New York

by Lily Brett

New York - bk1590; Ullstein Verlag; Lily Brett; pocket_book; 2004

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Essays, Short Stories, Americana, New York

Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Cynnamon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of columns that were published around 20 years ago in the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit.
I did not really find access to the texts.

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Eine Sammlung von Kolumnen, die ursprünglich in der Zeit erschienen sind. Hauptthema ist das Leben der Kolumnistin in New York.

Die Texte konnten mich nicht sonderlich ansprechen, daher bewerte ich mit 2 Sternen.

[Debbie Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Lily Brett book and I will definitely be reading more of her work. I think I’ll tackle Too Many Men next although it is pretty big unlike this tiny one. At first it was a little disconcerting how all the essays were just two pages long. I then realised, of course, that they must have been for a regular coloumn or similar but I think it would have been better for the reader if this was stated on the blurb.
After I got used to the length always being the same I really began to enjoy the humour of the pieces. Of course some of them are lightweight but I love her take on New York and more than anything Brett’s dry wit. I feel I really have a sense of what it must be like living in New York city. I can safely say I never want to but then I’m not a fan of big cities. I prefer the sound of Shelter Island.
Favourite pieces are “The Country”, “Memory”, the now poignant “The Hamptons”, “Food” - “I stood and stared at the cows. My first thought was that these cows had been brought here for a movie shoot. SoHo, where is live, is awash with film crews. I thought that the cows must have bee providing a bucolic backdrop for somebody’s story.” How delightfully absurd!
Other enjoyable essays are “Leopard-skin Trousers”, “Monica”, “Distance”, “Shorts” which confirms an observation of mine and my favourite - the hilarious but also sad “Father”. Recommended.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Brett writes about everyday thoughts and occurrences in a way that is so relatable, funny and interesting. It would be hard to explain this book to someone and make it sound good- but it really is! Fantastic writing.

[Magdalena]

Lily Brett's New York is a lighthearted, easy to read book which looks at life in New York from the perspective of an Australian who has been living in Manhatten for over ten years. As an ex-New Yorker myself, I enjoyed reading the short and pointed vignettes which were more like a regular newspaper column (and indeed they were originally commissioned and published by Die Zeit, a popular German newspaper) than like a cumulative series of stories on life in the Big Apple. Most of the pieces are quietly humorous, and touch on current affair topics such as the fear of germs, the cult of youthfulness, fear of getting fat, life in a Co-Op, visiting the Hamptons during the summer, matchmaking, Monica Lewinsky's impact on acceptable body weight, the cult of busy-ness, Fergie's hair, and other such subjects which would likely find their way into the average New York City dinner party. These stories did give me a feel for the issues affecting the average New Yorker as well a sense of the smell, colours, changes and day to day life in New York City (as an ex-New Yorker myself, they did sometimes provoke homesickness), but as is generally the case with Brett's work, the pieces are personal, and touch on issues which are, at times, particular to her. Her feelings about motherhood, for example, in "Children" are likely to provoke those who feel that the intellectual challenges and rewards of parenting lead to more than a "pumpkin pulp" of brains, or that many people do know how to grow vegetables ("Food"), and get more out of home-grown produce than the earth which hides inside the celery sticks, even if the average New Yorker would concur. Or even that men are prized and women underrated ("A Man").

I also found myself wanting more out of each essay. Just as I'd been hooked in, the essay would end, sometimes abruptly, and leave me hungry for more detail, more information, more depth on the subject. I kept hoping for something more profound. However, perhaps there was no need to look so hard for profundity. These short pieces are not meant to be profound or to add up to any great meaning. They are just a lighthearted look at some of the mores of a city which, according to Brett, intrudes totally into the lives of its inhabitants, taking on the persona of another person. Taken in the same vein as a read of Dave Barry's weekly column, or a book of Clive James' essays, or something by Peter Mayle, the essays in New York provided a nice break in the intensity of the novels I usually read, and for Lily Brett, perhaps a break in the intensity of the novels she usually writes. A little light humour from someone whose own relationship with the city she now lives in has become the same as the 17.5 million other New Yorkers, a love hate affair which leaves her missing the place as soon as she activates her burglar alarm and double locks her front door.

[Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a small volume of short observational pieces in which Brett muses on the perils of living in New York, being American, her own peccadilloes and those of other people. Brett is hugely insightful and pointedly humorous. Her most remarkable achievement is writing with prose that is duplicitously simple. Some pieces are not as acute or as well-structured as others but I wonder if I might be missing some subtle verbal nudge.

This volume is my introduction to Lily Brett but I'll be looking out for more of her work.

[Lizp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading these short stories on New York.

Brett looks at life in New York from the perspective of an Australian who has been living in Manhattan for many years. Many of these are funny pieces, a form of people watching and describing from her perspective what goes on in New York. Her observations on all kinds of things are incisive. She visits the youth culture, fear of getting fat, life lived in a co-op, parenting, matchmaking, going to the Hamptons, etc.

These are entertaining, albeit brief pieces. You can tell that Brett loves New York, seeing it as being very much alive and impacting greatly on the lives of its inhabitants.

