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Tabloid City

3.35 of 5 stars 3.35 · rating details · 793 ratings · 208 reviews

In a stately West Village town house, a wealthy socialite and her secretary are murdered. In the 24 hours that follow, a flurry of activity surrounds their shocking deaths:

The head of one of the city's last tabloids stops the presses. A cop investigates the killing. A reporter chases the story. A disgraced hedge fund manager flees the country. An Iraq War vet seeks revenge...more

Hardcover, 278 pages

Published May 5th 2011 by Little, Brown and Company (first published April 13th 2011)

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Jul 09, 2012 JoAnn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

Tabloid City is a day-in-the-life kind of novel that only Pete Hamill could write. Set in New York City, it follows a handful of characters in alternating "datelines" over the course of roughly 24 hours.

The main character, Sam Briscoe, an aging editor of a struggling afternoon tabloid, appears to be modeled on Hamill himself. Briscoe obviously loves the newspaper business, but has serious concerns for its future. He is also an advocate of libraries and reading. Through his childhood memories and...more Tabloid City is a day-in-the-life kind of novel that only Pete Hamill could write. Set in New York City, it follows a handful of characters in alternating "datelines" over the course of roughly 24 hours.

The main character, Sam Briscoe, an aging editor of a struggling afternoon tabloid, appears to be modeled on Hamill himself. Briscoe obviously loves the newspaper business, but has serious concerns for its future. He is also an advocate of libraries and reading. Through his childhood memories and reminiscences of the city long ago, Briscoe echoes familiar themes from Hamill's speaking engagements and nonfiction.

But don't get the wrong idea - this novel is not all newspapers and nostalgia. It is firmly set in the present. The characters, immigrants to social elite, artists to terrorists, represent a true cross-section of life and provide an exciting multi-layered plot. The way their lives converge in unexpected ways reminded me of Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, but since it took place over one day, Tabloid City seemed more like a snapshot.

A passage I liked:
"At first Briscoe thought she saw him as a book she took down from the shelf, savored, and then returned to a higher shelf. But it lasted too long, like a serial by Dickens that had great gaps and greater and greater richness as it went on. He loved her more last week than he ever had, the richness of her, the plentitude of her that was part of his own consciousness, eve when he slept alone. Now some son of a bitch has torn away the last phase of that long narrative. We'll never live those final chapters." p.209

A Note on the Audio Production:
The audio production, narrated Peter Ganim and Ellen Archer, was well done. The short chapters focusing on a single character seemed perfectly suited to dual narrators, and Ganim and Archer skillfully changed their voices making it easy to differentiate between characters. After listening to the first eight hours in the car, I borrowed a print copy from the library because I had to finish the book.(less)

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Jul 30, 2012 Barry Willdorf rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Recommended to Barry by: book group

One for the NY Department of Sanitation

No one can quibble with Pete Hamill’s skills as a writer but his novel Tabloid City is sub-par in nearly every respect. This disappointing novel will tax the patience of most aficionados of the murder mystery/suspense genre. The murders do not begin for nearly eighty pages, nearly a third of the way through the book. Just getting there takes perseverance as Hamill presents character after character in what amount to thirty-second sound bites that for most o...more One for the NY Department of Sanitation

No one can quibble with Pete Hamill’s skills as a writer but his novel Tabloid City is sub-par in nearly every respect. This disappointing novel will tax the patience of most aficionados of the murder mystery/suspense genre. The murders do not begin for nearly eighty pages, nearly a third of the way through the book. Just getting there takes perseverance as Hamill presents character after character in what amount to thirty-second sound bites that for most of the book have little relation to one another. The shear number of these little vignettes makes it a confusing book, especially if you are someone who can’t simply sit down and read it from cover to cover. Read ten pages one day and pick it up again the next, you won’t remember who is who and what is what. Perhaps the rat tat tat tabloid style works with news, but we don’t know the characters for a long time and you have to have either some action or character development sooner that Hamill delivers it. That doesn’t happen when you get about two pages at a time and you introduce enough characters to fill Yankee Stadium. Who is important? Who isn’t? Unfortunately you find out too late that most of the portraits fall into the latter category.

Hamill makes matters worse by constantly interrupting the tempo of the story with a litany of details, most of apparently personal memorabilia. We get two artists whose stories add nothing to the plot but seem to be inserted more to let you know what he knows about art. We get a half-baked story about crooked bond trader just so Hamill can let us know what he thinks about the crooks on Wall Street. He wraps his crime story in a larger story about the death of newspapers. But the murders of people don’t really mesh with the murder of the paper. Sure, we can all lament the death of the city room as it appeared in a myriad of nourish movies, but Hamill wants something more than a vague nostalgia for the cliché he doesn’t deliver the goods. Keeping Damon Runyon’s old manual typewriter under glass may make Hamill teary-eyed, but it’s hard for a reader who wasn’t a newspaperman to share his tears. In many ways, this novel has the feel of Hamill writing for himself.

Make no mistake. Hamill knows New York, its buildings, raconteurs, the rich and famous, restaurants come and gone, seedy bars that no longer exist, every rut in every street. He foregoes no opportunity to remind us it was his beat. Wherever he can, he tosses characters into the stew so he can dish out these details. You can learn a lot of New York City esoterica reading this book, and it might come in handy if you have exceptional powers of recall and are playing Trivial Pursuits, but this bouillabaisse never cooks up into a real narrative. It’s blather. I’m sorry, but you don’t get real character development simply by having Joe Shmoe remember the time he screwed his old lady in a dive on the Rive Gauche. And a dialogue between two guys in wheel chairs on the height of a curb cut on fourteenth, or was it sixteenth street (I really don’t remember or care) is edifying but not plot-worthy. A good writer, who really cares about his story rather than flaunting his knowledge of minutia, should give us better dialogue.

Some of the stuffing, like a double amputee vet rolling around town with a thousand dollar MAC-10 crammed up his butt, but who isn’t a psycho and can’t afford a flop, even with his disability bennies, just doesn’t ring true. I like stories about vets, but Hamill doesn’t do Josh Thompson or his story any justice, dropping him in the gutter of the binding the way the whole country does with returning vets. The same can be said for the undocumented Mexican maid and the young wannabe journalist who can’t get a job because she’s a woman. Once you conjure up these characters, I believe you have an opportunity to work with them. They shouldn’t just be stickers you paste on a page for color like a two-year old. You can’t do this kind of stuff justice with tabloid style three-dot journalism. I couldn’t help coming away with the sense that Hamill is paying lip service to these people. He is pretending he knows them when what he really knows are society folks, the literati, the insiders, the seen and be seen people. For him, talking about the poor seems obligatory and window dressing. It’s just insulting.

That brings me to the murder/mystery. No murder for eighty pages. Read another eighty and we know who done it. No big mystery here. Then another eighty of tepid suspense, ten of wrap-up and we’re through. I don’t want to do a spoiler on this, but the character development of the perp was sadly clichéd, contrived and puerile in its set up. A whole lot of Hamill’s other characters are little more than potted plants. And for all Hamill’s efforts at character development via what appears to be extremely detailed memorabilia, we really never get satisfactory motives, at least for those of us who don’t deal in imaginative prejudices and über-convenient stereotypes. And as I closed this book for the final time, I found myself relieved that the Hamill never was able to make me care about anybody in it, and that made their irrelevance to the story and their abrupt disappearances easier to take.

There are way better murder/mystery books on the market than this one. Just because Pete Hamill wrote it, don’t expect that his ability to write will make up for its cornucopia of flaws.
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Apr 29, 2012 Barbara Bryant rated it 3 of 5 stars

There are a million stories in tabloid city--this is one of them. Yes, this will remind you of a dark Naked City tale, centered around a failing tabloid newspaper and doling out the parts of the story as a tabloid doles out the sad and sensational stories of the day.

The crime is "a murder at a good address" as the newspaper people call it, a story made highly readable and lasting because it is not just another sad tale of a drug addict or a homeless person, dead on a street in anonymity. It look...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Kevintipple rated it 4 of 5 stars

A lot can happen in 24 hours anywhere. Certainly it can in the city of New York where strangers and friends can intersect in many different ways. Life can begin and end, both metaphorically and literally, in this complex interlocking tale created by Pete Hamill.

There are several major players in this 278 page novel. One is Sam Briscoe, age 71, editor in chief of the tabloid newspaper New York World. It is midnight as the book opens and Briscoe’s focus is on the still to be finished edition. News...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-life, available-on-kindle, award-winning-author, family-dynamics, latest-reads, men-would-enjoy, paperback-i-own, reviewer-book

The very distinguished Mr. Pete Hamill has written a brilliant novel that is destined for the highest accolades and awards in literary circles, in my humble opinion. With a genius and brilliance that startles in virtually every paragraph and page, Mr. Hamill stands as an author destined to make history in our classical American literature. Of course, he has already done that...

Not only will you find the living pulse of New Yorkers in "Tabloid City," but you will experience the extraordinary: the...more The very distinguished Mr. Pete Hamill has written a brilliant novel that is destined for the highest accolades and awards in literary circles, in my humble opinion. With a genius and brilliance that startles in virtually every paragraph and page, Mr. Hamill stands as an author destined to make history in our classical American literature. Of course, he has already done that...

Not only will you find the living pulse of New Yorkers in "Tabloid City," but you will experience the extraordinary: the viseral, psychological, emotional and internal language of his protagonists. I was literally knocked back in my seat with Hamill's knowledge of a woman's inner dialog in her intimate life. And, his ability to reach inside the mind of a radical religious follower is particularly rare to the degree it's conveyed in his novel.

Hamill's method incorporated of tabloid-style vignettes to relay his characters' lives echos the 21st century's mindset, culture, and reliance upon flash news, grit/trash and instant gratification we've so become familiar. This commentary on our world today, where real news and newpapers have become virtually obsolete; however, is not to say he compromises his own genius creative skills.

As a student of fine arts and art history myself, Pete Hamill shed a light on my ignorance of contemporary, notable artists and methods. I had to research! I was simply chagrined to realize this important part of my life had been left stagnant in these recent years. My hand had stopped reaching for "ArtNews" since I left Boston for FL nearly 8 yrs ago. "Tabloid City" touched me "at home" and it gave me some much needed enlightenment.

In "Tabloid City" you will find a great love story, a murder and suspense, humor, power punches of knowledge, wit, the urbane and vanity of NYC, quotes from the rich and famous, death and dying,love and competition. Literature is discussed in thrilling, suscinct terms that shed a light of wisdom often not considered. We hear of Murder Inc., the brassy mofia of Brooklyn, radical Muslim thoughts and lifestyle, and others of the peoples and cultures of the City. I loved reading about the old-time reporter going after the murder story.

Pete Hamill is an author you must read simply for your own literary education. Not to have read him will sadly leave you ignorant of an important generation which he's witnessed/ing and continues to report.

For your personal collection and library, go immediately and get a first edition of this novel. This is a book that will be known as important and will be receiving awards.

To see much more about Pete Hamill, and to see a live video trailer, please go to my blog at:
http://abookishlibraria.blogspot.com

Deborah/TheBookishDame(less)

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May 23, 2011 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

The American Heritage Dictionary defines “tabloid” as

(tăb’loid’)
n.
A newspaper of small format giving the news in condensed form, usually with illustrated, often sensational material.

adj.

1. In summary form; condensed.
2. Lurid or sensational.

TABLOID CITY has an unusual and addictive format. The reader is lured into going just one more entry, just one more entry………. until, too soon, the book is finished. That the story isn’t finished explains why the book should not be.
TABLOID CITY is divided int...more

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May 06, 2011 Lori L (She Treads Softly) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Set in New York City, Tabloid City by Pete Hamill follows a myriad of characters, at least 16, for one 24 hour period. Each new section in the novel lists the time, character, and location. Sam Briscoe, the 71-year-old editor in chief of the New York World is the central voice of the novel. The voices of each character are followed as the action all culminates in one location.

Characters include: Sam Briscoe, editor of the New York World; Josh Thompson, a disgruntled, disabled war veteran; Helen...more Set in New York City, Tabloid City by Pete Hamill follows a myriad of characters, at least 16, for one 24 hour period. Each new section in the novel lists the time, character, and location. Sam Briscoe, the 71-year-old editor in chief of the New York World is the central voice of the novel. The voices of each character are followed as the action all culminates in one location.

Characters include: Sam Briscoe, editor of the New York World; Josh Thompson, a disgruntled, disabled war veteran; Helen Loomis, a long time "rewrite man"; Cynthia Harding, a socialite and longtime lover of Sam; Lew Forrest, an elderly successful artist; Myles Compton, a hedgefund manager on the run; Freddie Wheeler, a vindictive gossip blogger; Sandra Gordon, Cynthia's adopted daughter, Myles lover, and vice president of an ad agency; Ali Watson, a police detective on the anti-terrorist task force; Bobby Fonseca, a young journalist; Malik Shahid, fanatic, Muslim fundamentalist, son of Ali Watson; Beverly Starr, a comic book artist; and Consuelo Mendoza, an illegal immigrant from Mexico.

Tabloid City is ostensibly a murder mystery, but despite what the synopsis says, the murders don't actually occur until around page 100, in a novel of only 278 pages. Before this the large cast of characters are introduced. In the end all the action culminating at one location with the murderous threat of the want-to-be jihadist, felt contrived. Making this the main focus of the plot didn't work for me.

Several of the characters have no real purpose in the plot other than to tell their story. They may have connections to other characters or to each other, but their presence in the novel makes no difference. The character of Beverly Starr could have easily been left out. Lew Forrest knew other characters, including Consuelo Mendoza, but both of them made no difference in the final plot. It's almost as if Hamill wanted to write a book with some short story character sketches. Perhaps the over abundance of characters was also meant to mimic the crowded streets, reflect a "there are eight million stories in the Naked City" attitude, but in this case it didn't work.

What does work in Tabloid City is Hamill's descriptions of a newsroom. It stands out and shines above the rest of the novel. It's a tribute to what is becoming a dying occupation. You know that Hamill is intimately acquainted with a newsroom, the hustle and flow, the action and excitement. The Sam Briscoe character was the highlight of the novel. Tabloid City would have been a better novel had Hamill left out the contrived plot focusing on the murderous young extremist and tightened the focus to make the novel about the last day before the printed paper closed in favor of an online version. Perhaps something reminiscent of O'Nan's Last Night at the Lobster.

Additionally, there is no doubt that Hamill is a very good writer. He knows New York City and his familiarity with the city shines through his prose. He expertly captures not only the location, but the energy of the city. His fans know and expect this. His use of dashes to set off dialogue rather than using quotation marks helps establish a frantic, staccato pace that mimics the bustle of the city.

Hamill also displays his wide range of knowledge of artists, writers, and musicians. While I was able to follow his very noticeable naming of artists and writers, having taken quite a few art history classes and being generally well read, and his knowledge is impressive, I'm unsure that most readers are going to be acquainted with all the names he drops. Perhaps that won't matter, but then it begs the question: If it doesn't matter, why mention so many names?

Tabloid City does a great job mourning the death of print journalism, the loss of a lover, how time changes everything, and it even has a glimmer of hope, but the lackluster murder/mystery is no mystery. If possible I'd give Tabloid City a 3.5, so we'll round up and call it highly recommended, especially for fans of Hamill. http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/

Disclosure: I received this novel through the Goodreads First Reads program.
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May 05, 2011 Gaby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: detective-and-mystery, thriller

A violent crime draws together a cast of characters that find themselves interconnected in other ways. The crime, the intertwined social network, and these unusual characters give us an unsentimental picture of New York during the recession. We meet:

* Lew Forrest of the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan, an aging and successful painter who has lost his sight. His closest companion is Camus, a black labrador;
* Cynthia Harding of Greenwich Village, a socialite particularly committed to the New York Ci...more A violent crime draws together a cast of characters that find themselves interconnected in other ways. The crime, the intertwined social network, and these unusual characters give us an unsentimental picture of New York during the recession. We meet:

* Lew Forrest of the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan, an aging and successful painter who has lost his sight. His closest companion is Camus, a black labrador;
* Cynthia Harding of Greenwich Village, a socialite particularly committed to the New York City libraries and literacy. Her longtime lover is Sam Briscoe of the New York World;
* Sandra Gordon, whose precociousness at a dinner party in Jamaica drew the attention, sympathy, and mentorship of Cynthia Harding. From children's books to a passport and education, Cynthia helped Sandra find her place;
* Sam Briscoe, the editor of New York World, the last afternoon newspaper in New York and a fixture in journalism circles;
* Bobby Fonseca, a young journalist, who lives and breathes his work;
* Ali Watson of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, a New York City homicide detective;
* Malik Shahid, a young New Yorker turned religious fanatic/fundamentalist;
* Josh Thompson, a veteran from the wars in the Middle East who has lost his home and his family and is on the streets of New York;
* Beverly Starr, an artist from Gowanus, Brooklyn;
* Consuelo Mendoza, an illegal immigrant from Mexico living in Sunset Park, Brooklyn; and
* Myles Compton, a hedgefund manager whose bad investments and shady dealings lead him to abscond in the night.

While each of the personalities are carefully constructed, I was particularly drawn to the women who are given central roles in the novel. Sandra Gordon is a secondary character but her strength, independence and vulnerability all come across so clearly. The interaction between the aging and nearly blind painter Lew Forrest and his long lost muse, Consuelo Mendoza is particularly touching. Even the socialite Cynthia Harding who only appears briefly is complex and fleshed out. Through a high profile murder and its aftermath, Tabloid City gives a fascinating and unsentimental glimpse of today's New York.

ISBN-10: 0316020753 - Hardcover $26.99
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (May 5, 2011), 288 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher. (less)

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Nov 09, 2011 AdultFiction Teton County Library rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

TCL Call#: Fiction HAMILL

Staff Name = 5 stars
This book was an engaging, quick read. After reading an interview in Writer Magazine with Pete Hamill, I picked up his latest book of fiction, Tabloid City. It's organized in short sections with headers determining the perspective (a character), the location in NYC, and the time of day, since the book occurs over the course of 24 hours. I love books that bring seemingly unconnected characters together over the course of unraveling events. Hamill is kn...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love Pete Hamill's writing and if I were a New Yorker I may have given this one 4 stars. As a mid-westerner who has only been to NYC a few times I'm sure I missed a lot of the references to landmarks and restaurants and people. This story takes place in a 24 hour period in winter in NYC. The main character is Sam Briscoe, a 71 year old veteran newspaper man. The story is part murder mystery/thriller and part elegy for the death of print journalism. It is a story of loss and loneliness and "mov...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's Pete Hamill at his best......no one captures the sights and sounds of New York,'the city that never sleeps' as well as Hamill. It will take a little patience to tie together all the threads of this story. He introduces you to so many characters that it will take you a little time to start to see how the characters will all play a role in this evolving tale. But in a short time , I promise you, it will all come together. Basically it is a murder mystery with a large cast of personalities tha...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, thrill-mysteries-scifi

Pete Hamill's Tabloid City is like book turned into a poetic mural about New York City. I loved the way that he weaved together so many different stories into such a great treasure.

He starts off with the city room of the New York World and the Editor in Chief, 71 year old Editor in chief, Sam Briscoe looking for the "wood" (the big story of the issue). I loved the references to the newsrooms of the past and the feeling of nostalgia. There was sort of a gritty romance with the city. With the Inte...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Lauren Hopkins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Incredible work about a crazy 24-hour period in NYC. On the outside, it's another book about how we're all connected by an invisible thread as everyone involved in this story is tied to someone else down the line. But on a deeper level, it's about loneliness and connections made between people that have the power to either save or destroy us. Hamill is an incredibly gifted storyteller but even more, he understands human beings and writes easily about how we interact. Without giving anything away...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Suzanne Moore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-challenge-picks

Sam Briscoe is a New York journalist. Cynthia Harding, the love of his life, is murdered. He would have been around to prevent this maybe, but he was covering a story. Throughout Hamill's book an eclectic cast of characters are introduced, at first with no obvious or recent connection. In fact there are short descriptive scenarios that either elude to current news while reflecting on the past, or overlap with what is actually happening in the city. The mix of characters are like six degrees of s...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Erick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Decent, fast paced book. I started reading this book with no expectations at all because I've been burned quite often by some books I thought would be great to end up being piece of rubbish junk. Tabloid City kept my interest and I was finished with it in no time because it's less than 300pages long. One thing this author does quite often is that it describes New York, its streets, its way of living in such a detailed manner that is to applaud but since I'm not from New York (Manhattan) just vis...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery-crime, thriller

A tale with many different narrative threads that Mr Hamill managed to weave into quite a tapestry. All of the action takes place over a period of two days and is presented to the reader in bits and pieces from the perspective of the various players. As the story unfolds, the reader begins to see connections between these various people as they move inexorably to the climactic scene in which they all play a part. Mr Hamill has been one of this reader's favorite authors since discovering his nove...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Bob rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pete Hamill knows the newspaper business and does one helluva job of helping readers grasp all that's going by the wayside in the transition to a world that may not care to read words in ink on paper.

"Tabloid City" is a crime story, a violent story laced with the language of the New York gutter, one told in an interesting way, one character at a time. Most "chapters" could pass for 750-word newspaper columns.

Frankly, the plot that builds so nicely loses a bit of steam and turns predictable. But...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Richda Mcnutt rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this book to be reminiscent of the format of Sebastian Faulks' "A Week in December."
We follow the New York characters who include a newspaper editor, his up-and-coming young reporter ; a policeman in a counter-terrorism unit and his son, who has become an ardent jihadist;
an Iraqi veteran - wheelchair-bound and homeless, who wants payback; and a blind, aging artist who lives in the Chelsea hotel. Deaths occur - human and institutional; searches are initiated - both by and for lost souls -...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Pia rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book because of the way it's set up; lots of different peoples' stories converging. I usually love stories like that, a la Traffic or Babel. But this one seemed a bit forced. There were some characters in it whose presence I didn't really understand, like Beverly. There were times when the characters' stream of conscious thinking got tedious and boring. And the sentence structure was the main thing that annoyed me - they were staccato and difficult to read. The fluid...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Adam rated it 1 of 5 stars

I have read and loved several other Pete Hamill novels and short stories and have always enjoyed the way he brings his characters to life and particularly the way he makes New York practically a character as well. His love and knowledge of the city is apparent in all of the books I have read. In reading the summary and reviews of "Tabloid City" it seemed like it would be a sure thing that I would love this to, however this book was unlike his others. For starters, given the focus of life in the...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Lori Cox rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult

I love Pete Hamill’s works as he is so obviously and intimately in love with New York City. I always learn something fascinating about the place and in such an interesting format. This book is written in a unique way, hourly segments over a weekend, told through various characters’ eyes. Sam Briscoe is head of a dying tabloid. Cynthia Harding, a millionaire socialite and her assistant are murdered, leading to a major story. How a police officer, a terrorist, the editor and the murdered women are...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Scout rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a murder mystery, but that's not what kept me reading. Several interesting characters show us what what drives them and what life is like for them in the city, and that advances the plot.

But for me, the novel is really about how those of us who've been around for a half-century or more feel about the changes we must accept but don't like. Lots of scenes that could be from anyone's life as Sam Briscoe walks around his home town, New York City, and remembers the buildings that are gone an...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love Pete Hamill and I felt so comfortable immediately as I got into 'his' New York'...but, it was just too much; too jagged. What I ADORED about 'Forever' was that you were pulled into the voice of the story and were thrilled and heart-broken as it unraveled - and in the midst of all this! NEW YORK reveled. Great. In this book, neither happens - yes New York is happening but it seems so contrived w/ the modern-day take: newspapers vs web, in depth vs ... I was bored w/ that and, in fact, 'rea...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Kasa Cotugno rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: location-usa-new-york, genre-crime-thriller, subject-recession

No one loves New York City as much as Pete Hammill -- a lifelong resident he has proven his love through his writings that provide insight into every Borough. Tabloid City reads like its eponymous genre, in a punchy stacatto style showcasing Hammill's journalistic background. It is presented as a pastiche embodying 24 pivotal hours in the lives of a cast of characters that would seemingly have no points of contact, but since the central character here is the City, of course they all will converb...more

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May 19, 2011 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This story takes place within a twenty-four hour period in New York City. It revolves around the lives of a large group of people that do not seem to have any connection to one another. After the murder of two women, we follow segment of each of these people’s lives (the author has conveniently giving us the person time and place above each slice of this pie).

The central character is newspaper editor Sam Briscoe who is trying to keep a dying industry alive. Pete Hamill has crafted a story about...more

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May 05, 2011 Kim McGee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Pete Hamill's other books. "Forever" is one of my go to recommend books! Tabloid City is still filled with wonderful sections of writing that is pure Hamill but the style is so disjointed that I had a hard time keeping up with the main plot. It jumps from character to character and what they are doing at a particular time so you find yourself going back a few pages to try and remember what that person was last doing. Maybe New Yorkers can function like that but for me, I found it to be a...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Tom Gase rated it 3 of 5 stars

A pretty good read by Pete Hamill, one of my favorite authors/reporters of all time. Not as good as his classic "Snow in August" or his memoir, "A Drinking Life" but a little better than the other two I've read by him, "North River" and "Forever".
What this book has going for it--description. I have only been to NY for a combined four days in my life, but it feels like I am there when reading Hamill in "Tabloid City." Also, this book deals with one day and how the press handles a certain murder....more

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Aug 27, 2011 Kim Berkshire rated it 4 of 5 stars

A 4.5 star rating, really. Enjoyed it immensely, but wasn't the page turner I thought it would be. Being a former reporter, the details of the newsroom and the characters inside it made me sad for what has been lost. (Plus I had just watched the final episode of Friday Night Lights, so I was feeling a bit melancholy anyway.)
I agree with some of the reviews in that I thought several extraneous characters didn't seem to move the plot along. However, I LOVED Beverly Starr and her comic book creatio...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Elizabeth (Alaska) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, rws-fall-2012

I wanted to read this because I so enjoyed his North River. His characterizations are quite good, including his characterizaton of New York City. I had to change planes once at La Guardia, but, other than that, I'll likely never visit New York City, so he is one of the ways to get to know it.

This was a good story, good characterizations. The format was difficult however. The story takes place on a single winter day. We are given a time, person, place, followed by a few paragraphs. Then a new tim...more

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Dec 14, 2011 JoAnne Pulcino rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction

TABLOID CITY
Pete Hamill
The absolutely incredible Pete Hamill has written a wonderful homage and epitaph for the beleaguered newspapers and newspapermen in his latest book that again takes place in his adored New York City.
Just as the last edition of the New York World is closing, the veteran editor stops the presses for the headline provoking sensational murder of a society matron and her maid that has just taken place. Envisioning Pete Hamill in the title role as the worldly and weary editor ro...more

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About Pete Hamill

Pete Hamill is a novelist, essayist and journalist whose career has endured for more than forty years. He was born in Brooklyn, N. Y. in 1935, the oldest of seven children of immigrants from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He attended Catholic schools as a child. He left school at 16 to work in the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a sheetmetal worker, and then went on to the United States Navy. While serving in t...more

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Quotes from Tabloid City

“Just like that. Gone forever. They will not grow old together. They will never live on a beach by the sea, their hair turned white, dancing in a living room to Billie Holiday or Nat Cole. They will not enter a New York club at midnight and show the poor hip-hop fools how to dance. They will not chuckle together over the endless folly of the world, its vanities and stupid ambitions. They will not hug each other in any chilly New York dawn.
Oh, Mary Lou.
My baby.
My love.” — 8 people liked it

“The only way to fight nostalgia is to listen to somebody else's nostalgia” — 3 people liked it

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