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New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd
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New York: The Novel (edition 2010)

by Edward Rutherfurd (Author)

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2,717865,699 (3.92)134
A tale set against a backdrop of New York City's history from its founding through the September 11 attacks traces the experiences of characters who witness such periods as the Revolutionary War, the city's emergence as a financial giant, and the Gilded Age.
Member:jskov
Title:New York: The Novel
Authors:Edward Rutherfurd (Author)
Info:Ballantine Books (2010), Edition: Reprint, 880 pages
Collections:Your library, Currently reading
Rating:
Tags:hylde, currently-reading

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New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd

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» See also 134 mentions

English (81)  Spanish (1)  Italian (1)  Dutch (1)  Catalan (1)  All languages (85)
Showing 1-5 of 81 (next | show all)
‘’Big river, calling him to thenorth.Big sky, calling him to the west. Land of many rivers, land of many mountains, land of many forests. How far did it continue? Nobody knew. Not for certain. High above the eagles, only the sun on its huge journey westward could ever see the whole of it.’’

Edward Rutherfurd is a master of Historical Fiction. He is a writer who communicates the time and place to perfection, an artist who communicates the feelings of his vast cast of characters to such an extent that you are able not only to recall their names with ease but their personality, their ideals and course in life as if they were people you have met in daily life, relatives, friends, family. I have yet to read another writer’s books whose 1500+pages go by like a breeze in the course of four days. And when it comes to Historical Fiction, I am an expert in the genre, thank you very much.

‘’When there is a little breeze, listen to the voice of the wind sighing in the pine trees. Then you will hear me.’’

A wampum belt becomes the beacon in the epic story of the true capital of the USA, New York. The Metropolis, the Modern Goddess, the Land of Dreams and Hopes and Chances and Sorrows. Paying the utmost respect to the history of the city, her people, their religions (and Rutherfurd has always been a writer who treats Christianity with absolute respect unlike other writers…), we are gifted a monumentary journey within the heart of the modern world. Divided into five chapters, dedicated to a specific era, guided by British, Dutch, Italian, Jewish, Puerto Rican families, the entire history of New York passes before our eyes.

‘’’[...] that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.’’
Abraham Lincoln

Along the families that are the heart of the novel, meet Henry Hudson, Captain Kidd, Andrew Hamilton, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Enrico Caruso, Rockefeller, and a multitude of characters that shaped the USA and our world as we have come to know it. Visit Niagara Falls, the Empire State Building, the Islands, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Gramercy Park, Central Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, the Statue of Liberty, the Flatiron Building, the Museum Mile. Marvel at (my favourite) brownstones, feel the buzz, the multiculturalism that defined the city, its almost anarchic personality, the Arts, the Opera, the musicals, the literary scene and the hypocrisy of the old money families. Divided and united in its differences, New York is the result of God’s absolute inspiration.

‘’When the invitation to the Seder was recited, not in Hebrew but in Aramaic, it stuck him with great force that, of course, these were exactly the proceedings that Jesus must have followed at the Last Supper. And as he considered the crisp New England Episcopalians he knew so well, he wondered how many of them truly understood the rich Middle Eastern texture to which their own religion belonged.’’

1664: The British and the Dutch, divided by religion, united by ambition. The birth of Manhattan, the customs of the Native Americans, the slaughter they suffered, the nightmare of slavery.

1735-1790: Glimpses of Boston and Philadelphia through the eyes of spirited young women, the Quakers, the War of Independence (brought to mind the exceptional film The Patriot with the one and only Mel Gibson).

1825-1896: The bond between London and New York, the Civil War, the battle of Gettysburg, and Lincoln’s famous address, the end of slavery, the impact of the Great Famine of Ireland, the immigrants, the Riots of 1863, the rising of Wall Street.

1901-1987: A new century is seen primarily through the eyes of an Italian family. The tragedy of the Triangle factory, the Great War, the Crush of 1929, WWII, the Jewish immigrants facing constant anti-semitism, the Civil Rights marches, the Vietnam War, the drugs, the assassinations, the seismic political changes on both sides of the Atlantic.

2000-2009: The boom of the economy, the threat of the Y2K bug, the unimaginable tragedy of 9/11.The fear and hope of a new world rising…

New York is waiting for you, safe in the hands of an exceptional writer.

