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Loisaida -- A New York Story
One evening, in a neighborhood on the brink, boy meets girl. If only they'd gone home together, they might both still be alive. The core of this gritty, only in New York-story was inspired by real events - a beautiful, aspiring dancer slain. The psychotic roommate has confessed, but a dilettante actor-turned-journalist thinks there's more to it and investigates. Welcome to New York's East Village, aka Loisaida, circa 1988. Meet your neighbors - artists, dreamers, hustlers, devil worshipers, anarchists, junkies and yuppies - all competing for breathing space in a city without air. It's the era of greed, when the poor are objects of scorn not sympathy, and the gentrifiers view themselves as urban pioneers. This is a story about sex and drugs and real estate. This is a story about a murder... Word Count: 101k Genre: Literary Fiction, General Fiction, Neo-noir, Literary Thriller
- GenresFiction
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 16, 2010
6 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Marion Stein
4 books19 followersMarion’s careers have included crisis clinician, teacher, tarot card reader, grant writer and temp. Her story Pogo was published in Gordon Lish’s legendery literary magazine,The Quarterly, long, long ago. Her novel Loisaida, has gained something of a cult following, but it's a very small cult.
Marion sometimes does readings and storytelling mostly in the New York area, but if you look around you might find a podcast or video somewhere.
Marion loves to interact with readers and spends entirely too much time doing so on the internet. You can find out more about her at her eclectic blog -- marioninnyc.com
Marion sometimes does readings and storytelling mostly in the New York area, but if you look around you might find a podcast or video somewhere.
Marion loves to interact with readers and spends entirely too much time doing so on the internet. You can find out more about her at her eclectic blog -- marioninnyc.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 15, 2011
In a moment, I'm going to say a couple of things about this book that you may or may not believe. It doesn't matter. I'm going to say them anyway because I'm convinced they are true. We'll get to that though...
I initially bought this book as a present for someone else. I had no intention of reading it because I thought it was simply a bargain price thriller. Having poked around the Amazon forums for a few months, however, I started to see references to Loisaida which made me think that, actually, there was more to the book than I'd initially assumed. So eventually I gave it go. I read the first couple of chapters and thought I'd maybe misjudged as it came across as a well written, but rather straightforward crime story. However, I then hit chapter three and suddenly it opened out into this unbelievable range of voices, a cast of characters so authentic and distinct from each other that it is hard to believe they were all conceived and written by the same person. There are artisans, junkies, ex-cons, and amidst them all a TV actor trying to become a journalist and searching for his breakthrough story on the lower East side.
There are a lot of characters and you will have to make some effort in keeping up, but believe me when I say it's worth that effort. In the hands of a lesser writer the different voices would have been in danger of becoming a cacophony, but Marion Stein manages to make them harmonise, with narrative overlaps that never leave you wondering what's going on. The New York on display here is reminiscent of that of Arthur Nersesian, Jay McInerney, Hubert Selby Jr. It's rich and evocative and gripping.
Ok, here's my bombshell. I mentioned a couple of authors above. On the evidence of this book, I think Marion Stein is certainly as good as, if not better, than all of them. I know that's a big claim when you consider I mentioned Hubert Selby, but I stand by it. All I can say is I enjoyed this book more than 'Last Exit to Brooklyn', I enjoyed it more than 'Song of the Silent Snow'. There was a vibrancy to the characters in this novel that, in my opinion, Selby never quite matches. I would go so far as to say that if this book had been written twenty years ago, it would now be talked of as a cult classic. It is truly, truly stunning. As I said, you might not believe me, in which case I suggest you try the book and then come back and attempt to tell me why I'm wrong. I'm willing to bet you won't convince me. A tremendous piece of work.
I initially bought this book as a present for someone else. I had no intention of reading it because I thought it was simply a bargain price thriller. Having poked around the Amazon forums for a few months, however, I started to see references to Loisaida which made me think that, actually, there was more to the book than I'd initially assumed. So eventually I gave it go. I read the first couple of chapters and thought I'd maybe misjudged as it came across as a well written, but rather straightforward crime story. However, I then hit chapter three and suddenly it opened out into this unbelievable range of voices, a cast of characters so authentic and distinct from each other that it is hard to believe they were all conceived and written by the same person. There are artisans, junkies, ex-cons, and amidst them all a TV actor trying to become a journalist and searching for his breakthrough story on the lower East side.
There are a lot of characters and you will have to make some effort in keeping up, but believe me when I say it's worth that effort. In the hands of a lesser writer the different voices would have been in danger of becoming a cacophony, but Marion Stein manages to make them harmonise, with narrative overlaps that never leave you wondering what's going on. The New York on display here is reminiscent of that of Arthur Nersesian, Jay McInerney, Hubert Selby Jr. It's rich and evocative and gripping.
Ok, here's my bombshell. I mentioned a couple of authors above. On the evidence of this book, I think Marion Stein is certainly as good as, if not better, than all of them. I know that's a big claim when you consider I mentioned Hubert Selby, but I stand by it. All I can say is I enjoyed this book more than 'Last Exit to Brooklyn', I enjoyed it more than 'Song of the Silent Snow'. There was a vibrancy to the characters in this novel that, in my opinion, Selby never quite matches. I would go so far as to say that if this book had been written twenty years ago, it would now be talked of as a cult classic. It is truly, truly stunning. As I said, you might not believe me, in which case I suggest you try the book and then come back and attempt to tell me why I'm wrong. I'm willing to bet you won't convince me. A tremendous piece of work.
January 9, 2012
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
This is one of those gritty urban Social Realist dramas with a liberal bent that I'm never quite sure what to do with; for although I acknowledge that there's a large crowd out there who love this kind of work, I myself am not the biggest fan, yet don't wish people to think this book is poorly written just because I found it only so-so. Instead, I find these kinds of stories mediocre merely because there doesn't seem to be much to them, either in originality or overall quality -- it's essentially an interconnecting series of character sketches of lower Manhattanites in the late 1980s, from the simple working-class to the outright lumpens, and so as such, it joins a fine tradition that goes all the way back to the communistic leftist writers of the WPA 1930s, but really with almost no progression in this genre's development since then. Fine for what it is, I just happen to like this kind of stuff only in small doses, but certainly it's something to definitely check out if you've ever participated in an "Occupy" protest or wept while reading a John Steinbeck novel.
Out of 10: 7.5
This is one of those gritty urban Social Realist dramas with a liberal bent that I'm never quite sure what to do with; for although I acknowledge that there's a large crowd out there who love this kind of work, I myself am not the biggest fan, yet don't wish people to think this book is poorly written just because I found it only so-so. Instead, I find these kinds of stories mediocre merely because there doesn't seem to be much to them, either in originality or overall quality -- it's essentially an interconnecting series of character sketches of lower Manhattanites in the late 1980s, from the simple working-class to the outright lumpens, and so as such, it joins a fine tradition that goes all the way back to the communistic leftist writers of the WPA 1930s, but really with almost no progression in this genre's development since then. Fine for what it is, I just happen to like this kind of stuff only in small doses, but certainly it's something to definitely check out if you've ever participated in an "Occupy" protest or wept while reading a John Steinbeck novel.
Out of 10: 7.5
December 7, 2011
I finished reading Loisaida -- A New York Story a few weeks back. Even though this book takes place prior to 9/11 I still found myself thinking about 9/11 while reading the story and I'm not sure why.
The characters and the locations seemed to jump out at me fully formed and together they seemed to define what is NY to me, not having ever been there. The different types of people, both good and bad, their styles and personalities; all are conveyed with a true, discerning eye.
I won't go into the plot as there are several other reviews which do, other than to say that I hadn't heard of the real life case involved until I read this story. It is/was a rather horrifying story, to say the least.
After thinking about this story for a few weeks, I still cannot say what it is about it that so deeply touched me. I hope that you will let it touch you, as well.
(This is one of the books that make me wish I were a better reviewer)
The characters and the locations seemed to jump out at me fully formed and together they seemed to define what is NY to me, not having ever been there. The different types of people, both good and bad, their styles and personalities; all are conveyed with a true, discerning eye.
I won't go into the plot as there are several other reviews which do, other than to say that I hadn't heard of the real life case involved until I read this story. It is/was a rather horrifying story, to say the least.
After thinking about this story for a few weeks, I still cannot say what it is about it that so deeply touched me. I hope that you will let it touch you, as well.
(This is one of the books that make me wish I were a better reviewer)
May 29, 2011
If for nothing else, read it to get a full sense of what New York City used to be (crime-ridden, grimy and immensely interesting) as opposed to the white-washed boring, gentrified piece of crap it's become. Made me nostalgic for the home I used to have.
May 28, 2011
"Loisaida" can be viewed two ways. As a work of literary or general fiction, which was the authors intent, or as a mystery.
As a work of literary or general fiction, "Loisaida" is excellent. Written from the point of view of different characters and constantly switching from one character to another is an approach that can be difficult for the reader to follow, but I didn’t find this to be a problem because Stein’s characters are finely drawn when first introduced. Despite having a large cast, keeping track of the current point of view and how each character connects with the others was rather easy. Although this approach is hard to execute well, Stein did just that. The characters, their stories, and the flavor of the place and time were entertaining and held my interest.
As the story progresses one person emerges as the central character. Peter, an actor turned journalist sees a possible book deal if he can uncover the full story behind the murder and dismemberment of Ingrid, an aspiring dancer. The mentally unstable suspect in custody was almost certainly involved, but rumors that indicate others were involved swirl around. The mystery of who was involved in Ingrid’s murder and exactly what happened ties most of the characters together. While there are other significant plot threads, solving the murder was the most significant.
It is the mystery, central to the plot, where evaluating "Loisaida" gets tricky. Avoiding spoilers while explaining is also difficult. The book description doesn’t imply you’re reading a mystery. Yet, to the reader, there is a point where it will begin feeling like a mystery. How the story ends and the way the mystery is resolved may be disconcerting for some readers. It was for me. Yet, there is nothing inherently wrong with the ending. Given the story arc, it is more realistic than the ending you might anticipate. That my preconceptions were shaken up when the story took an unexpected turn was a good thing. Understanding why the ending felt wrong … well, that was tricky.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog.**
As a work of literary or general fiction, "Loisaida" is excellent. Written from the point of view of different characters and constantly switching from one character to another is an approach that can be difficult for the reader to follow, but I didn’t find this to be a problem because Stein’s characters are finely drawn when first introduced. Despite having a large cast, keeping track of the current point of view and how each character connects with the others was rather easy. Although this approach is hard to execute well, Stein did just that. The characters, their stories, and the flavor of the place and time were entertaining and held my interest.
As the story progresses one person emerges as the central character. Peter, an actor turned journalist sees a possible book deal if he can uncover the full story behind the murder and dismemberment of Ingrid, an aspiring dancer. The mentally unstable suspect in custody was almost certainly involved, but rumors that indicate others were involved swirl around. The mystery of who was involved in Ingrid’s murder and exactly what happened ties most of the characters together. While there are other significant plot threads, solving the murder was the most significant.
It is the mystery, central to the plot, where evaluating "Loisaida" gets tricky. Avoiding spoilers while explaining is also difficult. The book description doesn’t imply you’re reading a mystery. Yet, to the reader, there is a point where it will begin feeling like a mystery. How the story ends and the way the mystery is resolved may be disconcerting for some readers. It was for me. Yet, there is nothing inherently wrong with the ending. Given the story arc, it is more realistic than the ending you might anticipate. That my preconceptions were shaken up when the story took an unexpected turn was a good thing. Understanding why the ending felt wrong … well, that was tricky.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog.**
August 29, 2012
I found it a little hard to get into at first with the changing voices and viewpoints - for the first few chapters it read more like a series of interlinking short stories than one coherent piece.
However, once the links between the characters became established I was completely drawn into this world of the sleazy side of New York in the 1980s.
This book seems to have gained something of a cult following, largely I think,because of the way it crosses different genres so successfully. It is essentially a crime novel; a murder happens quite early on in the book, and a culprit is caught. From there we follow the steps of a would-be journalist who thinks there is something more to the story than the official account.
The murder, and the events surrounding it, did actually happen. Although the names have been changed the account seems to be pretty accurate, which places it in the genre of literary true crime, such as In Cold Blood or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
But the book is also an exercise in differing perspectives, which gives it more of a 'literary' tone. I read one of the other reviews here which just considered it as a series of character sketches - it is that as well,and a slice of social history too.
However, once the links between the characters became established I was completely drawn into this world of the sleazy side of New York in the 1980s.
This book seems to have gained something of a cult following, largely I think,because of the way it crosses different genres so successfully. It is essentially a crime novel; a murder happens quite early on in the book, and a culprit is caught. From there we follow the steps of a would-be journalist who thinks there is something more to the story than the official account.
The murder, and the events surrounding it, did actually happen. Although the names have been changed the account seems to be pretty accurate, which places it in the genre of literary true crime, such as In Cold Blood or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
But the book is also an exercise in differing perspectives, which gives it more of a 'literary' tone. I read one of the other reviews here which just considered it as a series of character sketches - it is that as well,and a slice of social history too.
September 4, 2012
I liked this book a lot and had trouble putting it down. This included reading it well into the night, before I fell asleep. This also brought with it nightmares. I don't wish to turn anyone off to this well written tome about the late's 80's east village NYC. This book is thick with character development as chapter to chapter, we switch perspectives to unravel a tragic and dark saga, filled with tragic and dark souls. The author does such a wonderful job taking you down this path, that there are times you feel the tension to such a degree, you wonder if you, yourself, are in danger for knowing what the characters know. It's hard to get into specifics without spoiling the plot. I will say that this story is based on a true event. To get the specifics on the basis for this story Google Max Cantor, Monika Beerle, or Randy Easterday, but prepared to be spoiled to an extent if you do. I knew the outcome of the story before I started reading and it still gave me chills. Despite the fact that I felt like I needed a brain bidet after I finished this book, I'd surely read anything Marion Stein chooses to produce in the future.
January 11, 2011
Set in Manhattan’s Alphabet City in the late 1980s, Loisaida's plot features dubious activities from incest to cannibalism, via violence, drug abuse, sex and insanity.
In the aftermath of the Tompkins Square Park Riot, the Lower East Side is as vivid and intoxicating a character as any of the story’s other players. Police brutality, disease and addiction are everywhere, along with greed, gentrification, housing conflicts, racial and social tensions, prostitution and every other kind of vice.
Lauded by the likes of Cody James and Larry Harrison, Stein is a talented author, and Loisaida is an evocative and engrossing account of ‘artists, dreamers, hustlers, devil worshippers, anarchists, junkies and yuppies all competing for breathing space in a city without air.’
(Excerpt from full review of Loisaida at For Books' Sake)
In the aftermath of the Tompkins Square Park Riot, the Lower East Side is as vivid and intoxicating a character as any of the story’s other players. Police brutality, disease and addiction are everywhere, along with greed, gentrification, housing conflicts, racial and social tensions, prostitution and every other kind of vice.
Lauded by the likes of Cody James and Larry Harrison, Stein is a talented author, and Loisaida is an evocative and engrossing account of ‘artists, dreamers, hustlers, devil worshippers, anarchists, junkies and yuppies all competing for breathing space in a city without air.’
(Excerpt from full review of Loisaida at For Books' Sake)
July 13, 2011
A great book - and I don't mean a great, self-published cheap Kindle book, I mean a great book full-stop. The story is told from multiple perspectives and points of view, and the author has total control over all these voices. The subtitle, "A New York Story" is perfect, because the multiple voices seem like a chorus for the city. Because of these shifts in view point, the book seems initially slightly scrappy, and all over the place, but careful reading reveals every section has a part to play.
The plot itself is strong too, and full of drugs, death, and sex. There's some genuine harrowing and moving scenes, and strong character development (if that's the right word for some of these character's fates).
Recommended if you like edgy literary fiction.
The plot itself is strong too, and full of drugs, death, and sex. There's some genuine harrowing and moving scenes, and strong character development (if that's the right word for some of these character's fates).
Recommended if you like edgy literary fiction.
August 4, 2015
The starting point for this novel is a crime, based on a real one. The crime and the victim pull the story arc together, but around that story the author has woven a picture of an area of New York and the characters who live there. It is a picture which may seem familiar even to people who have never visited the city, with its crime and grime and a vibrant life force which makes it another character in its own right.
Many characters have a voice and a viewpoint and I was impressed by the way the author managed to keep them all separate and distinct, while linking them together through the events of the story.
Many characters have a voice and a viewpoint and I was impressed by the way the author managed to keep them all separate and distinct, while linking them together through the events of the story.
August 12, 2016
It took me some time to get into the story and its protagonists. The chapters are very short and interwoven. Once I started to get a hang of it, the book exerted quite some pull. It is dark, it is sobering, neither a criminal novel nor a character study. The greatest achievement in my opinion is drawing the reader into the lifes of characters which have very little in common with the reader.
March 9, 2011
A nonlinear, multi-perspectival tale of murder set amidst the backdrop of the Tompkins Square Park riot in New York's Lower East Side during the late '80s. A lyrical ode to life lived outside the mainstream.
February 9, 2012
I actually deleted this off my kindle after the first few chapters because I found it so upsetting to read. But I later came back to it after running out of things to read. Not to be a spoiler but the book comes together in more ways than one as it progresses. Recommend.
October 12, 2010
Excellent. See my review at swellsbennett.blogspot.com.
October 8, 2012
Gritty and immersive.
June 27, 2011
A beautifully evoked story of life and death in New York in the Eighties. I think I should have been listening to Lou Read whilst reading it.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews