| Author: |
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John Tytell
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| Title: |
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Reading New York |
| Moochable copies: |
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No copies available |
| Topics: |
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| Published in: |
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English |
| Binding: |
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Hardcover |
| Pages: |
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352 |
| Date: |
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2003-08-26 |
| ISBN: |
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0375414169 |
| Publisher: |
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Knopf |
| Weight: |
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1.32 pounds |
| Size: |
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6.0 x 8.54 x 1.26 inches |
| Edition: |
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1 |
Amazon prices: |
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| Previous givers: |
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1 Mschris (USA: NY) |
| Previous moochers: |
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1 Glenn Dietz (USA: NJ) |
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| Description: |
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Product Description
In this summa by an experienced literary critic, Tytell attempts to emulate the authors he has spent a lifetime studying-Melville, Whitman, his "two Henrys" (Miller and James), Kerouac, and Ginsberg-by employing their autobiographical techniques, and weaving his own life into his examinations of the New York writers he admires. It is an intriguing idea that falls short. Tytell grew up on Manhattan's Upper West Side, son of Belgian Jewish refugees from the Nazis; a childhood eye disorder proscribed reading, so naturally that "forbidden fruit" became his passion. Tytell's middle-class childhood, sexual awakening, professional advancement, romance and mature love are delivered in an overheated style that doesn't match the scale of his revelations, particularly in sections that seem like attempted homages to Whitman and Miller. Such passages interrupt, and ultimately distract from, lucid readings of novels and poems, and excursions into aspects of New York City history that parallel his favored authors' lives (as well as his family's and his own). For those unfamiliar with Tytell's authors or with New York's history, the book's thumbnail bios and overview of New York's development will have some value as a primer. Those seeking more depth on either subject might do better consulting the sources listed in Tytell's comprehensive bibliography.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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| URL: |
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http://bookmooch.com/0375414169 |
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