New York: The Novel [Paperback]

"New York" is a new novel by Edward Rutherfurd, similar in type to his earlier books about Sarum and London. The conceit here is that he takes representative families from the city, starting from its founding, and follows the same families through the centuries to showcase the rise and fall of different groups of people. In the case of New York, he starts in 1664, when it was called New Amsterdam and the primary families were Dutch, along with the Native American tribes already there; then the English take over and subsequently the colony grows (complete with both slaves and free Blacks) until the American Revolution, followed by a brief period during which NYC was the capital of the United States. Then in come the Irish, and the Italians, and the Puerto Ricans, all living through all the events that occurred in the tumultuous 1800s and 1900s, ending up in the current millenium with focus given, not surprisingly, to September 11th, but ending with a brief coda set in 2009. So it's pretty comprehensive and up-to-date. I like all of Rutherfurd's histories, because I find his method of interweaving numerous representative families into the fabric and events of the times in which they live to be quite interesting, though I have to say I was bored with the long chapters leading up to and through the Revolution. Nevertheless, this is a big, sweeping historical novel, some 860 pages long, and if you like such dramatic retellings of historical events, Rutherfurd is a ton of fun to read. Recommended!

Rutherfurd's first book Sarum: The Novel of England is widely reckoned to be his best and it is one of my all time favorite novels. His later works then seemed to decline progressively; London: The Novel and Russka: The Novel of Russia, were both excellent but not quite as good as the first, and The Forest was only moderately enjoyable. His later Irish novels were, sad to say, all but unreadable in my opinion. I am glad to say, though, that my willingness to give this author another chance was well rewarded with this latest book. It is in the same form as all his earlier works although, understandably, the temporal scope is not of the same epic span as in 'Sarum' and 'Russka'. Like all of Rutherfurd's works, I find the last few chapters a bit weak and uninteresting but the rest of the book is hugely entertaining. It's not his best work but is still well worth the money.

This is a thoroughly entertaining weave of history and fiction through 350 years of history. It begins with a Dutch family and branches off as family trees do to other relations along with people met along the way. Rutherford uses a wampum belt as physical connection passed from generation to generation which proves a clever device. It is the first book by the author that I have read and I take it that he has created a unique franchise (London, Russka). New York provides a rich backdrop both for history and character development. Indeed, Manhattan and the other boroughs are characters unto themselves.

I am an (extremely) amateur New York History buff so when reading this I was reminded of three "sources" on the city's past. These are the PBS documentary on the city by Ric Burns, The Bowery Boys podcast, and Pete Hamill's Forever. The latter is also a fictionalized account of New York through the centuries as witnessed firsthand by the lead character who cannot die unless he leaves the island. In any event, all seem to reinforce each other in that they stress the same key events which lends credibility to Rutherford's research.

He begins with the incredibly influential Dutch in 1664. He twines in the early and sustained conflicts with the Native tribes as the city moves from "New Amsterdam" to "New York". Through his engrossing narrative we learn of the revolution, social change, slavery, the Civil War, the gangs of New York, immigration, labour rights, civil rights, Wall Streets ups and downs, near bankruptcy for the city, and the changes since 9/11. Rutherford puts his characters in the most influential events. They witness battles in the Revolutionary War, debate leading figures of the day, seek shelter during the draft riots, confront the horror of poor working conditions, experience racism and prejudice, contemplate suicide in down markets, participate in the counter-culture, all the time marvelling at the resilience of their fellow New Yorkers. And it does not come across as forced or false.

The format is deeply involving as you want to see how the weave continues through the decades and how the primary family makes out. Once I put it down, I thought how enjoyable it will be to read it again in a few years time. And it has also prompted me to read London.