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Manhattan Monologues: Stories
From a New York Times–bestselling author, short stories of the privileged class, spanning a century of New York “Urbane, humorous . . . a treat to read.” —Library Journal Sublime master of manners, exquisite critic of the upper crust, and beloved American author Louis Auchincloss is at his wry, brilliant best with this collection of ten short stories about New York aristocracy. Drawing on a century of Manhattan high society, Auchincloss weaves a set of perfectly crafted, intimate portrayals of the struggles and dramas of the elite. From a woman faced with choosing love or prestige when marrying to a man torn between loyalty to his family and country when called to war to a matchmaker handling a rogue romance, these glamorous yet all-too-human tales present a remarkable tableau of the American upper class. A series of “finely etched portraits of the kind of men we’ve become used to meeting in [Auchincloss’s] fiction,” Manhattan Monologues stands as a remarkable achievement of short fiction, a legend of American letters at his insightful best (The New York Times Book Review). “For the sheer elegance of his prose, Louis Auchincloss deserves a large and enthusiastic following.” —The Baltimore Sun
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
34 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Louis Auchincloss
201 books96 followersLouis Stanton Auchincloss was an American novelist, historian, and essayist.
Among Auchincloss's best-known books are the multi-generational sagas The House of Five Talents, Portrait in Brownstone, and East Side Story. Other well-known novels include The Rector of Justin, the tale of a renowned headmaster of a school like Groton trying to deal with changing times, and The Embezzler, a look at white-collar crime. Auchincloss is known for his closely observed portraits of old New York and New England society.
Among Auchincloss's best-known books are the multi-generational sagas The House of Five Talents, Portrait in Brownstone, and East Side Story. Other well-known novels include The Rector of Justin, the tale of a renowned headmaster of a school like Groton trying to deal with changing times, and The Embezzler, a look at white-collar crime. Auchincloss is known for his closely observed portraits of old New York and New England society.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 19, 2011
Lovely small pieces--- clear-eyed, gently ironic, precise and insightful. Auchincloss was a master at defining whole lives an characters in a few pages.
July 11, 2008
This book is a collection of brief (ca. 25-35 pages)fictional monologues, all first person, of course. The action is in such spots as the East Seventies, Wall Street law offices, Bar Harbor, and other haunts of Old-Money Manhattan. In other words, (with apologies to Acts) the spots where Auchincloss, a now-retired Manhattan wills-and-trust attorney, has lived and moved and had his being.
The time frame of the memoirs is spread from the 1940s to contemporary.
I first read Auchincloss in the early '60s, his "The Great World and Timothy Colt" (1956), a rather wonderful book about a starting-out young lawyer in Manhattan.
For me, Auchincloss is almost always a good read, and this one did not disappoint. As always, his prose is elegant and sparklingly clear; it has all of the clarity and none of the stiff formality of Law Writing.
His characters are distinct and fully drawn, his plots are imaginative and closely interwoven with the character, time, and situation.
It is rather small (226 pages). When I finished the final page I wished the book were longer.
Incidentally, Auchincloss is now 91 years old and published his most recent novel in 2007.
The time frame of the memoirs is spread from the 1940s to contemporary.
I first read Auchincloss in the early '60s, his "The Great World and Timothy Colt" (1956), a rather wonderful book about a starting-out young lawyer in Manhattan.
For me, Auchincloss is almost always a good read, and this one did not disappoint. As always, his prose is elegant and sparklingly clear; it has all of the clarity and none of the stiff formality of Law Writing.
His characters are distinct and fully drawn, his plots are imaginative and closely interwoven with the character, time, and situation.
It is rather small (226 pages). When I finished the final page I wished the book were longer.
Incidentally, Auchincloss is now 91 years old and published his most recent novel in 2007.
January 6, 2019
No one is better at portraying old, upper class New York than Louis Auchincloss - maybe because he was of that class and could observe their comings and going with the gimlet eye that renders his tales so amusing.
Here is the old WASP ruling class at work and play. I'm assuming they still exist is one form or another, although they have mostly be overtaken by the new class of billionaires who don't share their old fashioned values, and even in these stories their decline is foretold. Read and enjoy the view of a vanishing world.
Here is the old WASP ruling class at work and play. I'm assuming they still exist is one form or another, although they have mostly be overtaken by the new class of billionaires who don't share their old fashioned values, and even in these stories their decline is foretold. Read and enjoy the view of a vanishing world.
