Customer Reviews

Big City Eyes: A Novel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have to confess I had higher hopes for "Big City Eyes." I was immediately drawn into the book by Ephron's snappy style and astute and somewhat offbeat observations regarding human nature. But about halfway through the novel, I realized it all seemed familiar, not as original as I had hoped. Lily moves out of Manhattan to save her son, only to realize...what??? That small towns are gossip mills? That bad things happen in small towns? That she can be attracted to a married man? None of this is a big surprise to the reader, especially since it is spelled out in the fly leaf of the novel.

Ultimately, I'm disappointed that the novel didn't chart out a more definite journey of self-discovery for Lily. Instead it skirts around the surface. Perhaps the reason for its superficialness is that its trapped somewhere between a genre mystery and a novel. And as a mystery it fails because we don't really care that much about the victim or the perpetrator.

As a novel, it careens between Lily's tenuous relationship with her son and her equally tenuous relationship with Officer McKee. Neither of these males are exactly likeable or intriguing characters, although we do see something of an emotional breakthrough for the son. Officer McGee is married with children and possibly politically conservative. Thats about all we really know about him. Nonetheless, Lily is inexplicably drawn to him. They shag once or twice, but the affair is over with before its barely begun. The ending suggests to me that Ephron may have a sequel in mind. In of itself, this novel of marginal subplots and unmysterious murder ends with numerous unsatisfying loose ends.

However, I would still read a sequel, in the hope that the story gets better. Lily Davis is a character with potential, and I'd like to give Ephron another chance to really make her shine.

Okay. So this book is not high art, but I loved it. Spending a little time in Sakonnet Bay was just the break I needed. The main character --Lily-- seemed so familiar, like an old friend, and then it struck me: I think Harriet the Spy grew up to be Lily Davis. The story is a lightweight mystery--very funny, sweet and bittersweet and Eprhron,as ususual, has given us a bunch of wacky ancillary characters that are written with a great deal of affection. I hope that she'll use Lily and Sam,Deidre and Jane in another book, because I hated to lose them at the close of this one.

Ok, I'm a guy that picks up a western or a Hamish McBeth book to take up my time when it comes to reading..what little there is. I happen across this title, for some reason, bought it. I really liked it. I had to say I drew some looks from family and friends when they heard me chucking and laughing. A joy to read from beginning to end. I could see this as a moviefor some reason with Meg Ryan and Damian Lewis as Lily Davis and Tom McKee.

We all come to a novel with our particular bias; mine is as a parent. I loved Ephron's non-stop rating of her son (normal range, not normal range, etc.)and found it both touching and funny. The book has a winsome quality and rather than see it as Lily Davis growth as a woman, I chose to view the novel as her growth as a parent. At the beginning, I would rate her in the normal range but just barely but as the story plows ahead, she makes it to the very normal range. I also enjoyed the fact that Lily Davis does not give in to her own desires but rather to her son's, at least at the end of the book. Aside from everything else, the columns by Lily Davis were quite well written...if only writing like that appeared in every small town weekly. That's another thing...the book is about a Manhattan woman's radical move to a small town and small town life, aside from "Gilmore Girls," was never more charming. Loved it, recommend it.

I'm surprised there are a number of negative comments about this book -- I almost didn't read it because of them, but now I'm sure glad I did. I really thought the author did an exceptional job on the narrative -- fresh, creative descriptions and a protagonist with interesting and clever thoughts! It amazed me how Ephron can draw for us a seemingly ordinary day in the protagonist's life -- and turn it into a plot that keeps you there. She also uses dialogue creatively to reveal characters' personalities. Ending was thoughtful and real. Thanks, Delia!

Well, I am going to disagree with the other 3 reviews I've just read. Perhaps I was too in love with Hanging Up and Delia Ephron's writing in that novel. I read this book in 2 days and it really entertained me - the main character is totally stressed and out of her element - that's for sure - but come on - you have to laugh that her son's new girlfriend will only speak to her in Klingon! I guess that I also wanted to keep reading to see if the woman in the bedroom that the main character saw was really dead or not. I would love to be in Delia Ephron's head for just one day - I think that her writing is never boring and I'm always entertained. I would suggest this if you want some light reading that will make you laugh.

I loved big city eyes. I thought it was funny, easy to follow and believable. her characters are very realalistic, (Not like some books were your suposded to like the book only because the author tells you. Or were the characters are only pure evil or pure good.) Her narrations are wonderful. It's about a reporter who is worried her son is beeing currupted by the city so she moves to the country. It deals with alot of real things in life and is still interesting.

I would not consider "Big City Eyes" a literary master piece but most of the enjoyable light weight stuff we get everyday, like TV shows we watch religiously each week, are none the less essential to our good times. I do believe that the reviews of this book are accurate and provide the potential reader that this is one for a long plane ride. Lily is a character not far from everyone of us that mentally experiences life. We plug in background music to situations, think about the good old times, and wish life were bigger than it really is. I enjoyed this book because of its difference. At first I was annoyed that it was a simple read but I found myself laughing and having a good time reading it. My next book is "White Teeth" a Zadie Smith novel of a more grandious literary style. I look forward to every new style of writing I encounter. Hope you enjoy "Big City Eyes".

The dialogue is excellent, as one would expect from a screen writer. The prose is lucid and enjoyable. However, the plot tries to deal with a mother-son relationship, a torrid affair with a married man involving questions of morality and a murder mystery.

The result is that we don't care about the murder mystery because we don't know the victim and we feel that something is lacking in the rest of the plot development.

5 stars for technical execution but minus 2 for lacking development. Overall, still enjoyable but could have been much better.

I picked up this book after recalling how much I had enjoyed "Teenage Romance: How to Die of Embarrassment" as a teen. I put down the book after reading about half of it, and I'm not sure when (or if) I'll pick it up again. It reads more like a plot outline for a film, not a novel. The characters are defined only by their actions, and the actions they take are thrust upon the reader without much reflection. Some of the humor works, though most is forced. Maybe I'd like the book more if I liked Lilly; she's ditzy, condenscending, and hmmm. Why go on? This is a summer beach read -- I'm surprised it isn't in paperback.