P.S. To the ‘lady’ who called the novel ‘trash Historical Fiction’’: Excuse me, (not really…) your favourite writers are Nora Roberts and Kristin Hannah. Are you EVEN SERIOUS? The only thing that is trash is your opinion and your reading taste. Or, rather, your lack of it. So shut up!

‘’Let us have faith that Right is Might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to doo our duty as we understand it.’’
Abraham Lincoln

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ ( )
  AmaliaGavea | Nov 28, 2024 |
edward rutherfurd tells a good story and pulls together so many historical events in his sweeping fictions. (minor aside: this book is a good example of when i would like ½-star ratings as this is probably more of a 3½-star read.)

i was lucky enough to visit new york city in 2011, and while i was only there for a week, and didn't nearly see all it has to offer, i immediately fell in love with the city and was hyper-aware of the energy and life-force within NYC. it is an amazing, amazing place. during the read, i loved being able to picture places and landmarks in my mind as i read.

during this read, i experienced moments of frustration because rutherfurd went between overwriting - giving to much information/details, and suddenly dropping the ball. characters we spent a lot of time with suddenly were gone, quickly vanished or just never mentioned again. so those bits of inconsistency took away from the read for me. BUT...i still really enjoyed this book a lot, and wouldn't hesitate to read more of rutherfurd's novels. (i have read [b:Sarum: The Novel of England|92163|Sarum The Novel of England|Edward Rutherfurd|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1266470349s/92163.jpg|1952547] and [b:London|92160|London|Edward Rutherfurd|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320450619s/92160.jpg|3139753] - which were both great!) ( )
  JuniperD | Oct 19, 2024 |
Although "London" is better in terms of having a more interesting history, "New York" is an interesting book.
Edward Rutherfurd brilliantly shows both the rich and the poor, the Loyalists and the Patriots, the haters and the hated ones. He also wrote about several different Ethnic groups. Native Americans, African Americans, the Dutch, the English, the Irish, the Germans, the Italians, the Jews and the Portoricans... They are all present in this book. Some are rich, the others are poor. Some lost their wealth, the others gained it. You can find the complete history of the USA. (~350 years) ( )
  aljosa95 | Aug 23, 2024 |
Family Saga
  BooksInMirror | Feb 19, 2024 |
I absolutly love Edward Rutherfurd and the types of books that he writes. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I have his European ones, it just seemed to be lacking so much character. And I really didn't get the end at all. He clearly states in the last passage that the theme of New York, the city and his book, are imagine and freedom, neither of which I even picked up on reading the book. I was disappointed by the lack of a family tree, but understood why there wasn't one. This story did follow the Master family strictly, but the sub-families were so minimal and there was no great overlapping of all the different families; it's missing the idea that everyone and thing is connected, but I guess that's not the point or theme of this book. I'll never stop ready Rutherfurd, I was just expecting a little more from him. ( )
  Luzader | Oct 25, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 81 (next | show all)
Rutherfurd's habit of also making up many of his characters makes this sweeping tale a much more fun read than anyone would suspect. This is history, but with a very readable story line.
added by Shortride | editUSA Today, Craig Wilson (Jan 12, 2010)
 
"New York: The Novel" is the first foray into America for the British author, who as in previous works never hesitates to pause the narrative to explain to readers, in an easily understood way, the historical context of the time in which the action is unfolding. The result is a book as accessible to the casual reader as it is to the history buff.
added by Shortride | editAssociated Press, Bob Salsberg (Nov 18, 2009)
 

» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Edward Rutherfurdprimary authorall editionscalculated
Bandini, GiovanniTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bramhall, MarkNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Brix, BirgitteTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Edward Ruthefurdsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gallart, DolorsTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hazewindus, Carlasecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jongeling, Annesecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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This book is dedicated, with a lifetime of thanks, to Eleanor Janet Wintle
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So this was freedom.
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A tale set against a backdrop of New York City's history from its founding through the September 11 attacks traces the experiences of characters who witness such periods as the Revolutionary War, the city's emergence as a financial giant, and the Gilded Age.

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A retrospective story of New York covering the years 1664 through 2009.
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