As I explained in my post titled Category Novels, Part One, you can explore any one of the 27 categories of books at I’ve reviewed on this blog, from Mysteries to Family Sagas to Chick Lit. Within these categories there are hundreds of choices! (To find the “Archive of Book Reviews” on a desktop computer, scroll down and to the right. On a mobile device, scroll way down.)
In today’s post, I’m highlighting New York Novels. Ever since I inaugurated my book review blog in early 2017, I’ve had a category with this title—those stories about self-absorbed, wealthy inhabitants of the largest city in the United States. New York City is a publishing hub, and New Yorkers write a lot, so the number of novels set in the city is enormous. I’ve posted 28 full-length reviews of New York novels, not to mention the many brief reviews that you’ll find in the Archive under Snappy Little Reviews.
Click on the titles below to read my extended reviews of three of my favorite historical New York Novels.
The World of Tomorrow by Brendan Mathews (2017) Rollicking action at the fabulous New York World’s Fair, in June of 1939, when the Great Depression has eased and World War II was still unimaginable to Americans.
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan (2017) A noir novel with entangled plot lines, mobsters, and plenty of period detail from 1930s and 1940s New York City, especially the Brooklyn Naval Yard.
The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott (2017) The pros and cons of being Catholic in early 20th-century Brooklyn. Exploring the intersections of morality, religion, and culture in resonant language.
And in this extended review from 2017, you can read my rather smug take on Jay McInerney’s contemporary NYC from my perch out in flyover country.
Here’s a brand new review of another novel that takes place in present-day New York City.
Pineapple Street Jenny Jackson (2023) Pineapple Street actually exists in NYC’s Brooklyn Heights (just across the East River from Manhattan) and this novelist’s well-developed characters fit the NYC mold. Each chapter takes the viewpoint of one of three women in the affluent Stockton family. Darley had a high-powered finance job until she reluctantly decided to stay home with her two small children. Her younger sister, Georgiana, works at a nonprofit, despite her generous trust fund, and is ill-fated in love. Sasha, who has a successful graphic arts business, has recently married into the family and is tagged as a gold digger because of her middle-class background. The family story plays out with hilarity, sorrow, and satire. The conclusion of the book endowed some characters with more altruism than I thought was credible, but I nevertheless relished another glimpse into the glamor of NYC.