Either Side of Winter

by Benjamin Markovits

In Fall we see the tentative beginnings of an unlikely romance - between a schoolteacher and a wealthy, drifting former graduate. In Winter we hear the story of her colleague, whose brief fling produced, as he now learns, seventeen years too late, a daughter. Then the daughter's best friend, her love affair with a teacher and the story of her dying father take us through Spring and Summer. This is a moving and elegiac picture of people whose lives are inextricably linked by circumstance, community and a need to be loved. Touched by wry humour, its achievement is to capture Manhattan in microcosm through a series of remarkable, moving and tender portraits.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, American, The United States Of America

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Madeline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Taking this immediately to the nearest Little Free Library.

[Josh Friedlander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I praise this book, a serious disclaimer. Markovits doesn't just write female characters clumsily - the kind of stuff lampooned on r/menwritingwomen. Well, he does that too: "she stepped prettily along the pavement" occurs twice on one page. But there's something more in this tale of fathers and daughters (an early working title) where every woman's looks and sexual attractiveness are dissected in depth, and the ambience of "daddy issues" manifests in every father's lecherous imagination and every daughter's insecure, libidinous daydreams. There is also a running theme of upper-crust antisemitism played at a slightly higher intensity than seems warranted. Everyone speaks in long, complex sentences, except for the Jewish characters who use the LES Yinglish of yesteryear ("So? You think like this I should suffer?"), even when they're American-born. I imagine Markovits is at least partly Jewish and am not accusing him of prejudice, just a bizarre creative choice. (Also, I found the author via his recent story in n+1, and can confirm he has overcome these shortcomings.)

But having said all that, I did actually, really, enjoy this tale of gentle, sophisticated old money and class, in the tradition of Louis Auchincloss (and in that light a fraught relationship with Jewish parvenus might be part of the point). It is structured as a series of four loosely connected stories related to an expensive Manhattan prep school, each representing a season in a school year. The characters are brutally, constitutionally unhappy people, pushing away those who love them and unable to connect. At times it is hard to read, but they are always thoughtful and so, so eloquent. Does anyone, even Ivy-educated prep school teachers, talk in such literary and complex sentences, casually extemporising lines from John Ashberry? I don't know but I love it. And Markovits, a native Texan, lovingly renders snowy Midtown streets and spring in the park among well-heeled and well-educated socialites, the lazy comfortable happiness of Whit Stillman films, and I can never pass on that; so, all the stars I guess.

[Abena Gyampo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve had to start this book over maybe 3 times because I keep losing interest. I don’t know why this book just isn’t really moving me the way others do and I can’t quite put my finger on it. I haven’t even finished it yet and I’m just so disengaged. I’m having a hard time with it, I just don’t find it interesting but I’m also not one to drop a book in the middle of it so I’ll finish it but I doubt my rating will change.

Update: I couldn’t finish it, that’s just me though. I was a lot more interested in reading Amy Bostick’s part of the story which I related a bit more to on the domestic side, but following the other characters, the story line just began to feel banal. I anticipated that the story would kind of follow a consistent flow without any hard hitting surprises, for that reason I cut my losses and decided to drop it.

My rating did in fact change, 2 stars was a little too generous.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how neatly these four stories fall into their own respective season; each could stand alone as a short story but they fit together collectively just so, with their overlapping characters and subject matter - a year in the lives of select students and teachers at a singular New York City high school. I was just going to comment on the unifying father/daughter theme that runs throughout, when I read that Fathers and Daughters is actually the title this book is published under in the US. I was surprised to learn that the multi-cultural author Benjamin Markovits is originally from Texas, his London and Berlin influences come through much stronger here. I'll gladly read more of his work.

[Tina Tamman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first half of this book. It was so beautifully written and somewhat mysterious (why was Amy crying every night, as the very first sentence says). I had not yet worked out where we were going and I like surprises. By the time I finished the third episode (it is really a novel made up of loosely-linked novellas) I began to resent its pervasive melancholy. I also felt there were too many details about too many characters: who was whose father and mother, etc. I could no longer take in who had a red sofa or paintings on the walls. What's more, I didn't care.
I like books that involve me, engage me. I know enough about melancholy not to want to read about it.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was OK. It's four slightly overlapping novellas, the last two of which fit together best and are the most interesting. I found myself not caring at all about the characters in the first two. Overall so-so.

[Kinzer Twins · Rating 4 out of 5]

(A note about the stars: I am only reviewing books I enjoyed - so my star-rating will skew high)
It looks as though I enjoyed this one more than many other readers did. I haven't read anything else by Benjamin Markovits. This is one kind of novel I really enjoy; well structured, tightly written and fully-conceived. I also like any book that makes good-use of parallel construction to develop themes.

In this case we have brief novel that is constructed of four stories that follow a few months, or a season, in the lives of one featured person. All four are inter-related and the same characters will re-appear in the background of the other seasons. Each season features a unique character at a different point in their life, paralleling the four seasons. As unique as each character is they are all dealing with similar problems; the space between dreams and reality, our relationship with our parents - specifically fathers, physical desire and companionship versus individuality and privacy.

The author renders each of the four as unique and specific individuals. Amy (summer), newly arrived in New York City joins the biology department of an expensive private school. She knows she should feel excited about this opportunity but she spent her colleges years with the dawning knowledge that the last time she really shined in life was back in High School. Still, she makes her way or...has she simply fallen into the welcome and safe arms of an over-confidant and rather charming future husband, just as her mother did? Howard (Fall), in his late 40s also teaches biology at the same school, he "befriends" Amy with as much friendship as he is capable of. Howard isn't good with intimacy, never has been really, based on his musings about growing up and his life as a gay man in the city. In fact, he is forced to betray every friend he might have out of his own short-sighted need to remain exactly who he...a withholding and not very nice man. Stuart, an English teacher in his early 60s is infatuated with one of his students. This has never happened to him before and perhaps it is a path set for him by a colleague who the year before ran off with a student. At any rate, he finds himself living in his head, remembering the passion he used to feel and wondering how he has ended up like this: a soft, passion-less, and aging man. And then we get to consider Rachel (Spring) a senior at the private school. She's shown up in every story so far, observed and commented on, but hardly existing in her own right. Having just reconciled herself to her parent's divorce she now learns her elderly father is dying. Rachel, wrapped in the tissue of a wealthy life, fancy schools, expensive shopping trips, personal beauty, and a little young for her age...is not used to sadness and struggles to meet the expectations of the adults around her.

Shakespeare, specifically Hamlet and Othello, come up in the stories and different characters muse on the meaning of fathers as both literary characters and as the real people in our lives. In fact, Rachel gets admonished for over-personalizing her English essays. Maybe she should stop thinking about her dying father and concentrate on her school work, eh? Stuart, who enjoys teaching Hamlet, doesn't manage to see his own indecision over approaching his student-crush in a "to be or not to be" mode - but the reader will!

I enjoyed this book from start to finish and had to keep reminding myself to S L O W D O W N and enjoy the excellent writing.

[Mew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this very badly - in short bursts, days apart - whereas I feel it would be better read in longer sittings. But even that didn't change how much I loved this book.

It's not a novel where a lot happens - that isn't the point. It's a book about characters and the inner workings of people rather than a plotline. The book is divided up into the four seasons of a year and a character for each one - their lives are interlinked by time and location and in some cases friendships. I want to seek out his other books immediately!

[bxa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nach einem durchaus vielversprechenden Start wird doch relativ schnell klar, daß das spannende Konzept der vier sich berührenden und ergänzenden Geschichten den Autor letztlich doch überfordert. In Zusammenschau mit der stilistisch, sprachlich wie erzählerisch deutlich gegen Ende des Buches abstürzenden Qualität, mit der dadurch einsetzenden zunehmenden Ermüdung des/der Lesenden sind die vergebenen drei Sterne eigentlich nur dadurch gerechtfertigt, daß die ersten 1.5 Abschnitte durchaus überdurchschnittliches Lesevergnügen generieren konnten.

[Natasha Barrett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Personally not really a fan; I disliked most characters which didnt help, but found the writing style clunky and dull and there seemed to be far too much negative mention of fatness (a weird amount) and bizarre descriptions of young female characters and their sexuality that made it painfully clear that this was written from an oddly toxic male gaze. The whole book centres on father-daughter relationships but very openly exualises them all in quite an uncomfortable way, an odd read!

[A J HOOPER · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel anxious about saying this but there are some books that are really hard to read because they are written by men. This is one of them. For example the author regularly notes of Tasha that she is full breasted/heavy breasted
No female author would write this, perhaps out of kindness or perhaps because the comment feels so sexist.
This is a loosely connected story of people who live in New York and who are all unhappy. I prefer to feel happy. Glass full and all that.

[Abhi* Abhi* · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story that revolves around the lives associated to the different seasons in New York. The characters travel through the ups and downs in their lives with each person having a different goal to settle for. A simple story that has been complicated with their emotional stress that pulls the story to a difficult road.

A one time read with a complicated mess.

[sisterimapoet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the structure used in this novel, the four sections which stood alone, whilst being interconnected. However I struggled to feel much affection for the characters and due to this the depth of analysis of their thoughts and feelings irritated me a little. But I enjoyed being challenged by the depth of Markovits' prose and I'll be keen to check out more of his work.

[☕️Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eyes started to glaze over, lost interest.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love interconnected stories and this one builds the connections lightly and gradually. Beautiful writing, everyday lives revolving around a School in New York

[Scott Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully evocative of NYC

[Nigel Redford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from the viewpoint of several interlocked characters, this is an account of daily lives in New York, in the light of bigger events in those lives. Here is humanity.

[Stuart Shiffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this novel as much as the others I have read. Here the four stories interconnected by similar characters do not mesh in an interesting fashion. For me it did not work.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The character studies in this book are intelligent and well developed but also very melancholy and depressing. I would have liked more uplifting and hopeful moments.

[Anni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sie weinte vor Erleichterung, weil sie wieder für sich war, weil sie begriff, daß das, worauf sie vertraut hatte, zerstört war - und daß sie jetzt frei war, ihr Leben an kleineren Lichtern auszurichten.

[Kilean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broken into three separate sections that could easily be read as novellas. All three of the main protags in each section are teachers or loosely attached to a teacher and all three stories are connected. Clean, sparse prose with a whole lot of emotion. Admirable writing really, not easy to mimic -- to keep the sentences so short and the emotional tone strong throughout. Actually, this is a pretty damn melancholy book and probably best read in the wintertime. It's also really strong.

[Kathy jenkins]

Took a bit to get into. I felt like I was reading some prized student's work. The words form carefully constructed sentences that leave me wishing I had taken more lit classes so I could better describe what I read. Once I got past that bit of intimidation I realized I was interested in the story of four individuals whose lives intersect but whose stories are told separately. Interesting reading although it makes me glad I am not a new yorker.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from the goodreads giveaways. I had a hard time getting into the book, and as someone else stated in an earlier review I didnt feel a connection to the characters, whcih made it hard to care what happened to them. It was an ok read, but I personally could not get emotionally invested in it.

[Claudia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Four loosely connected novellas about teachers and pupils and fathers and daughters. I liked Markovits's writing style a lot, but I didn't enjoy the book itself because at no point of the story did I manage to emotionally connect to or even care about any of the characters. A rather frustrating, unrewarding read.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

It feels like this took me forever to finish because I was bored. Ten days is forever for a les than 300 page book. Could have been much better than it was, too little dialogue with too much unnecessary narration. Also, I dislike when writers use the word pregnant to describe anything other than an actual pregnancy. In this case, the earth/world was pregnant with spring several times.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although I by no means read this book carefully, the writing was very confusing, choppy, and generally unclear. I found the first story to be boring and odd. While the message was good, it wasn't worth the 63 pages it took to get it to it.

[Lorri Steinbacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, I guess.

[Val · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as his series inspired by Byron.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice idea but really slow and I got bored.

[Mallika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 actually. a lovely overlap of love and the struggles of loosing a loved one.