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City of Night
 
 
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City of Night (Paperback)

by John Rechy (Author) "LATER I WOULD THINK OF AMERICA as one vast City of Night stretching gaudily from Times Square to Hollywood Boulevard-jukebox-winking, rock-n-roll-moaning: America at night fusing..." (more)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

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When John Rechy's explosive first novel--now a classic--appeared in 1963, it became a national best-seller and ushered in a new era of gay fiction. Bold and inventive in his account of the urban underworld of male prostitution, Rechy is equally unflinching in his portrayal of one hustling "youngman" and his search for self-knowledge within the neon-lit world of hustlers, drag queens, and men on every kind of make. As the narrator moves from El Paso to Times Square, from Pershing Square to the French Quarter, we get an unforgettable look at life on the edge

"One of the major books to be published since World War II."--The Washington Post

"City of Night is a remarkable book.... Mr. Rechy writes in an authentic jive-like slang: the nightmare existence is explored with a clarity not often clouded by sentimentality and self-pity. The book therefore has the unmistakable ring of candor and truth."--The New York Times Book Review

"Rechy's tone rings absolutely true, is absolutely his own, and he has the kind of discipline which allows him a rare and beautiful recklessness. tells the truth, and tells it with such passion that we are forced to share in the life he conveys. This is a most humbling and liberating achievement."--James Baldwin

"Probably no first novel is so complete, so well held together, and so important as City of Night."--The Houston Post

"[City of Night] illuminates, it stirs the heart, it is unforgettable."--Herbert Gold

John Rechy is the recipient of the PEN-USA West's Lifetime Achievement Award (he was the first novelist to be awarded the prize) and the Publishing Triangle's William Whitehead Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the author of eleven other novels, among them Numbers, Rushes, The Sexual Outlaw (all from Grove Press), The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez, and Our Lady of Babylon. His most recent novel, The Coming of the Night, was published by Grove Press in 1999. An NEA recipient, he is also the author of several plays, essays, and short stories. John Rechy lives in Los Angeles. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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LATER I WOULD THINK OF AMERICA as one vast City of Night stretching gaudily from Times Square to Hollywood Boulevard-jukebox-winking, rock-n-roll-moaning: America at night fusing its darkcities into the unmistakable shape of loneliness. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
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4.2 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars Classic City Still Burns Bright, Oct 10 2003
By Daniel Olivas (West Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: City Of Night (Paperback)
Though it's been forty years since its publication, John Rechy's "City of Night" still packs an emotional wallop. The novel's storyline is well-known: Rechy writes of one young male hustler who wanders from El Paso to New York to Los Angeles to New Orleans meeting and experiencing male customers, drag queens, tough men and "nellies." While partaking of this life, he is also observing the pain and joy of a world filled with "youngmen" and those who are no longer young. Will he find meaning in any of it? Will he come to terms with his sexual orientation? The answers are not clear. But in the end it doesn't really matter. The prose is powerful, the dialogue poignant and, at times, hilarious. This is a remarkable and unforgettable book that should be read by everyone.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book to Read!, Sep 30 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: City Of Night (Paperback)
A wonderfully compelling (and sometimes disturbing) look into the world of hustling. The first time I read it I couldn't put it down! Totally captivating!!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent voice, Sep 8 2002
By Marilyn5000 (Belle Harbor, New York) - See all my reviews
This review is from: City Of Night (Paperback)
This is one of the best books I've ever read. Rechy's characters are so distinctive and individual, they've become like actual people to me. The voice is so real, the book is almost visual, like watching a movie, or life even, rather than reading a book. And there's no sentimentality about these characters. At some points, the otherwise likable narrator is downright cruel. Excellent, excellent book.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars the best book i ever read
the charictors are real, the store has stayed with me many years after i frist read it. a must have for a gay lit fan or a fan of John Rechy he is one of the best that will be... Read more
Published on Jun 28 2002 by skykid2

2.0 out of 5 stars dated and insipid
Each epidsode in this stitched-together book is so flat and tepid that the book as a whole doesn't even really manage to be episodic. Read more
Published on Nov 26 2000 by S. Clark

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good
I say "surprisingly" because Rechy is seldom considered one of our finest writers. That's too bad, really, because "City of Night" turns out to be miles better... Read more
Published on Sep 17 2000 by elljay

5.0 out of 5 stars Rechy's story set me free
When City of Night was published in 1963, I was a 19 year old freshman in Cincinnati. I recall having to keep this scandalous book hidden, except for those precious moments alone... Read more
Published on Jun 19 2000 by David R Hurles

5.0 out of 5 stars city of night
the book was awesome! My friend ranted and raved about the book so I got a copy and read it. It gave me another perspective on life for people.
Published on Feb 14 2000 by lisa

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable - But Not An Easy Read
I guess my tipoff should have been the word "classic" used in so many previous reviews. Yep, it sure reads like one. Reminds me of high school and Shakespeare. Read more
Published on Nov 22 1999 by tttooommm

5.0 out of 5 stars The second book I've ever read!
This book hit me like a million bricks. As a sexually confused 18 year-old male who never reads I actually believed I was present in the situations. Read more
Published on Aug 30 1999 by George B (seahawk100@hotmail.com)

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just a "gay" novel. . .
Although that is one of its facets. This book, both for all of its cynicism, has a generosity towards the human race, encompassing and striving to understand those who are its... Read more
Published on Aug 4 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars a dive into gay life and more
It must have been 1974 when I read city of night on request of a girl pupil of mine.(In a Dutch translation!)She (yes) had found in this book her feeling of life. Read more
Published on Jul 25 1999

1.0 out of 5 stars If this is great literature, so is Drummer.
When I first came out to my family, my mother gave me this book, thinking that it would teach me how to be gay. Read more
Published on Jun 2 1999

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