May 10, 2023
Tales of polite society and old money
Manhattan Monologues collects ten short stories written as first person reminiscences or confessions. While the title ("monologues") might suggest a dull lecturing of the reader, the tales are lively, ironic, and intelligent. A typical Auchincloss story revolves around tensions between personal desires and the pressures to conform to the codes of upper-class New York and New England. He has been described as continuing the tradition of Henry James and Edith Wharton.
The range of the collection is narrow, centered on families of old wealth (or dwindling wealth) and those aspiring to join the upper crust with new money. Auchincloss is no snob, being clear-eyed about the dubious origins of many family fortunes and the autocratic, bullying nature of those who often govern it. His interest is more in those who don’t quite meet the rigid expectations of society. For example, the daughter of a wealthy family too intelligent to be just supportive wife to an aspiring son-in-law, host of bridge parties, and chair of a charity. He also writes about insiders who fail to navigate the tricky waters of polite society, such as the marvelous “The Marriage Broker” in which a mother tries to leverage her society connections to marry her unambitious son into sufficient wealth to support his hedonic lifestyle.
Published in 2002, Manhattan Monologues looks back over the previous century. Reflecting the period and the class that he covers, gender roles are clear: men make the wealth, while women manage home life and social ties. Auchincloss perceptively judges, however, that women often play the more critical role. Being intimately connected to the daily functioning of polite society, their advice and decisions are key in deciding whether or not the family and its members are accepted and prosper.
Auchincloss writes with a delicate, ironic touch. His stories conclude modestly, with individuals learning something about themselves—often moments when they realize their limitations, their humanity, set against the impersonal machinery of polite society. There is a risk, in writing about the rich, of voyeurism and vicarious indulgence (looking at you, “Downton Abbey”). Auchincloss steers clear of these pitfalls, writing with affection for his subjects, but also intelligence, irony, and pathos.
I greatly enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more of Auchincloss. He may not be Henry James but should be on more bookshelves than at present (judging by his lowly Goodreads stats).
Biographical notes
Auchincloss (1917-2010) grew up among the privileged about whom he would write, although, as he put it, "There was never an Auchincloss fortune…each generation of Auchincloss men either made or married its own money". He attended St. Bernard's School, Groton School, and Yale University (editor of the Yale Literary Magazine) and graduated from law school at the University of Virginia in 1941.
He was employed as a New York lawyer from 1941-1951 (with an interruption in 1942-45 for war service as a Naval Reserve intelligence specialist) and again from 1954-1986 (specializing in wills and trusts). While working, he wrote about one book a year, producing an astonishing 31 novels, 17 short story collections, and 18 works of non-fiction. His experience as a lawyer is reflected in his closely observed portraits of old New York and New England society. Gore Vidal said of his work: "Of all our novelists, Auchincloss is the only one who tells us how our rulers behave in their banks and their boardrooms, their law offices and their clubs.... Not since Dreiser has an American writer had so much to tell us about the role of money in our lives.” (Source: Wikipedia)
Manhattan Monologues collects ten short stories written as first person reminiscences or confessions. While the title ("monologues") might suggest a dull lecturing of the reader, the tales are lively, ironic, and intelligent. A typical Auchincloss story revolves around tensions between personal desires and the pressures to conform to the codes of upper-class New York and New England. He has been described as continuing the tradition of Henry James and Edith Wharton.
The range of the collection is narrow, centered on families of old wealth (or dwindling wealth) and those aspiring to join the upper crust with new money. Auchincloss is no snob, being clear-eyed about the dubious origins of many family fortunes and the autocratic, bullying nature of those who often govern it. His interest is more in those who don’t quite meet the rigid expectations of society. For example, the daughter of a wealthy family too intelligent to be just supportive wife to an aspiring son-in-law, host of bridge parties, and chair of a charity. He also writes about insiders who fail to navigate the tricky waters of polite society, such as the marvelous “The Marriage Broker” in which a mother tries to leverage her society connections to marry her unambitious son into sufficient wealth to support his hedonic lifestyle.
Published in 2002, Manhattan Monologues looks back over the previous century. Reflecting the period and the class that he covers, gender roles are clear: men make the wealth, while women manage home life and social ties. Auchincloss perceptively judges, however, that women often play the more critical role. Being intimately connected to the daily functioning of polite society, their advice and decisions are key in deciding whether or not the family and its members are accepted and prosper.
Auchincloss writes with a delicate, ironic touch. His stories conclude modestly, with individuals learning something about themselves—often moments when they realize their limitations, their humanity, set against the impersonal machinery of polite society. There is a risk, in writing about the rich, of voyeurism and vicarious indulgence (looking at you, “Downton Abbey”). Auchincloss steers clear of these pitfalls, writing with affection for his subjects, but also intelligence, irony, and pathos.
I greatly enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more of Auchincloss. He may not be Henry James but should be on more bookshelves than at present (judging by his lowly Goodreads stats).
Biographical notes
Auchincloss (1917-2010) grew up among the privileged about whom he would write, although, as he put it, "There was never an Auchincloss fortune…each generation of Auchincloss men either made or married its own money". He attended St. Bernard's School, Groton School, and Yale University (editor of the Yale Literary Magazine) and graduated from law school at the University of Virginia in 1941.
He was employed as a New York lawyer from 1941-1951 (with an interruption in 1942-45 for war service as a Naval Reserve intelligence specialist) and again from 1954-1986 (specializing in wills and trusts). While working, he wrote about one book a year, producing an astonishing 31 novels, 17 short story collections, and 18 works of non-fiction. His experience as a lawyer is reflected in his closely observed portraits of old New York and New England society. Gore Vidal said of his work: "Of all our novelists, Auchincloss is the only one who tells us how our rulers behave in their banks and their boardrooms, their law offices and their clubs.... Not since Dreiser has an American writer had so much to tell us about the role of money in our lives.” (Source: Wikipedia)
February 14, 2017
Louis Auchincloss is a far better than average writer. His prose is neat, his characters three dimensional except when they are only there to illustrate a point in the story at hand, and that is not common. This batch of stories left me cold, however. Perhaps his feeling of mild revulsion for his main characters got in the way or perhaps is was the repetition of some of the ideas about class differences that seemed to pop up in story after story. I am glad I didn't read this work before I read his others.
October 22, 2014
I've had this book on my shelves for years and years, but I'm very glad that I finally picked it up! Auchincloss was an author who was known for his portrayals of upper-class East coast society, and Manhattan Monologues does just that. It's a good sample of work, as the first few stories take place around the time of WWI, the next few around WWII, and then the last few around present-day.
The first set of stories were amazing depictions of family and love/marriage in a particular slice of time and society. I just loved all of them. The WWII stores were also quite interesting, and in particular, these stories tended to wrestle with moral dilemmas that were quite compelling. I felt that the modern-day stories left a bit to be desired, however, but perhaps that's simply because I don't find that topic particularly interesting.
Auchincloss does best when he has his characters wrestle with decisions about love/family/money. He veers a bit off course when trying to delve into other topics. Overall, this was an excellent introduction to the writer, and I hope to read more by him!
The first set of stories were amazing depictions of family and love/marriage in a particular slice of time and society. I just loved all of them. The WWII stores were also quite interesting, and in particular, these stories tended to wrestle with moral dilemmas that were quite compelling. I felt that the modern-day stories left a bit to be desired, however, but perhaps that's simply because I don't find that topic particularly interesting.
Auchincloss does best when he has his characters wrestle with decisions about love/family/money. He veers a bit off course when trying to delve into other topics. Overall, this was an excellent introduction to the writer, and I hope to read more by him!
August 25, 2017
What a joy to read such polished writing by one of my favorite authors. Profound insight into so many facets of life, whether yesterday or today, still relevant. I couldn't help but relate to one of the stories that took place in the 1930's concerning the Constitution, and the reference that it "created our wonderful system of checks and balances...currently in danger of being overthrown by the federal government's grabbing of powers inherent in the states." Sound familiar? Somethings never change.
September 26, 2018
ten. short stories with rich people telling the stories of their lives, often trying to justify their actions. I really liked this short story collection; more than I have liked any of his novels so far. Sometimes a taste of a character is better than a feast. Taking place around the turn of the 20th century, between world wars and more recently, the author paints an interesting picture of old money and the problems it often presents. A good fast read.
November 14, 2015
Manliness! Tradition! Reputation! Money! They all boil down to Good Old New York! From the high-rises in the city to the rich suburbs of Long Island, society overpowered individuality. However, Louis Auchincloss helps those weakened personas finally live for themselves in Manhattan Monologues (Houghtin Mifflin, 2002). Separated into three sections --- during World War I, between the wars, and then during and after World War II --- Auchincloss portrays an evolving New York that paradoxically remains the same. Get ready for the society pages and the gossip columns of yesteryear with a twist; these scandals come from the inside sources themselves.
Ambrose Vollard and Agnes Seward Wheelock introduce us to high society’s obsession with reputation and the importance of (the almost unattainable task of) continuing a legacy in the first section, “Old New York.” In “All That May Become A Man,” Ambrose Vollard praises his father as a gruff Rough Rider and disciple of Teddy Roosevelt. Ambrose wishes he had the drive to be the same type of man (Manly-Man), but has other feminine interests. He is the antihero that we all sympathize with until he makes a feeble attempt to seem rough and tough when we all know, including his father, that Ambrose will never be a fighter. Ambrose will never be his father’s ideal Man (Macho Man). He remains the antihero but becomes pathetic. In the same pattern, in “The Heiress,” Agnes Seward tries to please her father and family by rebuking her own identity. She becomes and accepts what others want --- money, reputation, material --- and gives up love in the process.
So can love exist? Can marriage reign true? Can New Yorkers give up money? Surely the war will change these materialistic attitudes! Alas, no, Auchincloss creates a disturbing hidden life of scandal and strife between the wars as well. In the section, “Entre Deux Guerres,” Old New York moves into the next century but Old New Yorkers cling to their values (or lackthereof). Tony, a Long Island poetry and nature lover, tells the tale of his relationship with his mentor, Arthur Slocum, in “Collaboration.” They are both disillusioned by society’s materialism, especially in Cedarhurst. Auchincloss, instead of portraying corruption, now allows his characters to speak against it. Though this monologue may seem to be the revolt against immorality, it twists itself into an even worse vice. Simple lack of values becomes dishonor on a world-wide scale when Slocum and his wife turn out to be Nazi-sympathizers during WWII.
Auchincloss ends his era between the wars with a tale of adultery and familial deceit in “He Knew He Was Right.” Robin Belknap comes from a line of Old Manhattan Episcopalians in which his mother is THE matriarch, even powerful over his father. We take an intimate look into life in a boys’ school complete with homosexual romps, a very close relationship with a professor, a torrid affair with said professor’s wife, and a divorce that would shame the family name in one fell swoop.
New York changes in the last section, “Nearer Today” but the problems remain the same. Auchincloss introduces the concepts of women’s lib and freer sex only to have Old World characters scoff at them. Their certain self-righteousness will bring a smile to your face; their smug attitudes are over-the-top yet completely believable. In “The Treacherous Age,” we meet the unreliable narrator, Alida Shuyler, who is a 50-year-old interior decorator, writing her life story for her therapist. Throughout her catharsis, she realizes that her husband, Gus, is spending too much money on art (junk!) as advised by his friend (enemy!), Beverly Bogardus, who cares deeply (homosexual! bisexual! adulterer!) about their happiness (farce!). Instead of sending the monologue to her therapist, she sends it to Mr. Bogardus as an accusation. Her prim and proper, high and mighty attitude funnily falls short. But then funny to us becomes pathetic for Alida and Gus, and for NY at large.
Auchincloss adds some intriguing variety at the end of his collection by including two tales that are told from the outside looking in. “The Merger” discusses a family business shamed by reports of slave labor. Money and father’s wishes drive Gary Kimball to any means necessary to keep his fortune thriving. Finally, “The Scarlet Letters” gives a modern day tale of adultery later in life. However, the couples in this tale shamefully cheat far more than any five-year-olds during intense games of Go Fish and kickball.
As Edith Wharton’s novel The Age of Innocence and Candice Bushnell’s creation Sex and the City portray New York as a character itself, Louis Auchincloss offers yet another role for the city’s (and Long Island’s) bio sheet. His book is fast, funny, endearing, and completely and utterly human. Idealist characters clear the skeletons out of their Park Avenue and Southampton walk-in closets in whatever era they live in New York. They are legacies and reputations. They live up to, let down, and redefine standards of manhood, womanhood, honesty, and honor. They are flawed. They are charming. They are the city and the suburbs. In Louis Auchincloss’ Manhattan Monologues, New York talks. You should listen.
Ambrose Vollard and Agnes Seward Wheelock introduce us to high society’s obsession with reputation and the importance of (the almost unattainable task of) continuing a legacy in the first section, “Old New York.” In “All That May Become A Man,” Ambrose Vollard praises his father as a gruff Rough Rider and disciple of Teddy Roosevelt. Ambrose wishes he had the drive to be the same type of man (Manly-Man), but has other feminine interests. He is the antihero that we all sympathize with until he makes a feeble attempt to seem rough and tough when we all know, including his father, that Ambrose will never be a fighter. Ambrose will never be his father’s ideal Man (Macho Man). He remains the antihero but becomes pathetic. In the same pattern, in “The Heiress,” Agnes Seward tries to please her father and family by rebuking her own identity. She becomes and accepts what others want --- money, reputation, material --- and gives up love in the process.
