Reviews

Immigrant City by David Bezmozgis

ingread27's review against another edition

3.0

A set of 7 short stories, written by a Latvian immigrant. Being of the same age as the author, and of Latvian descent (as a child, my mom fled Latvia during WWII), I was affected greatly by several of these stories. They inspire me to learn more about the different ways the war affected Latvians at the time. My mom was too young to know more than her own experience, and not being Jewish, it would have been different than the author's family. I know too little about this piece of history for my own liking.
So some stories were beautiful and touching, and others left me a little flat, but were still interesting. Overall, I'm so grateful to have been given this book.

carmanj's review against another edition

4.0

Strong writing, very evocative. Stories are largely about a middle-aged man (not the same man) who emigrated to Canada or the US from Latvia as a child and is dealing with parents or scoundrels or both. Sort of a mix of Mordecai Richler and Gary Shteyngart but gentler and less biting.

ajkhn's review against another edition

5.0

Picked this up randomly at the library and really enjoyed it. It's the sort of Selection of Short Stories where every protagonist is more or less the author, but it's engaging stuff if you're into the "immigrant families making sense of living in multiple worlds." The second to last story, "A New Gravestone for an Old Grave," was especially great.

eososray's review

2.0

I enjoyed the story of the Russian boxer, but the rest didn't appeal to me.

maria_claudia's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

jose_bravo's review

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

mishnah's review

emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

banger after banger after banger. truly great fiction on ambivalence and the immigrant experience 

elektr's review

emotional funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

thepoptimist's review

3.0

Can I just say that I got a perverse joy every time David Bezmozgis talked of his home in Latvia thinking it as Latveria the home of Doctor Doom. Vaguely European vassals under the sway of an iron plated monarch with a penchant for villainous monologuing. Right - not helpful. God, I suck at reviewing short stories.

Listen the first, and titular, story just hooked me. It's just a tight, beautifully constructed, evocative piece about a man and his daughter buying a car door from a Somali in Toronto. And then it's followed by a couple of shaggy pieces that just don't quite gel for me and I'm off balance. But maybe I'm just not paying close enough attention. Bezmozgis has a way of laying out elements of a story that snap into sharp focus at the end. Victor returning to his homeland to settle a gravestone at the expense of his vacation resolves into dealing with his counterpart Ilya and how far removed he's become from the life that might have been his in Riga. The final story, The Russian Riviera ambles at a fine pace in a clear voice that I'd have been happy to get a full story from.

So like every short story review ever. Some hits, some misses but overall a solid piece of writing.

meghan_is_reading's review

The first couple felt like it could have been the same person. The last two had a different feel.