Streets of Gold

by Evan Hunter

1974 novel by Evan Hunter. Excerpts of the book originally were published by Playboy Magazine. It is the story from the perspective of an Italian immigrant who came to America to find a better life. The main character Ignazio Di Palermo is very pretty but blind since birth. In Italy it was rumored the streets of America were made of gold.

Genres: Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1985

About the author

Better known by his pseudonym Ed McBain.

Born Salvatore Albert Lombino, he legally adopted the name Evan Hunter in 1952. While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.

Reviews

[Giuseppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storia autobiografica della famiglia dell'autore, più noto come Ed Mc Bain, scrittore di moltissimi gialli.
Il racconto parte dall'emigrazione del nonno, fondatore della famiglia, che si reca negli stati uniti partendo da un paesino del napoletano slinto dalla povertà e dal mito delle strade di New York lastricate d'oro. In realtà troverà una situazione ben diversa e a stento, con mille difficoltà riuscirà a formare una famiglia e gestire un piccolo negozio di sartoria.
Il racconto è fatto dal nipote cieco, musicista jazz, che riesce a fare realmente fortuna e cerca nella società che lo circonda il mito americano del melting pot, del miscuglio di tutte le razze che avrebbe prodotto un uomo nuovo, ma trova solo il consolidarsi di gruppi e tradizioni etniche divise l'una dall'altra

[doug bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling story about a modern musician and the foibles that go along with that lifestyle. I thought that it had keen insight into what it means to be a working musician, on the fringes, struggling to make a living.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the 1st third of the book. It reminded me of my immigrant grandparents and my first-generation parents. In the middle of the book, his long-winded descriptions of jazz piano chords and names of jazz players from the 1940's were boring. The end of the book tied things up, but somehow left me unsatisfied. I was going to recommend this book to my mother, but I decided against it.

[Velvetink · Rating 3 out of 5]

** donated to CCU 30/10/2014