I reread Slaves of New York this summer and it was even better than I remembered from when I first read these stories in the 80s. It’s a really funny book, equal to Bright Lights Big City. There’s a fragility and vulnerability beneath the humor. If it is satire it’s more of a gentle social satire than the mocking satire of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (although I like that one too).
i just found the whole thing mean-spirited, in a way that felt unearned? idk, just feels like the kind of book you write when you have absolutely nothing to say
Oh, for a young writer willing to fail as floridly and epically as Brodkey. Have you ever listened to Richard Ford’s episode of the New Yorker fiction podcast where he reads “The State of Grace?” (His gloss on it is probably better than the story itself.)
That collection is great and wild, in the sense that it has a linear, logarithmic pattern from great to awful. “The Abundant Dreamer,” who writes like that anymore? A loss. “Verona; A Young Woman Speaks.” Almost a perfect short story. But then you get to watch Brodkey go insane…
so i'm like a third of the way through and...it's incredible so far? i'm familiar with all the critiques, the melodrama and florid sentences, etc, but the plotting is fantastic. stories where virtually nothing happens, two people talking on a park bench or whatever, and they're somehow gripping page-turners anyway. more stylish than maxwell/cheever + the other New Yorker guys of that era. i guess it's about to get bad?
This was great Pete, I have like zero thoughts about Levy (haven't read her, can't comment!) but I appreciate how much thought you put into this piece. Great read
another great review. you just might get me to try mcinerny again. after bright lights i was like well i dont need to look at that ever again. but lo! also the idea of reading mature fiction by an american that is relatively recent feels v good. of late almost everything i look at that is new feels markedly the opposite.
i may be telling on myself but Brightness Falls (1992) is unironically my favorite american novel. mcinerney had soul, vision, mechanics, and gary fisketjon doing his line edits. both of the sequels are really good too
I reread Slaves of New York this summer and it was even better than I remembered from when I first read these stories in the 80s. It’s a really funny book, equal to Bright Lights Big City. There’s a fragility and vulnerability beneath the humor. If it is satire it’s more of a gentle social satire than the mocking satire of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (although I like that one too).
i just found the whole thing mean-spirited, in a way that felt unearned? idk, just feels like the kind of book you write when you have absolutely nothing to say
Oh, for a young writer willing to fail as floridly and epically as Brodkey. Have you ever listened to Richard Ford’s episode of the New Yorker fiction podcast where he reads “The State of Grace?” (His gloss on it is probably better than the story itself.)
i haven’t! gonna check it out. i’ve slowly been working my way through Stories in an Almost Classical Mode for a few weeks
That collection is great and wild, in the sense that it has a linear, logarithmic pattern from great to awful. “The Abundant Dreamer,” who writes like that anymore? A loss. “Verona; A Young Woman Speaks.” Almost a perfect short story. But then you get to watch Brodkey go insane…
so i'm like a third of the way through and...it's incredible so far? i'm familiar with all the critiques, the melodrama and florid sentences, etc, but the plotting is fantastic. stories where virtually nothing happens, two people talking on a park bench or whatever, and they're somehow gripping page-turners anyway. more stylish than maxwell/cheever + the other New Yorker guys of that era. i guess it's about to get bad?
I think maybe around “Innocence” (which I like, actually!) or maybe “His Son, in His Arms, in Light, Aloft” it started to drag for me.
And “Innocence” has one of the best and funniest lines ever written: “To see her in sunlight was to see Marxism die.”
But then
Then again it’s like a thirty page story over analyzing giving head.
The only reason why I know about janowitz is because she ended up in the spy magazine cliff notes parody of McInerney and ellis books
This was great Pete, I have like zero thoughts about Levy (haven't read her, can't comment!) but I appreciate how much thought you put into this piece. Great read
thanks michael!
Great stuff! I never did get Slaves as anything but a relic. Loved this breakdown, and the echo up to now. Well done!
thanks for the shout!
So many bars in this. Just subscribed!
brendon! means a lot
Great piece. The line "DiTrapano would not have published My First Book" goes hard. Looking forward to more reviews.
yo! thanks for reading
“but unfortunately I stumbled upon her 1981 debut American Dad first” 😂😂😂
it's soooooo bad
another great review. you just might get me to try mcinerny again. after bright lights i was like well i dont need to look at that ever again. but lo! also the idea of reading mature fiction by an american that is relatively recent feels v good. of late almost everything i look at that is new feels markedly the opposite.
i may be telling on myself but Brightness Falls (1992) is unironically my favorite american novel. mcinerney had soul, vision, mechanics, and gary fisketjon doing his line edits. both of the sequels are really good too
“empty-calorie surrealism” 👌
This is great, love the connection with Janowitz and literary brat pack scene.
derek!! thanks
Fabulous piece Pete
sam! thank you, means a lot
Haven't read either of these books, but I enjoyed these reviews. "The books stink" lol
ha, thanks. trying to avoid writing takedowns but sometimes that's the way they shake out