So can love exist? Can marriage reign true? Can New Yorkers give up money? Surely the war will change these materialistic attitudes! Alas, no, Auchincloss creates a disturbing hidden life of scandal and strife between the wars as well. In the section, “Entre Deux Guerres,” Old New York moves into the next century but Old New Yorkers cling to their values (or lackthereof). Tony, a Long Island poetry and nature lover, tells the tale of his relationship with his mentor, Arthur Slocum, in “Collaboration.” They are both disillusioned by society’s materialism, especially in Cedarhurst. Auchincloss, instead of portraying corruption, now allows his characters to speak against it. Though this monologue may seem to be the revolt against immorality, it twists itself into an even worse vice. Simple lack of values becomes dishonor on a world-wide scale when Slocum and his wife turn out to be Nazi-sympathizers during WWII.
Auchincloss ends his era between the wars with a tale of adultery and familial deceit in “He Knew He Was Right.” Robin Belknap comes from a line of Old Manhattan Episcopalians in which his mother is THE matriarch, even powerful over his father. We take an intimate look into life in a boys’ school complete with homosexual romps, a very close relationship with a professor, a torrid affair with said professor’s wife, and a divorce that would shame the family name in one fell swoop.
New York changes in the last section, “Nearer Today” but the problems remain the same. Auchincloss introduces the concepts of women’s lib and freer sex only to have Old World characters scoff at them. Their certain self-righteousness will bring a smile to your face; their smug attitudes are over-the-top yet completely believable. In “The Treacherous Age,” we meet the unreliable narrator, Alida Shuyler, who is a 50-year-old interior decorator, writing her life story for her therapist. Throughout her catharsis, she realizes that her husband, Gus, is spending too much money on art (junk!) as advised by his friend (enemy!), Beverly Bogardus, who cares deeply (homosexual! bisexual! adulterer!) about their happiness (farce!). Instead of sending the monologue to her therapist, she sends it to Mr. Bogardus as an accusation. Her prim and proper, high and mighty attitude funnily falls short. But then funny to us becomes pathetic for Alida and Gus, and for NY at large.
Auchincloss adds some intriguing variety at the end of his collection by including two tales that are told from the outside looking in. “The Merger” discusses a family business shamed by reports of slave labor. Money and father’s wishes drive Gary Kimball to any means necessary to keep his fortune thriving. Finally, “The Scarlet Letters” gives a modern day tale of adultery later in life. However, the couples in this tale shamefully cheat far more than any five-year-olds during intense games of Go Fish and kickball.
As Edith Wharton’s novel The Age of Innocence and Candice Bushnell’s creation Sex and the City portray New York as a character itself, Louis Auchincloss offers yet another role for the city’s (and Long Island’s) bio sheet. His book is fast, funny, endearing, and completely and utterly human. Idealist characters clear the skeletons out of their Park Avenue and Southampton walk-in closets in whatever era they live in New York. They are legacies and reputations. They live up to, let down, and redefine standards of manhood, womanhood, honesty, and honor. They are flawed. They are charming. They are the city and the suburbs. In Louis Auchincloss’ Manhattan Monologues, New York talks. You should listen.
Want to read
June 5, 2021#2.4
But I was approaching a crisis in my life that involved neither thinking nor saying, and was more important than either. And once again it was poor Mr. Trumbull who indirectly—most indirectly—supplied the occasion.
But I was approaching a crisis in my life that involved neither thinking nor saying, and was more important than either. And once again it was poor Mr. Trumbull who indirectly—most indirectly—supplied the occasion.
September 28, 2019
Excellent writing. The stories spanned several decades. The insights into human behavior are intriguing, almost making a mystery of the last story. I will explore more of his works.
October 31, 2020
If you enjoy very well written English sentences and a wry sense of humor, you will relish this book of short stories.
July 13, 2007
I don't know about what all I learned from this book other than to embrace a very old fashioned style of writing. Auchincloss is a dyed in the wool patrician and keeps his writing primarily to that world. This is a collection of mostly very short stories about people you'll probably never meet, who live either 100 years ago, or today in a world that might as well be 100 years ago. In any event, they're entertaining and beautiful in their simplicity, and elegance.
March 27, 2011
Series of short stories by America's Edith Wharton. Fun to read of times past with sharp focus on personal interactions.
June 13, 2015
Short stories along the lines of Edith Wharton. Enjoyable, clear, concise writing.
April 2, 2015
Old School.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews