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The Big Apple Bites Back: Short Stories About Life In New York City
New York City is unique, vibrant, exciting and a melting pot of cultures and values. But sometimes, living in the Big Apple can lead to twists, turns, and unexpected outcomes.
The Big Apple Bites Back portrays life in NYC-the people, neighborhoods, the workplace, dashed dreams, and life on the street.
The stories attempt to capture the city's spirit, with tales about how things occasionally go awry and how even the unexpected can enliven life there. When that happens, New Yorkers try to change the situation, go with the flow, or laugh about it and move on.
At the very least, The Big Apple Bites Back reveals what it's like to live and work in "The City The Never Sleeps."
The Big Apple Bites Back portrays life in NYC-the people, neighborhoods, the workplace, dashed dreams, and life on the street.
The stories attempt to capture the city's spirit, with tales about how things occasionally go awry and how even the unexpected can enliven life there. When that happens, New Yorkers try to change the situation, go with the flow, or laugh about it and move on.
At the very least, The Big Apple Bites Back reveals what it's like to live and work in "The City The Never Sleeps."
177 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2023
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 24, 2024
I received a free ARC from Reedsy Discovery and you can find my original review on their site here. Authors and readers might want to check their website, as they offer recommendations, services, blog posts, and other interesting and useful content.
This is a book of stories/vignettes about the city of New York, and, apart from the stories, it includes an introduction, a preface, an author’s note, the usual acknowledgments, and an about the author section. Shapiro explains that after having lived in New York all his life, he recently retired to Palm Springs, California, with his wife. He enjoys life there, but he can’t forget the “Big Apple” (something that readers will discover no real New Yorker would ever say) and has decided to write a few stories (thirteen plus a section of “short takes” at the end) that illustrate what life in New York and being a New Yorker are like.
The stories and vignettes (some follow the classical structure of a short story, while others are like a short scene that might flash in a fully developed narrative) cover a large variety of topics: running late for a job interview; parking, and its rules; filming a movie in the city and the problems it causes; the pushcarts at the old markets; the cut-throat business culture; being a spectator at a sporting event, buying property and its stringent requisites; prison rules and food; going to the psychiatrist; narcissists and toxic people, and even more variety in the “short takes”, which are among my favourites, because they are very brief, quick, and most quite funny, like a good joke. The stories are set in different eras, mostly in the present or the recent past (the pandemic is mentioned often), and the author excels at observing and capturing the rhythms and cadences of speech, the attitude of people, the wit, the sharp sense of humour, and, above all, the sense of place. Readers might not be familiar with New York other than through movies and series, but they will soon get a feel for what life must be like there, a combination of excitement, tension, buzz, daring, and plenty of energy, not all positive. Although the city might not always make you feel welcome, the book will, and there are stories for most tastes.
As expected in all collections of stories, some are stronger than others but even the longer ones don’t drag, and this book would be ideal for people who don’t have a lot of time to read and prefer something that can be picked up and put down without losing the thread and becoming frustrated. And if they are interested in New York, all the better.
This is a book of stories/vignettes about the city of New York, and, apart from the stories, it includes an introduction, a preface, an author’s note, the usual acknowledgments, and an about the author section. Shapiro explains that after having lived in New York all his life, he recently retired to Palm Springs, California, with his wife. He enjoys life there, but he can’t forget the “Big Apple” (something that readers will discover no real New Yorker would ever say) and has decided to write a few stories (thirteen plus a section of “short takes” at the end) that illustrate what life in New York and being a New Yorker are like.
The stories and vignettes (some follow the classical structure of a short story, while others are like a short scene that might flash in a fully developed narrative) cover a large variety of topics: running late for a job interview; parking, and its rules; filming a movie in the city and the problems it causes; the pushcarts at the old markets; the cut-throat business culture; being a spectator at a sporting event, buying property and its stringent requisites; prison rules and food; going to the psychiatrist; narcissists and toxic people, and even more variety in the “short takes”, which are among my favourites, because they are very brief, quick, and most quite funny, like a good joke. The stories are set in different eras, mostly in the present or the recent past (the pandemic is mentioned often), and the author excels at observing and capturing the rhythms and cadences of speech, the attitude of people, the wit, the sharp sense of humour, and, above all, the sense of place. Readers might not be familiar with New York other than through movies and series, but they will soon get a feel for what life must be like there, a combination of excitement, tension, buzz, daring, and plenty of energy, not all positive. Although the city might not always make you feel welcome, the book will, and there are stories for most tastes.
As expected in all collections of stories, some are stronger than others but even the longer ones don’t drag, and this book would be ideal for people who don’t have a lot of time to read and prefer something that can be picked up and put down without losing the thread and becoming frustrated. And if they are interested in New York, all the better.
December 23, 2025
Sharp, Witty Snapshots of Life in the City That Never Sleeps
The Big Apple Bites Back by Arthur Shapiro is an engaging and entertaining collection of short stories and vignettes that captures the pulse, humor, and contradictions of life in New York City. Drawing on a lifetime of lived experience, Shapiro presents the city not as a glossy postcard, but as it truly is messy, demanding, vibrant, and endlessly fascinating.
The collection spans a wide range of moments and settings: job interviews gone awry, the absurdities of parking rules, workplace politics, crowded streets, movie shoots disrupting daily life, and the peculiar social codes that only longtime New Yorkers instinctively understand. Some pieces follow a traditional short-story structure, while others read more like brief snapshots or observational sketches, which works especially well for a city built on fleeting encounters.
What Shapiro does best is capture voice and atmosphere. The dialogue feels authentic, the humor is sharp without being cruel, and the sense of place is unmistakable. Even readers who have never lived in New York will quickly recognize its rhythms the impatience, resilience, ambition, and underlying wit that define the city and its people. The shorter “short takes” toward the end are particularly enjoyable: quick, funny, and often unexpectedly insightful.
As with any collection, some stories resonate more strongly than others, but none overstay their welcome. This makes the book especially well-suited for readers who enjoy dipping in and out, or who want something engaging without committing to a long, continuous narrative.
The Big Apple Bites Back is a warm, clever, and honest tribute to New York City one that acknowledges its frustrations while celebrating the energy and unpredictability that make it unforgettable. A highly enjoyable read for New Yorkers, former New Yorkers, and anyone curious about what life in the city is really like.
The Big Apple Bites Back by Arthur Shapiro is an engaging and entertaining collection of short stories and vignettes that captures the pulse, humor, and contradictions of life in New York City. Drawing on a lifetime of lived experience, Shapiro presents the city not as a glossy postcard, but as it truly is messy, demanding, vibrant, and endlessly fascinating.
The collection spans a wide range of moments and settings: job interviews gone awry, the absurdities of parking rules, workplace politics, crowded streets, movie shoots disrupting daily life, and the peculiar social codes that only longtime New Yorkers instinctively understand. Some pieces follow a traditional short-story structure, while others read more like brief snapshots or observational sketches, which works especially well for a city built on fleeting encounters.
What Shapiro does best is capture voice and atmosphere. The dialogue feels authentic, the humor is sharp without being cruel, and the sense of place is unmistakable. Even readers who have never lived in New York will quickly recognize its rhythms the impatience, resilience, ambition, and underlying wit that define the city and its people. The shorter “short takes” toward the end are particularly enjoyable: quick, funny, and often unexpectedly insightful.
As with any collection, some stories resonate more strongly than others, but none overstay their welcome. This makes the book especially well-suited for readers who enjoy dipping in and out, or who want something engaging without committing to a long, continuous narrative.
The Big Apple Bites Back is a warm, clever, and honest tribute to New York City one that acknowledges its frustrations while celebrating the energy and unpredictability that make it unforgettable. A highly enjoyable read for New Yorkers, former New Yorkers, and anyone curious about what life in the city is really like.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews