with the poverty. Many of these themes resonated with me, as did the references to various locations and restaurants, but many of the essays made me feel bereft. These writers, in moving to New York City, truly experienced the city. They lived. I've lived in the city most of my life and I haven't experienced a fraction of what these writers have. Is it because I'm a native and I take the city for granted?
Most of the essays were top-notch, stylistically speaking, and some were absolutely excellent. I think maybe only one was kind of boring? They're all written in a relatively straightforward manner, even with all the divergences in style and tone. I intentionally slowed down my reading of this book because reading huge chunks of it in one sitting made it feel repetitive, so I read only a couple of essays every few days.
I have to comment on the essay the book is named after. Incidentally, I do wish that Joan Didion's essay had been included in this book so that I didn't have to hunt down a suspicious-looking PDF of it. Honestly, so many of the essays in this book blew Didion's out of the water. Her essay felt very nebulous to me, and I was unimpressed. Perhaps I need to read it again more carefully to understand the purported genius of it.