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Imperial City: A Novel
672 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1937
13 people want to read
About the author
Elmer Rice
85 books10 followersExpressionist plays of noted American playwright Elmer Leopold Rice include
The Adding Machine
(1923) and
Street Scene
(1929).
He authored novels.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Rice
He authored novels.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Rice
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 31, 2024
NeglectedBooks is a great website, where I heard about this book. I would not however recommend reading this book and here's why.
1. The first half is garbage. Nothing happens, there's 100 different characters, you can't follow them all and not enough detail on any of them to make them three dimensional.
2. The main character's name is Gay, which I never really got over.
3. The learned author of the NeglectedBooks post gave too many spoilers. He literally mentioned things that happen on the top of page 672 of a 672 page book.
4. The ending is poor. While the book does gather momentum in the second half, you will be turning the pages to find out what happens. Only to never be told. The end.
5. One of the reasons I bought this was the surprising early mention of homosexuality. Well there are two coded references to lesbianism and one sentence about a man being gay around page 570. Not much there.
6. There is anti-Semitism and it's just kind of accepted. All of the black characters are servants, with the exception of a Madame, and don't be expecting them to have thoughts or feelings.
7. Much here about Communists and Reds under the Beds. But all from the position of the ruling class.
8. In his last novel, Elmer Rice opens the book with a character taking a taxi across Manhattan. He tries to pay with a $5 bill and the taxi driver complains. What is it with these rich people and their big bills. He can't break a five!!! Well don't be expecting anything like that in this book. The only thing old timey here are the attitudes.
I finished this book, but I'm really asking myself why. Why do people read? Why are people on this earth? Surely to accomplish more than this novel allows.
1. The first half is garbage. Nothing happens, there's 100 different characters, you can't follow them all and not enough detail on any of them to make them three dimensional.
2. The main character's name is Gay, which I never really got over.
3. The learned author of the NeglectedBooks post gave too many spoilers. He literally mentioned things that happen on the top of page 672 of a 672 page book.
4. The ending is poor. While the book does gather momentum in the second half, you will be turning the pages to find out what happens. Only to never be told. The end.
5. One of the reasons I bought this was the surprising early mention of homosexuality. Well there are two coded references to lesbianism and one sentence about a man being gay around page 570. Not much there.
6. There is anti-Semitism and it's just kind of accepted. All of the black characters are servants, with the exception of a Madame, and don't be expecting them to have thoughts or feelings.
7. Much here about Communists and Reds under the Beds. But all from the position of the ruling class.
8. In his last novel, Elmer Rice opens the book with a character taking a taxi across Manhattan. He tries to pay with a $5 bill and the taxi driver complains. What is it with these rich people and their big bills. He can't break a five!!! Well don't be expecting anything like that in this book. The only thing old timey here are the attitudes.
I finished this book, but I'm really asking myself why. Why do people read? Why are people on this earth? Surely to accomplish more than this novel allows.
Displaying 1 of 1 review