Gotham Tragic

by Kurt Wenzel

Brilliantly plotted, "Gotham Tragic" is a pitch-perfect send-up of money and celebrity culture. It's not a black comedy so much as a red, white, and blue one, and the next big step forward for a writer whose gifts are as impressive as the Manhattan skyline.

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Kate Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this guy is fantastic. Really. I don't know why he isn't more well known. He seems so underrated with just a few modest reviews and a truly insipid cover. Why didn't the publishers do a little better visual design? I asked for him at a Border's bookstore but they didn't have any, hadn't heard of him, so I picked up another book with a dazzling cover, very vivid and descriptive with rave reviews all over it, but the book is kind of drag, I'm sorry. Then you have this book that looks like some sex in the city knockoff and it is instead a super intelligent and beautifully written novel, unlike the other which is more of random collection of mundane observations that tedious as all get out to get through. But the writing in Gotham Tragic, the story, and the insights are astounding. I love this guy. I think he is going to catch on over time. Especially if he keeps writing good books like this and the couple other ones that he wrote. Maybe if he gets a publisher that makes these books look as appealing as they are to read. I think he could be the John Updike of our generation or something.

[Amanda Burdick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reminder that money and popularity more often leads to problems than happiness.

[Cindy Rasmuson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, I don’t understand the negative reviews.

Wenzel’s writing is flawless. Ir is almost Hemingway in its simplistic, yet powerful delivery. A master of the English language.

[Chic2SD · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far so good. Very late 90's Manhattan feel.... Reminds me a lot of Glamorama from the author who wrote American Psycho. We will see where this book is headed. Lots of restaurant New York Stock Broker scenes so far. Doing Coke in the bathroom, making 50K a trade type of stuff.... The 80's!!!!

Ok so almost done with this. Damn so close. It has been pretty good. Typical NYC vibe during the mid 90's were young stock brokers were making a ridiculous amount of money and pissing it away. Kind of sad though seeing these successful people kill themselves on coke and alcohol. A washed up writer, who wrote one great book, married and switched to Islam. That's weird. The whole book revolves around a restaurant in Manhattan that everyone goes there. Owned by Indians. Lots of weird stuff happens there. Geez almost done!!!!

Ok, finally done. Middle to the end of the book focused on a rich CEO who seemed very similar to a Bernie Madoff type. Could not really relate to this book. Too much Hampton's/Manhattan style of life. Entertaining to see the write battle with the Indian parents of his wife who are Islam. He converted, and now the Islamic group wanted to assisnate him over so anti-Islam comments. Ok, enough..done, done, done

[Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read Lit Life some time ago and remember only one scene from the entire novel, and not one starring the hero of this book, Kyle Clayton. There are some funny moments here, but I suspect I won't remember too much from this one later either. Found the whole bad boy writer converting to Islam angle pretty unbelievable, though it does open up a lot of comic possibilities.

[Beth Shields-Szostak]

1st edition, signed by author

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember virtually nothing about this book.

[Tajma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Completely dated, and not in a nostalgic way. By tomorrow I will have forgotten I even read it.