Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Riverhead Trade (2005), Paperback, 512 pages
Description
Three families living in Chicago's West Rogers Park neighborhood find their lives impacted by world events from 1979 to 1981, including the Iran hostage crisis, Reagan's election, and the deaths of famous musicians.
User reviews
LibraryThing member bherner
I read this because I live in the Chicago area. Not being from that neighborhood, nor jewish, I didn't have a lot in common with the characters. A good, but not great, book.
LibraryThing member julierh
not a mind-blowing piece of fiction, but certainly clever and insightful; a unique, entertaining read about kids in chicago in the 70s
LibraryThing member ozzieslim
I rate this book a solid three stars or a weak four stars. I had very high expectations going into this book. One, because my partner grew up in Rogers Park in the 70's and I have heard numerous stories about it and Two, because I lived in Chicago in a neighborhood just south of Rogers Park and
There is a lot of detail about the area. It really brings the neighborhood to life and in many ways, Rogers Park is the star of the book rather than the characters. The first 2/3 of the book were excellent. I was getting into the characters and their lives and I felt like the story was going somewhere interesting. Something happened to the last 1/3 of the book and I cannot put my finger on what exactly happened.
Some characters introduced early in the book went nowhere or were given very incomplete story lines, like Muley's dad, the parents of Lana and Larry and even the Charlie/Gail relationship. They just kind of hit dead ends without real explanations or conclusions. Muley, who was so important in the first part of the book merely drifted away into an editing room and emerged briefly at the end. Larry, the Jewish rocker disappeared completely after dominating much of the story. The list goes on.
I read the last pages and ended up in a Rogers Park dictionary. I was baffled...what had just happened? Where was the rest of the story. I am truly hoping it is in the follow up The Washington Story. I am not jumping straight in though. I am going to digest this one a little more and see if I can like this book more than the 3 stars I am giving it. I want to love it, but I only fell in like with it.
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have been there many times and know the neighborhood myself.There is a lot of detail about the area. It really brings the neighborhood to life and in many ways, Rogers Park is the star of the book rather than the characters. The first 2/3 of the book were excellent. I was getting into the characters and their lives and I felt like the story was going somewhere interesting. Something happened to the last 1/3 of the book and I cannot put my finger on what exactly happened.
Some characters introduced early in the book went nowhere or were given very incomplete story lines, like Muley's dad, the parents of Lana and Larry and even the Charlie/Gail relationship. They just kind of hit dead ends without real explanations or conclusions. Muley, who was so important in the first part of the book merely drifted away into an editing room and emerged briefly at the end. Larry, the Jewish rocker disappeared completely after dominating much of the story. The list goes on.
I read the last pages and ended up in a Rogers Park dictionary. I was baffled...what had just happened? Where was the rest of the story. I am truly hoping it is in the follow up The Washington Story. I am not jumping straight in though. I am going to digest this one a little more and see if I can like this book more than the 3 stars I am giving it. I want to love it, but I only fell in like with it.
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LibraryThing member Rdra1962
this was the wrong book! I had requested another book from the library. whatever, it was a slice of life in a jewish suburb of chicago in the 70's. Nothing special!
Subjects
Original publication date
2004
Physical description
512 p.; 7.9 inches
ISBN
1594480818 / 9781594480812