Customer Reviews

A Journey into Dorothy Parker's New York (ArtPlace series)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In his years running the Dorothy Parker Society of New York, Kevin Fitzpatrick has gathered astounding details about the New York of Dorothy Parker. Book in hand you walk where Mrs. Parker walked. And best of all, so many of the landmarks --the Algonquin hotel where Mr. Benchley and Mrs. Parker and their Round Table held forth, the apartment buildings in which she lived, the many of the theatres where she reviewed plays-- are still standing and look pretty much as they did in the 1920s and 30s. And for what has been lost Mr. Fitzpatrick supplies photos. The book is full of high-quality vintage photographs, some never before published.

The casual reader will find the book visual candy and a delight to read. The Parker or jazz-age scholar will find attention to detail and copious use of original source worthy of an academic tome, but written with a touch as light (and as insightful) as a Parker witicism.

I recommend it highly

DAVID TRUMBULL
Chairman, Robert Benchley Society

This is a wonderful guide to the places Dorothy Parker lived and worked, this is not the same old information recycled. This is a great addition to the library of any fan or new reader of Mrs. Parker's work.

I luuuuuuved it! I thought the information, the history, the architecture, the photos, the trivia nuggets---everything was just so interesting and thought-provoking. I was especially struck by the list of sayings/words first attributed to Dorothy Parker. The book ties together so many aspects of New York City in the 1920s. It's educational and fun!

Several years back, I enjoyed the honor and pleasure of attending my inaugural Manhattan meeting with author Kevin C. Fitzpatrick none other than atop the Empire State Building. Mr. Fitzpatrick was, at that time, a long-distance client of mine working as Senior writer/producer for MLB.com and I had flown in from Seattle on business. Our meeting venue, featuring one seriously breathtaking view of that still-unforgettable skyline, was most fitting indeed--as one rarely comes across a greater appreciator of "The City That Never Sleeps." Fitzpatrick's undying, ever-evolving passion for NYC and its amazing history is marvelously depicted in his debut publishing. If ever there was a more quintessential expert on the divine Dorothy Parker and the infamous metropolis she cherished all her life, it is most certainly Fitzpatrick.

Meticulously researched, expertly and lovingly written, beautifully illustrated, including rare photos, images, and SO much more, this gem of a book proves both a fascinating and highly entertaining soirée into the very heart and soul of one supremely talented, trailblazing, troubled, genius of a Dame. Fitzpatrick's tribute is a MUST read for anybody hoping to get close and personal with Mrs. Parker's historic literary treasure trove, as well as her life inside AND outside the Algonquin "Vicious Circle." But, and this is really the key, Fitzpatrick also offers readers a truly authentic portraiture of Dorothy's passage through her 1920s Gotham zeitgeist. I find myself hankering a gin Martini, very dry to reflect Dot's wit, whenever I peruse this outstanding first effort.

This book is an unusual creation, equal parts "coffee table book" and truly informative resource. It's well laid-out, with plenty of direct and indirect information and trivia available in well constructed sidebars.

Mr. Fitzpatrick's gifts are such that the book is one that will appeal equally to the Parker scholar and to the those who have just stumbled over her reputation for the first time.

I recommend it!

Eileen Forster Keck
Director, Robert Benchley Society

Detailed enough for Parker enthusiasts, yet accessible to the new Parker fan, this beautifully illustrated book has something for everyone. Even after reading the book, I find myself dipping back into it to reread various sections and look at the gorgeous photographs. If you or someone you know is a Parker fan, buy this book!!

I love Dorothy Parker, New York, and the 20's, 30's and 40's to include the clothes, music, theatre, books, personalities - the whole culture of that era. This book touches so much of that. It's the portal for stepping back 70-90 years - and for becoming addicted to celebrating all things DP. You can take your own tour with this book (either actual or virtual) and feel the energy and excitement of New York, see buildings that no longer exist or now have different facades or purposes. You can even pop into a pub along the way and fully develop that hint of whisky or gin that you think you smell in the alleyways - or on the pages.

I have purchased copies of this book as gifts to friends and loaned my copy out several times because it never fails to prompt further interest in Dorothy Parker, the Vicious Circle, and New York in general. I've found that A Journey Into Dorothy Parker's New York is equally enjoyed by friends you might say are more academically inclined as well as those who are more experientially motivated.

There are no places or points in time like New York in the 20s. Dorothy Parker wrote about it, and now we write about her. I wish I could slip into a time machine and drink a martini while spying on the Round Table. Amazing. I would love to take the tour.

The first half of the twentieth century was filled with constant change and development; it was an exciting time to be alive. "A Journey into Dorothy Parker's New York" is a focus on the woman herself, but a bigger focus on the city she lived in and its constant change through two world wars, a great depression, and so much more events. Filled with countless photos, both color and black and white, "A Journey into Dorothy Parker's New York" is a seminal look at the woman and the city, sure to please fans of her work and New Yorkers alike. "A Journey into Dorothy Parker's New York" is highly recommended for community library biography collections and students of the history and culture of New York City.

(A good book for a novice,like me, wanting a nice introduction regarding the life of Dorothy Parker---with photos)

This is a well-written and well researched book about Dorothy Parker.
This book is very compact and therefore this is a wonderful introductory book about the famous writer.

This book is filled with photos of all the places that Dorothy Parker lived throughout her life. Dorothy moved ALOT & therefore the author had to research all the places that Ms.Parker frequented & resided at during her entire lifetime. Also, the author interspersed information about Dorothy's life ,the famous places she loved to visit (eg: THE ALGONQUIN)and all the people that she associated with (eg: Hemingway, F.Scott Fitzgerald,etc...).