The Lost Legends of New Jersey

by Frederick Reiken

From the critically acclaimed author of The Odd Sea , a poignant and magical coming-of-age story that "deftly explores the mysteries of love and loss" (Time)

It's the early 1980s and the suburban streets of New Jersey are filled with Bruce Springsteen-era teenagers searching for answers. Anthony Rubin is a rising high school hockey star faced with a family that is falling apart. His father has had an affair with Anthony's best friend's mother and his own mother has abandoned the family for Florida. Confronted with an overwhelming sense of loss, Anthony focuses on the one thing he feels he can save-the tough-talking daughter of a reputed Mafioso, a Juliet to his Romeo. Merging the commonplace and the mythological, Frederick Reiken's richly layered second novel presents unforgettable characters whose lives seem at once familiar and archetypal. Filled with joy as well as heartbreak, The Lost Legends of New Jersey is a rich, resonant tale of the extraordinary magic that can arise within ordinary lives.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Coming Of Age, Novels, Historical Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Frederick Reiken is the author of Day For Night (2010), The Odd Sea (1998) and The Lost Legends of New Jersey (2000). His short stories have appeared in The New Yorker. He has worked as a reporter and columnist and is currently a member of the writing faculty at Emerson College.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 -- This nourished me. I can't say it better than the book jacket blurb from The Washington Post: "Reiken reminds us that when good literature comes along, it feels, like true love itself, as if something legendary is occurring."

[Heather Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

nothing happened...there were so good sections, but it went no where. Very disappointing, there wasn't even a good relationship through the entire book. It was as though the focus was on people cheating on each other.

[Lin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh. I enjoyed the place name dropping for a while and then I started seeing it as gimmicky.

Nothing in this book resonated with me. The storyline was not bad and varied, but I was bored with these characters and never cared about them. I am happy to have finished the book.

[Cathryn Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This coming-of-age story will make you laugh (the Yiddish constellations are hysterical) and cry (teenage love...need I say more?). It is an extraordinary tale of life in New Jersey in the late '70s/early '80s for Anthony Rubin, who is dealing not only with the usual angst of growing up, but also his father, who has an affair with Anthony's best friend's mother, and his mother, who runs away to Florida. Well, she does that after throwing rocks at the windows of the aforementioned best friend's mother. Anthony falls in love with the girl next door, Juliette, who has her own set of problems with her parents (no spoilers here). There is only one word to describe this book: magical.

Note to Kindle readers: Unfortunately, this version is filled with typos and punctuation errors--hundreds of them! Many sentences have no periods. Words are grossly misspelled. But it's amazing how the human brain adapts. Please don't let this keep you from reading the book, but you should know this before you buy it.

[Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know what I hate? When the book flap is totally misleading and more interesting than the book itself. I thought I was about to be charmed by a mystical love story where the constellations are actually Jewish heroes and the daughter of an Italian mafioso can fall in love with the son of a lonely Jewish doctor who lives next door.

Wow. What a disappointment. Not only is this a boring book, it's also stupid. The writing is nothing special and the story just drags on and on. Everyone is looking for love (i.e. sex) and most of the characters manage only to fuck their lives up over and over and over and over and over and over again, never learning anything from their mistakes and exploits. Maybe that's real life? I just know that it sucked.

[Penelope Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful read. I loved Reiken's simple, yet captivating style. The characters pulled me in quickly and I think anyone would find a character or moment to relate to within this book. I just didn't want to put it down until I finished.

[Han · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful example of that melancholic, bittersweet type of story which was more common in 90's and beginning 00's novels, Jennifer Eagan's early works for example. But this is without equal. Lovely. 4.5 stars

[Linda]

This was a bit of a strange read. If I wasn't from Morris County in New Jersey I don't think I would have stuck with the book.

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting - brought back some uncomfortable memories of high school angst and also comfortable memories of life in suburban NJ.

[Ronald Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel packs a real slow-building emotional punch! I finished it hours ago and my thoughts are still racing with an ill-defined yearning in my gut. I felt like I was seeing the human condition and my own personal life in a new light, based on an old Jewish concept with the Yiddish label b'shert (or bashert) - the idea that for each there is a foreordained mate or perfect complement. Of course that drive to find true love pervades most of human culture, but this ancient concept provides a useful perspective new to me.

The central character in this novel is a teenage boy named Anthony. Essentially his coming-of-age story, the main story line follows his progress in defining himself and his desires, as the benchmark parameters shift from that of parental and peer approval/disapproval to one based on internal guidelines as he sees his parents and other adults struggle with the possibility that they had erred in chosing their mates, or as they try again for the second or even third time.

While the main story line occurs between 1979 through 1983, as indicated by the sub-titles to some of the chapters, older and newer threads soon weave themselves into the narrative. At first this was confusing, but I soon realized that the author had used a combination of persepectives (first person, knowing third person, and objective third person) and range of verb tenses (from definite past to present) as techniques for distinguishing senses of the narrator in the present, first-hand recollections, distant family lore, and even historical accounts of which the narrator is unaware. The reader gradually comes to learn the identity of the narrator, but even at the end there are scenes revealed to the reader of which the narrator may never know or understand.

I also appreciated what I learned about the history and culture of the area around Livingston, New Jerey. It was interesting to see how the once predominant Jewish and Italian communities interacted in these communities, and to finally learn more about a part of our national landscape to which I had mainly heard derogatory references in the past.

I'm really impressed by this author, look forward to reading his other two novels, and hope he writes many more.

[Suzanne Macartney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little treat; funny & touching memoir of time at the Jersey shore of all places:) High school hockey player whose family is dissolving tries to make sense of his suburban existence such as it is, while winning the girl he wants (Juliet Dimiglio). Anthony Rubin’s life is complicated.

from Publisher's weekly:
Anthony, of course, has plenty to contend with. His father, Michael, is a none-too-subtle (if goodhearted) adulterer. His mother, Jess, is prone to breakdowns and would rather be underwater at any given moment than with her children. His best friend, Jay, drifts away when Michael's smoldering affair with Jay's mother begins to disrupt the Rubin marriage. And the alluring girl next door, the brash daughter of a high-stakes gambler, seems always just out of reach. Reiken's style remains unblinking and direct throughout, suggesting that there are no good guys or bad guys in Livingston, New Jersey--

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning. One of my favorite books I've read in a long time, and one of the first to make me cry in spite of myself. It's episodic, and I liked some characters and narratives more than others. But it built a profound emotional momentum, and there were long chunks that I couldn't put down - even if I had to go somewhere, I wanted to read them while walking. The descriptions and the evocation of a lost time in a lost place, and the people who got lost along with it, is unbelievably perfect.

[Stephanie Gannon]

Reiken's brilliant and moving second novel, which is set in his native New Jersey. What happened to him? I read at least three years ago about his signing a deal for his third book, but it still hasn't been published. Is he still teaching at Emerson College, I wonder? Maybe is too distracted by his teaching and continues to pursue journalism on the side? I would love to read something new from him.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

also read it in a day----thoroughly loved it. one review on cover said, "reiken reminds us that when good literature comes along, it feels like true love itself, as if something legendary is occuring." couldn't agree more.

[J.T. Whitesell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book twice. It was one of those love/hate books because the ending is open-ended and makes you wish it didn't leave you, the reader, a little heart-broken. Definitely worth the two times I read it.

[Shuojin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good novel, after reading this book, I would like to go to New Jersey. It is nice to read. Also it is nice to study people and their habits. It will be perfect if this book has some pictures. :)

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully-written coming of age story in the 1980s with Bruce Springsteen references and one of my favorite opening lines of a novel in awhile...

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Maxson Book Club read this way back in December of 2004. It was a fun read, because the locale was so very NJ.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I picked it up because I'm from New Jersey and liked the reviews on the back. It is funny and sweet.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome.

[Claudia Putnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another strong showing by Reiken.

[Neila Jacobson buday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good coming of age story in 1980's Jersey. Gets a bonus 1/2 star for mentioning places I now know...

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

i never wanted this book to end. everything Reiken writes is mythical and beautiful and complete.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good coming-of-age story; I read it mainly because it's setting is right in my back yard, so it was fun recognizing all the locations and landmarks.

[Christine Ku · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 3rd of my Constellations mini-reading challenge- the first chapter is already titled Constellations. It is really a family drama story, focusing mostly on the son but there are a few chapters written from the father’s perspective too (although in third person rather than first person for the son) and there is definitely an echoing effect between the two characters. And the story is set in New Jersey and apparently that’s the theme for the novel too.

For me personally, this is not a story that has me really engaged because my reading taste does not lean towards literary. But it is engaging enough in its own way.

[Kate Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books where nothing much happens, but while that's happening, everything is happening. It's a book that English teachers will love because of its symbolism and its deeper meaning. Usually, I don't like those kinds of books (even though I used to be an English teacher) because I'm sick of reading books about terrible people who do terrible things. This one has stuck with me, maybe because my parents divorced because of an affair and I've been trying to piece together what happened. It's worth reading it just to explore the writing and these people's lives.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this book 5 stars if not for the last chapter. This book was very well written and engaging. The story and relationships between families, affairs and the relationship of Anthony and Juliette were great. However, the books last chapter was worthless; it was disjointed and could have been wrapped up in such a better way.

[Eve nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book literally helps the reader feel heartbreak and confusion , a book I read and have never forgot . My favorite to this day I read this as a freshman in highschool and have even reread it 3 times . Displays love and loss and grief all in one I would highly recommend if you enjoy well written sad books

[David Wean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up near there near then and not the way I remember it. But maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention.

Also the first person / third person thing didn’t quite work for me.

Still was fun to bring back memories of a place I left decades ago.

[George Casapulla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Jersey setting and the general writing. The only fault, to me, was some of the dialogue didn’t quite ring true, especially between the teenagers. Seemed a tad too sophisticated and mature.