City in Love

by Alex Shakar

A City Dangerous, Seductive, and Strange Set in a fantastical New York City of 1 B.C. , these seven stories are a stunning mythic vision. In odysseys that wind through urban streets, Shakar's modern characters pursue their quests and meet their fates. Roxanne, a schoolgirl superhero from Queens, saves the day at a brutal playground. The Junk Man build his lady love from trash he finds while Dumpster diving. A tough police detective comments on a city's decadence. A serial prankster leaves timely messages via light. Story after story -- each fabulous and joyously imaginative -- are linked by their magnificent location. The result is a celebration of the sights and sounds of New York, its timeless eccentrics and its larger-than-life essence.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Short Stories

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Shakar was born in and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Yale University in 1990. He was a Michener Fellow at the University of Texas. Shakar attended the University of Illinois and received his Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing.

In 1996, Shakar won the National Fiction Competition and received Pick of the Year from the Independent Presses for City in Love. The Savage Girl was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book and a Book Sense Pick in 2001.

He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois and teaches fiction writing at the University of Illinois.

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellbinding Short Story Collection Based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Ancient Greek and Roman mythology meets contemporary New York City in Alex Shakar’s spellbinding debut short story collection, “City in Love: The New York Metamorphoses”, replete in exquisitely wrought prose. Shakar is a fearless, ambitious writer willing to bend genres and to transform them, coupling elements of fantasy and realistic contemporary fiction into a superb example of literary art. These seven stories demonstrate Shakar’s gifts as both a fine storyteller and elegant literary stylist. Among the most visually compelling stories is “Waxman’s Sun”, which Shakar derives directly from Ovid’s recounting of the myth of Phaeton. “Maximum Carnage” is a street-smart saga recounting how a young Queens schoolgirl, Roxanne, becomes the local superhero at a bloody playground. “On Morpheus, Relating Orpheus….” is an engrossing tale on a struggling up-and-coming actor’s first important theatrical role, as remembered decades later by his musician son. Shakar plumbs relentlessly through the urban soul of New York City in these tales, acting as though the city is Mount Olympus, the home of the Greco-Roman gods, alerting readers to the possibility that the city is as compelling a source of myth as anything written by Ovid or Homer. Without question, “City in Love” is a notable fictional debut by one of the most intriguing American fiction writers of our generation.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although billed as a retelling of Ovid's Metamorphoses, the stories are all contemporary New York characters. The whole book, and the style of the stories, is experimental. It’s an ambitious project; sometimes it works and the author achieves something wonderful, fresh, and creative. But other times, it just falls flat. When the author hits on a voice and a character, he does an incredible job with the story. In particular, “The Sky Inside,” in which two characters walk through a natural history museum and use the Planetarium projector to see the stars, was a wonderful musing on the problems of a modern city. On the other hand, “City in Love,” the title story, which was coded through a complicated cuing system, seemed overly clever an too much work for the rather uninteresting musing on modern love. Overall, I’d recommend the book, especially to those interested in experimental narrative structures.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven stories inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses, but set in modern New York City.

'The Sky Inside": Multiple p.o.v. This is the longest piece in the collection. Based on Hercules.
"A Million Years from Now": This the shortest piece. Based on Pygmalion. I think this is one of the weaker ones.
"Waxman's Sun": Based on Phaethon. One of the weaker ones.
"Maximum Carnage": This is the last of the weaker ones, but I wonder if it's weak because of the original source material more than Shakar's writing. Includes illustrations. Based on Caenis / Caeneus
"On Morpheus, Relating to Orpheus...": I like this one, though not so much the ending. Based on Ceyx and Alcyone.
"A Change of Heart": I like this one. It might be the best story in the collection. Based on Apollo and Daphne.
"City in Love": I like this one, though I don't understand the gimmick. Based on Narcissus and Echo.

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the best collections of short stories I've ever read. So insightful and captivating.

[Wordsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needs a proper reviewing-deserves it.