[Iryna Bezsonova · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25 😞

[Justine Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love Lily Brett's writing. This book made me want to jump on the next plane to New York. Brett writes with such personal candour showing her own vulnerabilities. New York however is the main character of each story in this book. It shows so many aspects of the city, it's people and the daily events of life in this dynamic city.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deceptively light and bitingly funny, Brett's writing is a pleasure akin to conversation with a friend. This memoir is a collection of short pieces that present the potential dangers and joys of living in NYC - considerably more than it appears.

[Andy Quan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily Brett is a celebrated Australian poet and novelist, who often writes about family life, including the experiences of people like her, the daughter of survivors of the Holocaust. She also writes essays, and I found her collection ‘New York’ amidst the library of the poet Ramon Loyola, which I’d volunteered to redistribute after his untimely passing.

The collection of essays is extremely charming. Brett has lived in New York City with her husband, the artist David Rankin, since 1989 and she shares her gentle and humorous observations of the famed Big Apple. Whether it’s a persona she’s created or she’s speaking without filter, the author of these collections is neurotic, wry and self-deprecating. She writes in short, punchy sentences, and none of the essays are longer than a few pages. It was written in 2001 but is rather perfect for today’s short attention spans.

The essays are not as simple as they might seem, yet do tend to have a formula. The first theme is introduced, and then there’s a sudden or gentle digression to something that seems quite unrelated. And then, she ties both themes together, often in a way where she teases herself for being serious or unadventurous, too concerned with her appearance or too set in her ways. They are all very personal, but a broader social observation, tied together. She often portrays herself as somewhat naive, but always with a glint of a smile. There’s a deep intelligence at work, but no need to show it off.

My only thought, partway through the book, was how curious I was of how her views of New York City would have changed since 2001. And then I found out that I need not wonder at all. A follow-up book of essays, entitled ‘Only in New York’ was published in 2014. When I’m hankering for a bite of the Big Apple again, I’ll order the book!

[Mary-Clare Terrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Brett's quirky honesty; though as I write this, I'm not sure that honesty should be considered 'quirky.' Nonetheless, Brett offers a fresh perspective that often rings true. The chapters are short and were, in fact, the impetus for starting my blog, maryclarewriter.com. To mirror Brett's style of writing; drawing on the many ways she explores New York life and taking this approach with the topic of parenthood. Surely, wishing to evoke another writer's style speaks volumes to how much I enjoyed reading this book.

[bea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would’ve given this three stars but I really didn’t care for ‘Monica’, ‘A Cellular Phone’ or ‘Shorts’. I don’t think it’s a terrible book, but by no means is it great. However, as it is very much a ‘light’ read, it was good for me as it helped in some way to ease me back into the habit.

[b e a c h g o t h · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected so much more from this

[adelaidelily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good. Not as good as only in New York. Lily Brett you still wrote a pretty good book though. It was funny and intriguing but I wasn’t addicted.

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

She failed to understand much about the city and its people.

[lulu-may · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads as if Carrie Bradshaw wrote a book, I love it.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Brett manages to represent the simplicities of New York while simultaneously making the city seem like the most fantastic place.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit that I fell upon this book with glee....

A friend had dropped off a bag of book-clubby type books to help me through an extended period at home. Lily Brett, I said to myself, I love Lily Brett!
So this was the one I chose to start that very day......

The book is a series of anecdotally themed snippets. I fear they are less to do with New York than they are to do with Lily Brett's not inconsiderable neuroses.
Even the length of each chapter reflects this! Each is precisely .....a half page, followed by a whole page, followed by two thirds of a page...... as if they have been written to fill a newspaper column.

Published in 2001 (very obviously pre 9/11) .....the book, unfortunately, has a very dated feel to it. It's really not that long ago....but the usual sharp observations of Brett feel worn out.....like a "Dad's joke".

I won't let it put me off reaching for the charming Ms Brett's other offerings..... But I am very glad this was a short book......and it only got 3 stars for old-times sake.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I say I've read this, even though I only got half way through. Each chapter of this book seemed like a ridiculously staunchly feminist whinge about part of living in New York. Reading this book made me angry, frustrated, and highly desirous to give Brett a slap across the face - wake up and be grateful for what is around you woman, get over yourself!

[Lakshmi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came across this book clearly wanted to read something about New York. After I finished reading, the thought that came across was what was special about this book to read, nothing. Anyone could notice things that she has written about at any Western country. I gave 2 stars only for her wit which got me laughing at certain sections in the book.

[Rachael Wilkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to really like this book...the observances of an Australian woman living in NYC seemed like something that should resonate with me! As I got further into the book, I became bored with her style and felt the observations were somewhat weak, lacking substance.

[Claude · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is it just me or is there no substance to any of these writings?
What is the point of reading these stories?
They are small, sharp and to the point. Easy to read. But you will probably get about
the same amount of entertainment should you read a TV guide.

[Tamara Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice book full of small stories to fall in love with. I especially liked it because you could leave and come back to it at any point :)

[Bookish Minx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall enjoyable, would have been better to read it in English though since the translation seemed to lack the voice of the author and seemed to be a bit clumsy at times.