Review “The most convivial and unorthodox history of New York City one is likely to come across.”—The New York Times   “A must-read for anyone who has fallen in love with the Big Apple.”—New York Journal of Books   “An absolute masterpiece.”—The Atlantic   “An impressive range . . . The voices from the past we hear in these entries reassure us that we’re all part of a great cosmic parade.”—Maureen Corrigan, NPR   “Fascinating . . . too compelling to put down.”—Whitney Matheson, USA Today   “Required reading . . . as comprehensive as it is revealing, making the city come alive.”—Susannah Cahalan, New York Post   “My newest favorite browse.”—Alexander Nazaryan, New York Daily News Read more About the Author Teresa Carpenter is the author of four books, including the New York Times bestseller Missing Beauty. She is a former senior editor of The Village Voice, where her feature articles on crime and the law won a Pulitzer Prize in 1981. She lives in New York City’s Greenwich Village with her husband, writer Steven Levy, and their son. Read more See all Editorial Reviews
R**N
Read this book
Half way through this book and dread reaching the end where there will be no more to read!
V**N
letter writers tell all.
Collection of letters from the mind of L.A.
K**R
This is a must-own book
Anyone who has lived in New York, loved in New York, passed through New York, or just longed for a glimpse of this city of dreams, needs to own Teresa Carpenter's brilliantly conceived and executed New York Diaries.It took someone as gifted as Carpenter to figure out how to portray New York City and all that it has stood for over the past 400 years.As soon as I cracked open the book, like many others, I'm sure, I wanted to know what the diarists were saying on my birthday. On that day in 1949, John Cheever took his daughter Susie to a party on Fifth Avenue ("In the brume the long double track of street lamps seems yellow.") Then Christmas: In 1986, Andy Warhol "...went to the Church of the Heavenly Rest to pass out Interviews and feed the poor...Got a lot of calls to go to Christmas parties but I just decided to stay in and I loved it."Then, when I heard a review of the book on NPR, I decided to take the reviewer up on her suggestion of reading an entry of the book every night before going to bed. Now I keep the book by my bed and that's exactly what I do. Come December 31, I'll miss my routine terribly.But there are many many ways to absorb this glorious collection of carefully culled diary entries. Go at it straight on and straight through, or pick and choose as you like. Whichever way you decide to absorb this fascinating book, you won't be sorry.
C**R
New York, New York! Great city!
Great book! Excerpts from people's diaries about New York!
J**E
Five Stars
Read it with E B White's Here is New York.
M**L
Five Stars
Great read!
S**X
Voyeurism with a Touch of History
I have an addiction that pushes me to look into the lighted windows of houses when driving by. I don't care if there are people to be viewed, I just want to see what the house looks like. That way I could make up stories in my head about how they lived and what horrible taste they had.Books with letters and/or journals in them give me the opposite. From what is written I envision their lives, dreams and hopes. This is an absolutely wonderful example of a book that fulfills that need for me. The book gives a wonderful cross section of the city of New York along the timeline of history.
A**S
Good Bedside Reading
This is a collection of diary entries by New Yorkers, mostly well known in some context, over the centuries. It is well done, and the pieces are well selected. It also had lots of information of which this life-long New Yorker was not aware. Among the surprises: how much the American Revolution affected the city, where a good amount of fighting took place. Lots of interesting tidbits by the likes of Dawn Powell, John Sloan, George Templeton Strong and the navigator for the Half Moon. For me, it was more bedside reading -- pick it up and read a chapter or two -- than a straight read through, but that's no bad thing. Would make a nice gift for a devoted New Yorker, particularly one fond of history.
