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trin's review against another edition
3.0
An odd mix of entries that are extremely evocative and inspirational -- ones that transport you vividly to another era, and to a wonderfully rich and specific New York -- and entries that don't do any of that, don't have any particular sense of place, and just feel like filler.
I mean, it's easy to backseat edit -- I would have chosen differently! -- but ultimately I am glad I read this. It made me want to try keeping a diary of my own again. I want to capture just a little of what it's like to live in this city, in this time.
I mean, it's easy to backseat edit -- I would have chosen differently! -- but ultimately I am glad I read this. It made me want to try keeping a diary of my own again. I want to capture just a little of what it's like to live in this city, in this time.
horfhorfhorf's review
2.0
I dunno what I thought this would be, but I made it halfway through February before I was over it.
niniane's review
3.0
Interesting premise, but the actual book would have been better with fewer authors. I loved the Andy Warhol entries. Most other authors were boring.
gingerholli's review
3.0
I love a diary and I love New York, but I just “kinda liked” this book. I think it would have been better if the diarist complete entries were grouped separately, instead of group all by date. Idk, I expected much more.
jinjer's review
5.0
After reading [b:Dear Los Angeles: The City in Diaries and Letters, 1542 to 2018|39404423|Dear Los Angeles The City in Diaries and Letters, 1542 to 2018|David Kipen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522217878l/39404423._SY75_.jpg|61064085] I then wanted to read New York Diaries, which author David Kipen used as a model for his Dear Los Angeles because he liked the format.
Both books start on January 1st and go through December 31st. Each day has diary entries from different people in different years. Famous and not so famous. I love this format! You can turn to any day of the year and see what was happening anywhere from 400 years ago (in the case of New York) or as recently as a year ago (in the case of Los Angeles).
Just like with the Los Angeles book, I found myself intrigued by snippets of New York life, such as:
*Why in the world did women used to weave actual bird nests into their elaborate hairstyles??? Ew.
*President George Washington exercising on his horse.
*Married high society ladies accompanied by their boy toys when out to parties without their husbands.
*Teddy Roosevelt's heartache when his mom and wife died in his arms, hours apart.
*A 10-yo little heiress wanted kid gloves in salmon but was told that color wasn't useful. Then she was given a silk dress but it was the soft kind that doesn't rustle. LOL. She had a green silk dress that she hated so much she was secretly glad when it was splashed by mud from a carriage because the dress could not be cleaned. Another entry finds her walking back and forth on the balcony, crying so much her eyes hurt, because her father wouldn't let her go to the theater with her brother to see the acrobats because Christians shouldn't see such things. Parents crushing childrens' dreams since the 1840s. LOL
Anyway, if you like reading diaries, I highly recommend either or both of those books. In the back are explanations of who each person was and the name of the book if their diaries were published. If they weren't published, it tells you where you can go to see the manuscripts.
I need a book like this for each and every city in the world!!!! If you know of any other cities that have books like this or come across any, please let me know!!
Both books start on January 1st and go through December 31st. Each day has diary entries from different people in different years. Famous and not so famous. I love this format! You can turn to any day of the year and see what was happening anywhere from 400 years ago (in the case of New York) or as recently as a year ago (in the case of Los Angeles).
Just like with the Los Angeles book, I found myself intrigued by snippets of New York life, such as:
*Why in the world did women used to weave actual bird nests into their elaborate hairstyles??? Ew.
*President George Washington exercising on his horse.
*Married high society ladies accompanied by their boy toys when out to parties without their husbands.
*Teddy Roosevelt's heartache when his mom and wife died in his arms, hours apart.
*A 10-yo little heiress wanted kid gloves in salmon but was told that color wasn't useful. Then she was given a silk dress but it was the soft kind that doesn't rustle. LOL. She had a green silk dress that she hated so much she was secretly glad when it was splashed by mud from a carriage because the dress could not be cleaned. Another entry finds her walking back and forth on the balcony, crying so much her eyes hurt, because her father wouldn't let her go to the theater with her brother to see the acrobats because Christians shouldn't see such things. Parents crushing childrens' dreams since the 1840s. LOL
Anyway, if you like reading diaries, I highly recommend either or both of those books. In the back are explanations of who each person was and the name of the book if their diaries were published. If they weren't published, it tells you where you can go to see the manuscripts.
I need a book like this for each and every city in the world!!!! If you know of any other cities that have books like this or come across any, please let me know!!
fypast's review
3.0
I read this for the concept and the concept is what it is. As would result from such a concept, not all the entries are entertaining day to day. Every now and then you hit a gem and it's exciting; a lot of the time you just don't care.
I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it who has their mind set on it. Just know that humanity's recorded daily thoughts won't always be novel or entertaining. Nonetheless, this still takes some valuable selections from worthy contributors.
I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it who has their mind set on it. Just know that humanity's recorded daily thoughts won't always be novel or entertaining. Nonetheless, this still takes some valuable selections from worthy contributors.
wilsonthomasjoseph's review
I read this book on a trip to New York, and the relevancy--I think--made the book more entertaining than it is. There are some really neat and interesting journal entries in here, but a lot of the entries could have been written in any city.
soavezefiretto's review
5.0
This has journal entries from well-known and absolutely unknown people, from the first boats who bumped on the shore in 1609 to 9/11 and beyond. It's walks in the wind and food and dances and work and drink and glory and misery, it's absolutely fantastic and if New York has ever held the slightest bit of fascination for you, you should read it. Or if you like journals. Or if you like, you know, life, and history, and stuff like that.
leannevisser's review
3.0
Lovely idea, but I really missed context.
Context because I am not an American, and some of the historical dates don't mean that much too me. But also context because the random events from the lives of the writers weren't always that interesting without knowing what happened before, or would happen next.
Context because I am not an American, and some of the historical dates don't mean that much too me. But also context because the random events from the lives of the writers weren't always that interesting without knowing what happened before, or would happen next.