The Old Neighborhood

by Avery Corman

"Steven Robbins has achieved everything he thought he wanted, and nothing, not any of it has turned out to be what he thought it would be. As a young man, he left his neighborhood in the Bronx to be a success. He has become one of the best advertising copywriters in the field; he has a beautiful, successful wife and two lovely daughters. But his relationship with his career-minded wife is less a marriage than a corporation. His children are independent and growing away from him. His career has turned into a monotonous game of being clever. Steven Robbins embarks on a personal journey that has relevance for us all, and in his pas and in his heart, he learns about life as it should be and about himself as he should be. This is a novel for everyone who has ever left a place to be someone else, to do something else. It is a story of contemporary success and contemporary marriage, and of what we lost along the way for our contemporary values. It is an important novel, poignant, human, hilarious, and wonderful. As he has done in Oh,God! and Kramer vs. Kramer, Avery Corman offers truth about the times in which we live that moves us and gently gives us insight into our own lives.” This is from the dust jacket of this book.

Genres: Fiction, New York, Literary Fiction, Novels

219 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Avery Corman (born November 28, 1935, in the Bronx, New York) is an American novelist.

He is the author of the novel Kramer vs. Kramer (1977) which created a sea change in attitudes toward child custody with the public and in the courts in the United States and internationally. Robert Benton wrote the screenplay and directed the movie of the same name Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. It won 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screen Play. A previous Corman novel, Oh, God! (1971) was the basis for the movie comedy Oh, God!, screenplay by Larry Gelbart, starring George Burns and John Denver. His other novels include The Old Neighborhood (1980), 50 (1987), Prized Possessions (1991), The Big Hype (1992), A Perfect Divorce (2004), and The Boyfriend from Hell (2006).

In a characteristic assessment of Corman's writing, critic Stefan Kanfer said in Time magazine about the novel, 50, "Avery Corman has a literary gift for dialogue and predicament. Sealed in a time capsule, 50 could tell future generations more about contemporary middle-aged mores than a library of sociological theses."

Foreign language editions of Corman's novels have been published throughout the world. He is the author of articles and essays in a wide number of publications, including The New York Times for which he has written for various sections of the newspaper.

He turned his attention to writing for the stage and collaborated with the composer Cy Coleman on a musical, The Great Ostrovsky, for which Corman wrote the book and also co-wrote the lyrics with Mr. Coleman. It was produced in regional theater in Philadelphia in 2004, a project curtailed with the passing of Mr. Coleman that year.

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quietly Hopeful

A thread of sadness seems to follow the main character throughout his adulthood despite his early career and marital success, but ultimately he finds peace in unexpected life changes that others in his life are unable to understand and that they view as failures. The author does not deeply flesh out his emotional mindset about why major life changes lead to fulfillment for Stevie, but instead cleverly leaves the reader to try to understand his value system and motivation in a way that almost forces us to apply it to our own lives hypothetically and draw more meaningful conclusions about our own values and motivations from a personal perspective.

If your career drives you, even if you find it rewarding, and it feels that the drive for success has control of you, this story will make you think about what's really important and the choices we make. We may think that we can't jump off the career train once it's left the station, but this story and character illustrate what it looks like and, more importantly, what it feels like, when one jumps off a speeding train and into a simpler, nostalgic-filled life.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that don't impress you all that much while you are in the process of reading it, but when you finish it....WOW! I will be thinking about this for months to come. A perfect little story told perfectly.

The only thing I can't understand is how did the same guy who wrote this AND "The Bust-Out King" write that god-awful "Oh God"? (Pun intended.)

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew this was fiction, but when I first started reading it, it felt like a real memoir. I kept thinking that I must have read the review incorrectly. But no, right there on the cover, it said "A Novel". It was an interesting look at the 50's and 60's. At New York City. At spouses that outgrew their marriage, if not completely the love they shared. At having the courage to re-invent yourself. How many of us would like to do that !! Raise your hands !! The tone is low key, but the result carries a big punch.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was trolling the library shelves for something to read and this popped out because the cover said it was written by the author of Kramer vs Kramer (not that I have read that, just that I am familiar with the movie and thought this might just be a decent story). And it was above average.

Being a 47 year old (currently sitting in a dorm room at my former college for my 26th reunion weekend as I write this review), I can absolutely relate to the mid-life crisis that Stevie suffers. I, too, have two children. I too, worked a job for 20 years that was soul-crushingly boring just for the money. I, too, have struggled with my marriage.

Corman does a great job of noting all the positive in life: the feeling is there and the appreciation and yet sometimes that isn't enough to keep going. He also gently describes and non-sitgmatically addresses mental health issues (that still are not always gently treated and certainly were not so in 1979). Overall this is a very short novel that feels "just gritty enough". It rings true, without being grotesque.

My biggest complaint is probably that it was so short. He does not really develop any moment, the book skims through most of Steve's life, capturing the highlights and giving the reader perspective, but missing a lot of details.

Overall it was better than a "beach read", but not quite as profound as I would like in a character piece.

[Jennifer Avila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nostalgia meets self-important look at the middle class life I created for myself and pity me because I’m a white man. Perhaps it was the narrative style—cover 50 years of life in short, sweeping detail; perhaps it was the inherent sexism of mid 20th century society; perhaps it was just the narrative perspective’s self importance. Trite and cheesy come to mind.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a long time ago and it only made me want to read everything Avery Corman ever wrote.

[Brett Wedlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Old Neighborhood is a deeply thought-provoking novel that explores the journey from childhood dreams to adult realities. It reflects on how we choose our dreams, the chase to fulfill them, and the inevitable realization that they may not be what we once imagined. The book also examines the experience of returning to where you came from, only to realize that you can't stay there forever. The story beautifully captures the bittersweet moments of leaving behind people, places, and parts of ourselves as we forge new paths toward happiness. It’s a poignant reminder that growth often comes with sacrifices, and happiness is a constantly evolving pursuit. A reflective, moving read for anyone who has ever questioned their life’s trajectory.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up in the same neighborhood as the author during the 60’s and 70’s. I found so much of the surroundings that he described to be right on target. It was a simpler time and as kids we had so much freedom to roam without parents looking at our every move. My family moved from the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx to Westchester in the late 70’s but we often took a ride through the old neighborhood when we went to Yankee Stadium or into the city. The candy store (there were a bunch of them) was a wonderful place and a relatively affordable spot for kids. There’s nothing better than a properly made egg cream which I’ve been craving since I started reading this book!
The author wrote so descriptively that I was taken back in time to Krums, Alexanders, Loews Paradise, Poe Park, St James Park, the reservoir etc.
However, the lead up to Steve’s trip back to the old ‘hood took too long and I felt bored a lot of the time. I understand that there needed to be the set-up for his reason to return to his roots and once he moved back to the Bronx, I felt that’s when the story really took off. I’m glad Steve realized that he wasn’t really fulfilled in the Ad business and sought happiness elsewhere. Many people don’t have that courage or means to do so, especially when middle aged with family and business obligations. Overall, this was a fun memory lane trip for me but I’m not sure someone unfamiliar with this same childhood can quite relate.

[Marilyn Switzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changes

The author describes the life changes he makes and feelings he experiences as a result of the changes. He also describes how these decisions to change affect those around him. I really enjoyed book. I think it is especially interesting to those of us who are middle aged or older. Well written book.

[Elizabeth Hesseltine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Always stay true to your roots. Don't try to be something you aren't.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remembering my childhood

Mr. Colman has written a beautiful tome about how we can return to our childhood neighborhood and relive some of those wonderful moments. This was especially moving for me as Mr. Corman’s old neighborhood was my neighborhood when I was growing up as a child from the Bronx. The time period he described was about ten years before my time but the places he described were very familiar to me. He has a wonderful writing style and I would recommend this work highly.

[Elana Lanzetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the author whose books were adapted for screen (Kramer vs. Kramer and Oh God) this book was a thoroughly enjoyable look at a past time. I enjoyed the characters and the story centered around the life of an advertising exec in the sixties and his search to find meaning. Well written and enjoyable to read.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dream of anyone who ever left the Bronx

Remember when we measured success by the move from the city to the suburbs? For many city kids the suburbs never live up to the hype. I especially love this story because "The Old Neighborhood" to which Steve returns was also once my neighborhood!!

[Cindy Wiesel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 When the book started I kept waiting for the problem to appear, not realizing that the whole theme of the book was about escaping your background, but then being drawn back to it. When Steve's life doesn't turn out quite the way he planned, he heads back to his old neighborhood to rediscover who he was. The book is not very long and very engaging

[CAROL BROWN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follows the life of a man whose ambivalence about success brings him back to the city streets where he was raised. It brought to lie the problems that many of us encounter in our lives. i enjoyed the writer and his personal revelations.

[Amy Simons · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started out a lot like Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs and ended a lot like Billy Joel’s Scenes From an Italian Restaurant. Brace yourself. It’s sad... especially for those of us approaching a certain age.

[Mike Weinberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging

Written in the style of a memoir, the story is very engaging to me as an ex-Bronxite. It had me using Google Earth to look at my haunts of 70 or so years ago. (Buildings that predate me are still there.)

[Karen Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

so nostalgic

Fast read that I could see the author’s sense of nostalgia come through in the writing. Loved the details about the old neighborhood and the struggle for meaning in life and a new definition of success

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story about middle age, love, ambition, and joy. I could smell the streets of New York while I read this. If you start this novel with a longing for your home, and your generation’s adolescence, you will certainly enjoy this read. This is a story I’ll carry with me for a long time.

[Barbara Moher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one. Steven was thoughtful, intelligent, and kind. I liked all the nostalgia thrown in , loved the dog acquired , and the way he cared about his daughters. It was a fast easy read about a time I grew up in.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Reader's Digest condensed version book but a nice read.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book several times. I enjoy it every time.

[Steven Steinfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Book for the Right Audience

Jewish? From NYC? Divorced? Considering a Career Change? If you are at least 2 of the 4, this book is for you!

[Marsha Lucaciu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I Read it

Enjoyed passing through the historical timeline and the nostalgia. No surprises, though; every move was predictable. Nice to read a happy book.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and nostalgic read from the author of "Oh God!" and "Kramer vs. Kramer". Great writing and characters! I was sorry to come to the end of the book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, poignant, sad, just like life. This heart-warming (in places) read underscores the old adage: You can't buy happiness. Memorable and worth re-reading.

[Dale26 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 * - growing up in Bronx 1940's and 50's

[Anne M · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seemed to slow down midway through, but picked up at the end. Definitely written from a male point of view. Interesting view of life through several decades.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who says you can never go home again? Loved all the characters in this book.