The Vertical City

by Fannie Hurst

"The Vertical City" by Fannie Hurst is a novel that explores the complex social and personal dynamics within a modern urban environment. Set in the context of a bustling city with its towering skyscrapers, the novel examines the contrast between the lofty aspirations and the struggles of the people living in this vertical, fast-paced world. As with many of Hurst's works, "The Vertical City" delves into the lives of women, societal expectations, and personal ambitions, with a focus on the emotional and psychological experiences of its characters.
The central characters are likely individuals who strive to succeed and find meaning in a world that can seem indifferent and impersonal. The "vertical" aspect of the city reflects not just the physical architecture but also the societal structures and barriers that individuals must navigate—ranging from class divisions to personal desires and relationships. In true Fannie Hurst style, the novel explores both the beauty and alienation of city life, with rich characterizations that aim to show the complexity of human nature in the context of modernity. Themes of ambition, social mobility, loneliness, and the pursuit of love and happiness are key elements in the narrative.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 11, 2024

About the author

Fannie Hurst was born in Ohio, grew up in St. Louis and spent her adult life in New York City. She is the author of 17 novels and more than 250 short stories, as well as plays, screenplays, memoirs, essays and articles. Her best-remembered works are those turned into films, including: Imitation of Life, Back Street, Humoresque, The Younger Generation, and Young at Heart. She was active in a variety of progressive Jewish, social justice, labor, peace and women’s organizations. A lifelong philanthropist, Hurst willed her considerable estate to her alma mater Washington University and to Brandeis University.

Reviews

[Tara]

The overarching theme of women facing social and economic discrimination has many minor themes contained within, but women facing and being unable to conquer madness is one that was referenced over and over which I found to be fascinating. Considering that Hurst was clearly showing the discrimination against women, she also showed them to be generally powerless against the system. I suppose I'm more used to women subverting the system, but while on the top these stories seemed light, the content was very heavy. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about everything, what with the heavy-handed stereotypes, among other things, but I'm definitely glad I read it and will look forward to reading some of her better-known pieces.

[Sophie]

I really appreciated the variety of these stories. Ms. Hurst creates memorable characters and situations and uses them to show the many sides of the Vertical City. This was the first book I've read by this author--I'm more familiar with the movie versions of her novels--but I hope to find others.

[Benjamin Stahl]

A bunch of random short stories, very dated in some ways but not altogether bad. Just very average, and mostly around the same theme of unhappy marriages. OK overall, just not entirely my cup of tea.

[Martha Alami]

I have never read Fannie Hurst, but trying to read more American best seller authors from various eras. I also recently read Zora Neale Hurston’s autobiography in which she detailed her relationship with Fannie Hurst. This book is a collection of stories, not one novel, but I felt it was a good example of her writing style and topics. The stories include various stereotypes of the time period and the situation of their lifestyles. Hurst gives descriptions of their situations including descriptions of clothing, interior design and foods eaten. Her details give the reader insight to the time period, along with the societal standards and norms. For this reason I found the stories interesting. The stories are written in a somewhat archaic, antiquated style so a reader should not expect contemporary writing but this is part of what I enjoy about classic authors.

[Dee]

Fantastic short stories. Gripping. Surprising.

[Benjamin Stahl]

This was a short story within a larger book called The Vertical City. That's all I can remember of it.