Comments on: New York Trilogy http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/book-review-of-three-new-york-novels/ Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:25:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: craig tepper http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/book-review-of-three-new-york-novels/comment-page-1/#comment-1053 craig tepper Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:41:49 +0000 http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/issue/?p=552#comment-1053 Mr. Sacks -- I'm twenty pages in Great World Spin and am completely agreed it is a meretricious piece of prolix writing. Thanks for confirming me. I'll trundle on, skimming, which is what it demands... best, Craig Mr. Sacks –

I’m twenty pages in Great World Spin and am completely agreed it is a meretricious piece of prolix writing.

Thanks for confirming me. I’ll trundle on, skimming, which is what it demands…

best,
Craig

]]> By: John http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/book-review-of-three-new-york-novels/comment-page-1/#comment-864 John Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:53:14 +0000 http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/issue/?p=552#comment-864 Excllent article! I haven't read Doctorow's book, but I finished Toibin's and McCann's within the last month, and I think you've nailed them both. I was somewhat apprehensive about Brooklyn's small scale and familiar Tree Grows/McCourt (love the former/not a fan of the latter) theme, but I was wholly convinced by the dignity of Toibin's characters and the restrained elegance of his prose; amazing how he manages to quietly communicate Ellis's turmoils and triumphs. On the other hand, the NYT review of Spin had me very excited, but I was annoyed from the outset by McCann's labored poetic imagery, and ultimately embarrassed and irritated by some of his narrative attempts - Tillie the whore, gimme a break, and what is up with the graffiti photographer?!? I found his writing and characterizations self-conscious and hollow. Btw, speaking as born and bred NYer, I think White sold the native's passion short, but in a way his doing so is very NY in and of itself: the Settlers disparage the Natives who disparage the Commuters who disparage the Natives...and everybody disparages the Tourists. Excllent article! I haven’t read Doctorow’s book, but I finished Toibin’s and McCann’s within the last month, and I think you’ve nailed them both. I was somewhat apprehensive about Brooklyn’s small scale and familiar Tree Grows/McCourt (love the former/not a fan of the latter) theme, but I was wholly convinced by the dignity of Toibin’s characters and the restrained elegance of his prose; amazing how he manages to quietly communicate Ellis’s turmoils and triumphs. On the other hand, the NYT review of Spin had me very excited, but I was annoyed from the outset by McCann’s labored poetic imagery, and ultimately embarrassed and irritated by some of his narrative attempts – Tillie the whore, gimme a break, and what is up with the graffiti photographer?!? I found his writing and characterizations self-conscious and hollow. Btw, speaking as born and bred NYer, I think White sold the native’s passion short, but in a way his doing so is very NY in and of itself: the Settlers disparage the Natives who disparage the Commuters who disparage the Natives…and everybody disparages the Tourists.

]]>