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212th out of 386 books
—
154 voters
Metropolis
On a freezing night in the middle of a New York winter, a young immigrant is suddenly awakened by a fire in P. T. Barnum’s stable, where he works and sleeps, and soon finds himself at the center of a citywide arson investigation. Determined to clear his name and realize the dreams that inspired his hazardous voyage to America, he will change his identity many times, find h...more
Paperback, 496 pages
Published
February 14th 2006
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 2005)
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I was SO disappointed in this book. I really liked the beginning, especially what seemed to be the premise of exploring a character whose fate rests upon inaction rather than action (and who seems to be like a blank slate -- upon whom others project their fears, anxieties, needs). I also initially liked what seemed to be suspenseful historical fiction, reminiscent of Fingersmith (Sarah Waters).
But as the book progressed, my criticisms were many. My biggest complaint is that the storytelling and...more
But as the book progressed, my criticisms were many. My biggest complaint is that the storytelling and...more
As an author who has written about New York’s seminal street gangs, I found the premise of Metropolis irresistible. A German immigrant with a shadowy past is wrongly accused of torching Barnum’s circus, resulting in a nationwide manhunt. The Whyos gang shields him from the law by giving him the new identity of Frank Harris, but for a price: he has to get a job as a sewer man and map the city’s maze of underground tunnels, which would make ideal escape routes. Danger lurks in the form of Luther U...more
I wanted to like this book. And to be fair, I did. I just also wanted it to be something it wasn't. I was unimpressed by the characterization- and I don't think it's because of how the main character reinvents himself. As he says, he's still him- but despite learning backstory and following him through years of this book, I still don't know who that is. Also, things happen *to* him; his passivity makes the secondary characters twice as interesting as he is. The other main character, Bea, is far...more
Mar 31, 2009
Barb
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2009,
hf-victorian-1837-1901
Falls Apart Like A Thin Slice of White Bread In A Rainstorm.
This is a coming to America story with gangs and rats and grit.
It could have been fabulous, unfortunately in my opinion it wasn't very good. I have to say that I agree with the many criticism noted by other readers. I found a distracting inconsistency of style in the writing.
I did not dislike the meticulously detailed style when the author was writing about the sewers, building roads and construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. But unfort...more
This is a coming to America story with gangs and rats and grit.
It could have been fabulous, unfortunately in my opinion it wasn't very good. I have to say that I agree with the many criticism noted by other readers. I found a distracting inconsistency of style in the writing.
I did not dislike the meticulously detailed style when the author was writing about the sewers, building roads and construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. But unfort...more
This was a difficult read for me. The first few chapters brought to mind various works that I have seen or read (Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in "Far and Away", Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz in "Gangs of New York" and Steve Buscemi in "Boardwalk Empire", as well as several different characters from Ken Follett novels, most notably Tom the Builder in "The Pillars of the Earth"). The thing is, I like all of the above movies/shows/books, so the likenesses should have been a positive thing, but...more
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Overall, I really enjoyed this novel of 19th century New York. It was very Dickensian and reminded me a lot of Oliver Twist -- Undertoe was very similar to the menacing character Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist and he like Bill received his just desserts in the end. I did have some difficulty buying into the way the gang communicated through singing or "Whyoing" -- a little hard to believe. But otherwise, I really thought the author captured the feel of old New York and the story was obviously well-r...more
On a freezing night in the middle of a New York winter, a young immigrant is suddenly awakened by a fire in P. T. Barnum’s stable, where he works and sleeps, and soon finds himself at the center of a citywide arson investigation. Determined to clear his name and realize the dreams that inspired his hazardous voyage to America, he will change his identity many times, find himself mixed up with one of the city’s toughest and most enterprising gangs, and fall in love with a smart, headstrong, and b...more
Metropolis by Elizabeth Gaffney is a detailed epic of life in New York at the dawn of the modern age. Gaffney dutifully tends to the development of her characters and the city itself, with no stone left unturned. In addition, Gaffney crafts a compelling love story between the tough Beatrice O’Gamhna and the mysterious Frank Harris. Yet, the book often meanders along, seemingly without any guidance, in detailed descriptions and backstories that lose the reader’s interest. On the whole, Metropolis...more
1 like · like · see review
One of the best books I've ever read. After reading Amy Ephron's A Cup of Tea I started wanting to read more period books. And this did NOT let me down in the least. I was hooked from the first page to the very last. And I read it eagerly and with fervor as if I was devouring a big huge chocolate cake for the first time. It was exciting and interesting and dramatic and you just were holding onto your seat wondering what in the world was going to happen next. I put this book on my "book high" lis...more
This book is a fun read. I didn't like what the author did with one of the characters (Luther--the serial killer no one suspects??), but I enjoyed the book overall. I didn't really expect to--I picked it up for $5 on a whim--so that may be why I enjoyed it so much. I do, however, dislike the historical fiction trend of making most characters progressive (no one is racist, women should have the vote and not have to be hookers, etc, etc). I had a hard time deciding between 3 or 4 stars and then I...more
Ok...it's been a couple of weeks since I read this but I'll do my best. I think the writing in this book is really stellar. I'm not necessarily one for period pieces but to envision an altogether different world of 1870s NYC...a bustling city filled with all kind of immigrants trying to make lives for themselves and willing to take any possible job to survive when they realize that it may have actually been easier to do so in their home country anyways (hmmm...I guess not much has changed...exce...more
I'm hoping this gets better. 100 pages in, and the narrator is driving me nuts. Could we PLEASE skip all the "what our young hero did not know..."? I'm giving it another 50-100 pages before I call uncle. It's just too annoying.
UPDATE: Ok, finished it. I guess I'm pretty ambivalent about it. I always love a "cheer for the underdog" kind of story and historical fiction, and this fit the bill for both of them. The narration got better... then took a nose dive. Seriously, the book ends with somethin...more
UPDATE: Ok, finished it. I guess I'm pretty ambivalent about it. I always love a "cheer for the underdog" kind of story and historical fiction, and this fit the bill for both of them. The narration got better... then took a nose dive. Seriously, the book ends with somethin...more
This was a recommendation from my husband and it was a great one! The characters are harsh yet crystal clear. The story follows the main character and keeps you interested throughout. Elizabeth Gaffney must have done her homework, because the backdrop of New York City in the 1800s feels lush and real. The Whyo Gang is intense but with their story, I couldn't put it down. Finished this one in under a week, and a busy week at that!
I am generally a sucker for anything about New York City, especially if it is set, as this book is, in a historical New York City. However, while this book's take on the building of the Brooklyn bridge and the gang culture that made up the Five Points was interesting, I felt that it was too long and that the "coincidences" that continually made things go right for the characters were too on the nose.
I almost gave it three stars since I started out really liking it, and I was compelled to finish it, but liked it less and less as it went on. I started feeling that "Clan of the Cave Bear" effect where the main character was involved in every major aspect of NYC development in the late 1800s. I also found it weird the way all the characters kept bumping into each other. I don't know if she was going for some sort of literary effect with that, but mostly it just came off as improbable and a lazy...more
I picked this up from the clearance rack at Powell's, so I wasn't expecting much. A few months after reading it, it has remained with me. I really liked this book. Great characters, stunning portrayal of 19th century NY, and an overall humorous story, even though it's about gangs and lots of hardship. I am a lover of historical fiction; if you are too, try this book.
This book was such a mixed bag. The interesting parts of it were fascinating - and then there were the long other stretches. The best of it (the early circus part and some of the gang-related stuff) kept me glued to the page, but then in the end it took me almost a month to finish since I almost gave up a few times. In the end a disappointment.
It started well, hit all the right victorian era notes- immigrant rise with the redemption of a woman with a shady past. It's problem was it's pacing. Seemed to peak a bit soon then listlessly droned on a bit to a not unsatisfying ending. Pity the author has only written this one novel.
This one just didn't wow me...although I'm (admittedly) at that point in a reader's life where you get quite "particular". Although Gaffney's writing style was easy going and quite good, I felt a kind of deja vu. Been there, done that...it was not that different from several other historical books about New York City that I've read over the years. After reading the Author's Note at the end (full of spoilers...so I won't recommend reading it at the beginning), I gained some appreciation for the a...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this story that took the reader through post-Civil War New York. The historical details felt accurate and yet alive as though the author had actually been there. One of the more enjoyable historical reads I’ve had of late.
A very good read that would have been worth four stars except for the fact that the background for the new york sewer system was actually based on sources about the paris sewer system and not New York!
This book is wonderfully written & the story is extremely interesting. It leaves you wondering if any of this really happened, and the short answer is it did.
I saw several people relate this book to the Gangs of New York movie, but I don't think it was nearly as good as that story, or even the book "Paradise Alley" which was one of my all-time favorite books. Someone did point out correctly that there were numerous inconsitancies in the story, that were fairly obvious, and rather than a break in the text when moving from one subject/scene to another, the author just goes right into it, and you have to catch it or realize that she's moved on to anothe...more
What an interesting book. It combines history with fiction and paints a vivid picture of New York City at the turn of the century. Would also make a gorgeous movie.
An interesting, enjoyable read about turn-of-the-century New York and the immigrant experience. A fun novel and a page-turner if you're a daily commuter.
The characters are not engaging, the narrator is too full of the author's voice. Statements like: "our man" and "I wouldn't do that to his fate" were annoying and kept disrupting the pace of the story. Gaffney went above and beyond researching the history of New York, and its seedy underbelly. She unfortunately couldn't compose all of the information into a compelling novel. There was too much "telling" and not enough "showing." Pages went on with narration, but none of which added to the plot o...more
Great story of historical NYC history. Fast moving. You can imagine what like was like in the city all those years ago. Believable
Metropolis was difficult to read. It lacked action and was filled with incredibly long descriptions. All in all, I would not recommend it.
1 like · like · see review
Surprisingly, I liked this book. It started out slow but it got interesting. The underground parts were neat.
Dec 21, 2010
Alisa
added it
fun and educational. i love the idea of brooklyn being all farms and birth control being a lemon.
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