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187th out of 535 books
—
551 voters
The Good People of New York
When Roz Rosenzweig meets Edwin Anderson fumbling for keys on the stoop of a Manhattan walk-up, the last thing on her mind is falling for a polite Nebraskan–yet fall for him she does. So begins Thisbe Nissen’s breathtaking debut novel, a decidedly urban fairy tale that follows Roz and Edwin as they move from improbable courtship to marriage to the birth of daughter Miranda...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
May 7th 2002
by Anchor
(first published May 2001)
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Roz and Edwin are an unlikely match. She is an outgoing, Jewish, Manhattan girl four years older than Edwin. Edwin is quiet, Protestant and Nebraska-born. But they complement each other in spite of those differences and manage to work through their marriage until their daughter, Miranda, enters fifth grade. After a fairly amicable divorce, Miranda and Roz wend their way through the mother-daughter relationship as they tell each other everything, keep secrets from each other, lean on each other,...more
This novel begins by telling the story of how Jewish native New Yorker Roz and Protestant transplant from Nebraska Eddie met, fell in love, and got married, but story really begins to soar when it starts to focus on their daughter Miranda's coming of age. In a largely character-driven novel such as this one, where there is very little if any plot to speak of, the characters need to be genuine, dynamic and deeply drawn, and they are. Nissen succeeds where many other meandering tales of someone's...more
Sep 11, 2009
Jaclyn
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Jaclyn by:
found it on the library shelf
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A really enjoyable read, with great insight into what it's like to grow up in New York (I think), as well as an accurate portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship, and of friendships and other relationships as well. The author does a skillful job of covering a lot of ground, time-wise, and the characters seem authentic at every age: Miranda at twelve is different from Miranda at 15 and from Miranda at 18. Though we stay with Miranda and Roz throughout the story, other characters (with the exce...more
A fast-paced book with some insightful moments. I bought it because one of my favorite authors, Elinor Lipman, gave it such an enthusiastic blurb. Not sure it hangs together in the end, and my guess is that one's overall reaction to it will have much to do with where one is in one's one life at the moment. To wit: I loved the mother; the teenage daughter who takes over the narrative midway through - I wanted to just shake her and shout, "Get Over Yourself! Stop being so self-involved and so rude...more
Jun 27, 2012
Jess
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Mother and daughters, book clubs
Shelves:
funny
This was definitely one of those books that lies on your shelf until you almost give it away, then when you take the time to read it, it surprises the heck out of you.
The novel begins with Roz Rosenzweig, a snarky and cynical New York Jew, crawling on her hands and knees outside of her friend's apartment for a key in the bushes, where she meets her future husband, the Nebraska-born Edwin Anderson. Roz is no-nonsense and doesn't take anything too seriously, including, at first, Edwin. But Edwin's...more
The novel begins with Roz Rosenzweig, a snarky and cynical New York Jew, crawling on her hands and knees outside of her friend's apartment for a key in the bushes, where she meets her future husband, the Nebraska-born Edwin Anderson. Roz is no-nonsense and doesn't take anything too seriously, including, at first, Edwin. But Edwin's...more
Thisbe Nissen develops characters in this book solely by making them Jewish. This explains why Miranda is half as well-developed as a character as Roz, and why Edwin is just a ghostly plot-furthering device. I might have given 3 stars to an all-Roz novel, or a short story about Miranda, but switching back and forth between the two didn't work for me.
Full disclosure: I only read the first two pages of this book. But they were so unbearably awful that I couldn't read more. Run-on sentences, too many clauses, overuse and misuse of modifiers (a skirt was "irrevocably short"), and similes that are hardly that ("like gawkers at a rooftop suicide"), all in some vain attempt at wit. Don't even bother.
Thisbe Nissen writes how I want to write. This is nowhere near as good as her collection of stories, and it took a long time to get to interesting, but I loved it more and more as it went on. Miranda's story is far more interesting than Roz's, so once we got to her I was hooked.
This has been in my top five books since I've been in high school. A nice amount time is covered with these characters- and yet it feels perfectly paced. One of the few mother daughter stories out there that don't get too sappy or too horiffic.
I read this little gem many years ago, and couldn't stop raving about it for a very long time! I had forgotten about it until I was standing in front of my massive bookshelves the other day, and saw it there. It's a prize, for sure!
Not the book I thought I was getting. I expected a read alike for S. J. Boltonand ir is nothing like her books but an interesting take on the generations that grew up in the 70's, 80's and 90's in New York and small town America.
I didn't think people wrote "New York" novels any more but I was wrong. It's a pleasant, light read. Meaning, at least partly, that I'm not sure why it was written. The characters come alive most of the time, and the narrative is strong enough to pull you into the next chapter. The biggest failing is the elisions in character development. For example, it's never quite clear what is at the root of the core conflict between Roz and Miranda. I enjoyed reading it, but I'm not sure why.
Jan 28, 2013
Amy
added it
Amazing structure - a family saga, but the chapters are so individually arched, read like a book of short stories. Would be an interesting way to go about developing a novel. A page turner, for sure.
Chick-fiction! Great break from life in this book. Romance, upset teenagers, divorce; you name the chick-like drama; its probably in there.
Not my fave. Met her in Iowa City at a book signing. She has a flare for writing but I would chose something else written by her.
Fun read - much more character study than plot, and has its flaws, but provided a lot of good book club discussion about motivation.
This is a really *nice book. I can't think of a nicer one about girls. It's like drinking a vanilla milkshake.
Mar 03, 2013
Ayelet Waldman
added it
She's a really good writer, Ms. Nissen, but I just wanted to stick with the first point of view character.
This is one of those rare books that sneaks up on you and speaks to your whole self in such a way that you're still thinking about the characters after you've finished.
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An engrossing and quick read about the relationship between a mother and daughter set in NYC.
May 25, 2009
Kate
added it
I love books set in NYC. This is just your basic, good book - read it in two days at the cabin.
loved it. full of spunk, laughter, tears, and the beauty of humanity :)
Picked for book club. Fast read, but not a great book.
This was an odd book. It was good but a bit slow. I liked the female characters. I did not like the mother's parenting style.
Had potential but in the end, the story just seemed lost.
What's not to love about Roz Rozenweig?
such a fun read!
Aug 08, 2011
Fsiemsen
added it
Meh.
I just read this on vacation as it was on our host's bookshelf. I had wanted to read it when it first came out and Thisbe Nissen was new wunderkind, girl author of the moment.
For a 2nd novel, it is very well developed. I loved the characters and the general story development. As it focuses on a mother/daughter relationship, I would say that it is a bit more of "chick" book, though not in the Bridget Jones sense.
For a 2nd novel, it is very well developed. I loved the characters and the general story development. As it focuses on a mother/daughter relationship, I would say that it is a bit more of "chick" book, though not in the Bridget Jones sense.
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Thisbe Nissen is the author of the story collection, Out of the Girls' Room and into the Night, and two novels, The Good People of New York and Osprey Island. She also co-authored-and-collaged The Ex-Boyfriend Cookbook with Erin Ergenbright. Thisbe's work is forthcoming, or has recently been published in Story Quarterly, The Virginia Quarterly, Glimmer Train, and The Cincinnati Review. She's taugh...more
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