Customer Reviews

Wonderful Town: New York Stories from The New Yorker (Modern Library Paperbacks)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
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This collection of New York stories shows both why writers have been fascinated with the Big Apple for so long and also why The New Yorker has been the hallmark of short fiction. The collection begins with Cheever and ends with Perlman, which pretty much sums up the golden years of the magazine. The pleasures here range from a story of lingering urban dread by William Maxwell to a hilarious tale of an intellectual loser by Jonathan Franzen. Updike's story both paints a true picture of New York in the snow and returns to his favorite theme -- infidelity. Philip Roth has a hilarious entry about a famous writer hounded by a game show contestant -- even funnier if you've seen "Quiz Show." The collection made me homesick for New York. It's one of the best books I read in 2000.

John Cheever, Woody Allen, and Bernard Malamud wrote my favorite stories in this wonderful collection about life in New York City. Three quick thoughts: (1) While the dynamic captured by some authors seems a little dated (Dorothy Parker), most of the stories resonate with characters, experiences, and social groups that are common today in New York. (2) The collection offers 44 stories and 44 authors. This helps a reader see how these authors are great in different ways. (3) This collection ends, once and for all, the impression that all stories in The New Yorker are the same. Buy this book!

This is not only a good anthology to read for entertainment, but also a necessity for anyone who wants to write literary fiction. The New Yorker is the cornerstone of American contemporary literature, and this book captures a good sampling of the stories which have appeared in its pages the last 50 years or so. I particularly liked DEisenberg's story, and the fact that JCheever's story appears first. I think the book should have had a few more lighter pieces, and wonder why McInerney was skipped over.

The opening author is John Cheever. A corporate man and a corporate secretary meet at her place for a drink. He is estranged from his wife, the father of a friend of his son, and, finally, the woman, who manages to humiliate him.

There is a story by Roth about a fictitious quiz show contestant. Tales by John O'Hara, Laurie Colwin, Jonathan Franzen, and Frank Conroy appear. The Franzen entry was used as a chapter or at least an incident in CORRECTIONS.

A character in a Nabokov story has referential mania. Jamaica Kincaid in her account of an overseas visitor speaks of day old food stored in a refrigerator. John McNulty writes of a bar, of course, and Hortense Calisher of Greenwich Village.

J.D. Salinger's contribution is a story featuring Holden Caulfield and Pencey Prep. Renata Adler writes in stylish fashion using a fictional "I" of life in a brownstone. Isaac Bashevis Singer comes along with yiddish-speaking cafeteria goers. Veronica Geng has a take on conspicuous consumption.

Susan Sontag provides a surprisingly buoyant account of chronic illness. The narrator of Julie Hecht's story believes that buildings in New York should be built to the specifications of Prince Charles. "Mentocrats" by Edward Newhouse concerns schoolboys promoting the idea of a mental aristocracy. Daniel Menaker has a character say that the banality of evil is outstripped by the banality of anxiety neurosis. The psychiatrist in the story tells the first character he doesn't have the courage of his own contempt.

In eliminating some regrets you create others according to Jeffrey Eugenides. Dorothy Parker, E.B. White, Elizabeth Hardwick, Bernard Malamud, and Saul Bellow are all present in this collection of stories. Bellow's story gives rise to the thought that everyone has burdens. Remnick's selections are a joy.

David Remnick's introduction contains a short piece from The New Yorker's first issue with each line beginning with 'New York is...'. Of course, New York is many things: a host of contradictions, a furious experiment, a melting pot, a city that never sleeps (I couldn't help it), and often a stereotype that needs to be more fully examined. This collection of stories from the magazine assists that examination. Commencing with Cheever's The Five-Forty-Eight we know to expect a raw New York. This particular tale reminded me of his contemporary, Yates' Revolutionary Road.

Other notables include Shaw's Sailor Off the Bremen which shows that in 1939, New Yorkers were well aware of Nazi activities, Taylor's A Sentimental Journey demonstrates that there is no need to rush manhood, Benson's Apartment Hotel warns not to switch your routine, and Thurber's The Catbird Seat has a comedic Mr. Ripley as the main character. I have to reserve some major praise for Salinger's Slight Rebellion Off Madison which shows us a bit more of Holden Morrisey Caulfield whose angst has him railing against "guys fitting your pants all the time at Brooks". The Cafeteria by Singer was also a standout that lingers long after the last line.

Overall, a tremendous collection from a magazine that has played such an incredible role through the decades of finding and remaining loyal to authors who challenge and enrich their readers.

This collection contains "Slight Rebellion off Madison." At last, one of the "lost" Salinger stories has been published! "Slight Rebellion" is a story about Holden Caulfield before "Catcher in the Rye." A goldmine for students of Salinger.

I felt the need to amend my previous review. First of all, the Salinger story isn't at all a goldmine. It's four pages long and it details the scene from "Catcher" between Sally and Holden at the ice skating rink. The story is told in 3rd person, and the narration is not that great. After several rewrites, the scene appears in "Catcher" and it is delightful and telling.

Stories by Woody Allen, Jamaica Kincaid, Lorrie Moore, Donald Barthelme and many others make this book worth having in your collection. I read a story or two a night and I haven't been disappointed.

new york stories ? good. from the new yorker ? even better ! salinger, singer, bellow, updike and more, nice collection, really... a collection that could do well without baldwin, burroughs and others, no need to bemoan that, as the editor is doing in his introduction. why thomas wolfe's brilliant "only the dead..." "doesn't seem to have it anymore", as stated by mr. remnick, will remain a mistery for me. and " dialect story"? at least there are perelman and bemelmans, john cheever,james thurber, john mcnulty, dorothy parker and e.b.white. thanks. but - no alfred kazin, no philip hamburger, no a.j. liebling, and, worst case, no joseph mitchell. all brilliant writers, all people who created that special "the new yorker" style. as brendan gill stated in his book "here at the new yorker" in 1975: "in the opinion of many (which is a by no means modest way of saying "in my opinion"), the finest writer on "the new yorker" is joseph mitchell." and editor remnick himself: "...e.b. white's and jame's thurber's, a.j. liebling's and joseph mitchell's. this was the new yorker at its best..." if it was for copyright reasons, why don't mention it, instead of don't giving any reason at all? so: ever seen a nice book with a big hole right through the middle ?

norbert nowotsch

I'm not a book critic, just a college student and had to read some stories from this book for class. As I said, I haven't ready everything in the world, and don't want to be seen ignorant. But I really didn't enjoy a lot of things here, thought I haven't read all the stories. Some where enjoyable "6" on a 1-10 scale, 10 being the best. Some stories seem very gloomy, and all the stories that I read are loosely related to New York. But "Good For You" to the people who enjoyed this book. And don't just take my word for it.