Wonderful Town: New York Stories From The New Yorker (2000) - Plot & Excerpts
Stories including:The Five-Forty-Eight by John CheeverDistant Music by Ann BeattieSailor off the Bremen by Irwin ShawPhysics by Tama JanowitzThe Whore of Mensa by Woody AllenWhat It Was Like, Seeing Chris by Deborah EisenbergDrawing Room B by John O'HaraA Sentimental Journey by Peter TaylorThe Balloon by Donald BerthelmeSmart Money by Philip RothAnother Marvellous Thing by Laurie ColwinThe Failure by Jonathan FranzenApartment Hotel by Sally BensonMidair by Frank ConroyThe Catbird Seat by James ThurberSnowing in Greenwhich Village by John UpdikeI See You, Bianca by Maeve BrennanYou're Ugly, Too by Lorriw MooreSymbols and Signs by Vladimir NabokovPoor Visitor by Jamaica KincaidIn Greenwich, There Are Many Gravelled Walks by Hortense CalisherSome Nights When Nothing Happens Are the Best Nights in This Place by John McNultySlight Rebellion off Madison by J.D.SalingerBrownstone by Renata AdlerThe Cafeteria by Isaac Bashevis SingerPartners by Veronica GengThe Evolution of Knowledge by Niccolo TucciThe Way We Live Now by Susan SontagDo the Windows Open? by Julie HechtThe Mentocrats by Edward NewhouseThe Treatment by Daniel MenakerArrangement in Black and White by Dorothy ParkerCarlyle Tries Polygamy by William Melvin KelleyChildren Are Bored on Sunday by Jean StaffordNotes from a Bottle by James StevensonMan in the Middle of the Ocean by Daniel FuchsMespoulets of the Splendide by Ludwig BemelmansOver by the River by William MaxwellBaster by Jeffrey EugenidesThe Second Tree from the Corner by E.B.WhiteRembrandt's Hat by Bernard MalamudShot: A New York Story by Elizabeth HardwickA Father-To-Be by Saul BellowFarewell, My Lovely Appetizer by S.J.PerelmanFunny story on this book.I signed it out from the library because I wanted to read the J.D.Salinger story and when I got it home I was leafing through it and found that someone had cut it out! Of the 44 short stories in the book, the one I was most interested in was cut out. I had to order another copy on an interlibrary loan because the Winnipeg Library only had this one copy. There are 3 main discussions around this when I tell people:1. Why would someone do that?2. Wow. There are some really crazy J.D.Salinger fans.3. The lesser discussed topic around 'hermit' fans who perhaps cut it out not to keep it for themselves, but to destroy it because of J.D.Salinger and his very clear restrictions regarding the printing of his material.Anyway...There are some really great short stories in here. I find an interesting trend that there is a lot of mention of therapists and mental health. I feel like everyone in New York has a therapist. The Thurber story is classic Thurber and it made me laugh. The Salinger story is also classic Salinger and left me wondering if I actually fully get everything he was going for or if I missed something. It's amazing how often he makes me feel that way. :)
What do You think about Wonderful Town: New York Stories From The New Yorker (2000)?
