Broadway Baby

by Alan Shapiro

As a little girl growing up in Boston, Miriam Bluestein fantasized about a life lived on stage, specifically in a musical. Get married, have a family—sure, maybe she’d do those things, too, but first and foremost there was her career. As a woman, she is both tormented and consoled by those dreams in her day-to-day existence with her family, including a short-tempered husband, a cranky mother, and three demanding children, one of whom, Ethan, shows real talent for the stage.

It is through Ethan that Miriam strives to realize her dreams. As she pushes him to make the most of his talent, the rest of her life gradually comes undone, with her husband becoming increasingly frustrated and her other two children—Sam, a mass of quirks and idiosyncrasies, and Julie, hostile and bitter—withdrawing into their own worlds. Still Miriam dreams, praying for that big finale, which, when it comes, is nothing that she ever could have imagined.

Broadway Baby marks the fiction debut of a nationally acclaimed award-winning memoirist and poet, “an acute observer of moments, people, art and language [who] packs even seemingly simple stories with many layers of meaning” ( Publishers Weekly , starred review).

Genres: Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2012

About the author

Alan Shapiro (born 1952) is an American poet and professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is the author of nine poetry books, including Tantalus in Love, Song and Dance, and The Dead Alive and Busy.

In addition to poetry, Alan Shapiro has also published two personal memoirs, Vigil and The Last Happy Occasion.
(wikipedia)

Reviews

[Christa Sigman · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is absolutely nothing interesting about this book or the characters. There is zero plot development and hardly any dialogue. The only reason I finished it was because it was the only book I had with me on my commute. Don't waste time on this one.

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this book. It could have been interesting, but the main character never at any point experiences any personal growth despite having every opportunity to do so as the story follows her from girlhood to retirement. I couldn’t relate to the main character at all. I don’t know if it’s meant to be a poignant character study that follows a starry-eyed young girl to being a racist and emotionally manipulative grandmother. Most of the book seems to be her pouting that her kids are following their own dreams and dating outside of their race.

I got nothing out of this book. I wouldn’t recommend it.

(Disclaimer: I read a pre-release version of this that I snagged from a library sale, so keep in mind that my opinion was not formed about the finished product.)

[Brook Wiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anti-hero in an anti-plot shows life in its ugliness and the beauty humans make by enduring. The writing improves significantly after the first opening sketch. I saw other negative reviews. I guess the book won't suit everybody. The book's strength comes from characters realistically reacting to each other, even when personality flaws lead to less-than-desireable outcomes. It ends a bit like The Grapes of Wrath in a graphically physical (but not sexual) communion.

[Emmy Wheeler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stereotypical and absolutely uninteresting. Also, depressing.

Would not recommend.

[Greg]

I got bored.

[Margaret Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book group book which I finished reading on schedule and then I didn't get to book group! I was really looking forward to it but it fell flat, using too many stereotypes. It made me think of the line, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." What about the women? This book seemed to suggest that she had dreams, for her, for the children, but never could quite achieve them. So she comes across as a flat, one dimensional character that no one really likes--not her husband, not her children. I really didn't like the book. Nonetheless, in the discussion guide, the author asks these questions: "Why do essentially good though complicated people behave in ways that can have damaging effects on both them and those they love? How do people survive devastating losses? In times of trouble, how do the things we desire become as much a refuge as a passion? In what ways are the dreams we dream as much a burden as a blessing? How do we see past our fantasies about other people to develop a real appreciation of who they are?"
If we could answer those questions with the book that would be really something. I wonder how the other women in the book group felt.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three generations of women resent their mothers (with good reason). This would be an unsentimental read for Mother's Day weekend. Not a book about theater or stage moms, this is the life story, from age 10 to 80+, of a fairly ordinary suburban American woman.

Miriam represents a lot of women in her generation (now in their nineties) who never got to even try for their dreams. When life gets tough, she slips into her Broadway show tunes. I don't applaud everything Miriam does, but I care about her.

Smooth writing. Some really vivid scenes, laid down in a non-fancy way that fits the blue-collar Boston settings of 1940, 1960.

Example: Miriam's theater teacher making girls recite poems and always claiming to find "the tang of steerage" in the voices of the Jewish and Irish and Italian girls.

Example: Miriam playing solitaire late into the night, worn out from working, and raising kids, and taking care of her cruel elderly mother.

[Olivia-Cassidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the concept of a book relating to life on stage and the story of a girl and how she transforms into a mother and wife. How she lives out her dreams of a life on stage through her son. It started off well in the beginning with nice story but it started to decline in the middle around the time she got married and was just awful by the time I was at the end. It was quite a disappointing ending but again, I'm glad with some of the contents of the book.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, but difficult to read. The main character was so hard to like (which is kind of the point of the whole thing) that it was hard to focus sometimes on the story. I was constantly switching focus from feeling bad for her to feeling bad for her family for having to deal with her. It's beautifully written & quite poetic, but it's not for anyone looking for a happy ending. Very depressing.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was about Miriam, showing her from age 10 until old age. As she raises her family and ages, we see how life disappoints her. I didn't like it at first, but Miriam and her story grew on me.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't dislike the book but found the dysfunction of the mother very disturbing. Denial of ones culpability in children's lives is not good behavior. Guess I like people with more personal insight. Fortunately it wasn't very long.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful - reminded me of "Mrs. Bridge"

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2012/01...

[Tyra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh - I wanted to like this but I couldn't really warm up to the story or the characters.

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and honest book about the dysfunction of a family, focusing on what can happen when a parent tries to live out their unfulfilled dreams through their children.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

ick. I'm an optimist. Kept reading cause I though it would get better.

[Jenni V. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although the last 50 pages were good (which almost skewed me to a more positive rating), I had a very difficult time getting through this book.

[Traci Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this one and LOVED it! You can tell Alan Shapiro is first a poet. The book is beautifully written. Kind of depressing in a real life sort of way. Reminded me a lot of Anne Tyler.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seriously depressing. Makes you wonder how your children will view you and their life with you when they are older. Shudder.

[Calvin]

After had a book recommended to you ever so strongly by someone you know and its made you rethink wanting to know them?

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a happy family story, but the writing is engaging.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here and there, this one is as lovely as his poems. But I like the poems better.