Manhattan, when I Was Young [Paperback]

Mary Cantwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

With Manhattan, When I Was Young, Mary Gantwell, a former writer and editor at Mademoiselle and Vogue and now a writer at the New York Times, gives us an elegant and lyrical autobiographical account of a time and place that for some exists only in imagination. But this is a life as it was actually lived, with romance, passion, and no little share of pain. Set in five different apartments in Manhattan, each one with its own character and charm, Cantwell's story winds through its phases, from single working girl to young wife and mother, from career choices and divorce to rediscovery. The world Cantwell inhabits - that of magazine and book publishing and fashion and the middle-class bohemia of downtown New York at a golden moment in time - is brought beautifully to life in a memoir that is sure to bring her new readers and renewed acclaim.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

New York Times editor Cantwell recalls the triumphs and tribulations of her early adulthood in Greenwich Village of the '50s and '60s.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA?An easy-to-read autobiographical account of a fashion-magazine writer in the 1950s. Fresh out of college, Cantwell arrived in Greenwich Village and shared an apartment with a friend. Despite all the flair of metropolitan life, experiences with high-style department stores, exclusive little shops, theaters, parties, restaurant outings, and even a romance and marriage, she became increasingly depressed. Her close ties to a lovingly encouraging father were broken by his early death. She details the passsage of years by describing the flats, houses, and apartments she lived in and the jobs lost and gained in her career pursuit. Despite Cantwell's lifelong involvement with psychoanalysis, her account is enlivened with the cheerful glamor of little black dresses, Steuben glassware, ethnic neighborhoods, and the whole ambiance of the city, presenting anew the eternal charm of the Big Apple for the young.?Frances Reiher, King's Park Library, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140232230
• ISBN-13: 978-0140232233
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.6 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,000,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I hope Cantwell writes another book of this period in NYC, August 17, 2000

By 

Francoise Latrelle (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manhattan, when I Was Young (Paperback)

I read this book a few years ago and LOVED it tremendously, declaring it my new favorite book, which is why I owe it a (belated) 5-star ranking. If it had been written in the '50s and early '60s - the time span she covers - it would have enjoyed as much or more success as the "single women in the city" books of the late '90s (Bridget, Girl's Guide, Sex in the City). However, written as a memoir it is even more mesmerizing in it's evocation of a heady, romantic time in Manhattan - nothing like the coldness of today's Sex in the City. I particularly loved Cantwell's voice/writing style which is full-bodied in a light-handed way - with such great observations of detail and dialogue and the culture of that time, against a great backdrop of fashion and manhattan brownstones. It has the intelligence I wish more of today's books which profile young women would have.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exemplary Memoir, July 7, 2001

By 

Mrs. T (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manhattan, when I Was Young (Paperback)

First of all, this book has the best title in the world, bar none. More importantly, Cantwell writes about hard times without being even remotely self-pitying or tedious, and that's no mean accomplishment. Manhattan, When I Was Young is an absorbing, evocative valentine to being young and confused in New York City. It's also beautifully written and extremely entertaining.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vibrant and Colorful, January 18, 2003

By 

"wolfmagik" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manhattan, when I Was Young (Paperback)

Mary Cantwell takes you on a wonderful journey through her life in the 50's and 60's from single girl to a divorced mother working as a magazine editor. With us she shares the good times, as well as her tough times which makes for a fabulous life and all that she has accomplished for herself and her children........