New York: The Novel

By Edward Rutherfurd

Winner of the David J. Langum, Sr., Prize in American Historical Fiction
 
Named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post and “Required Reading” by the New York Post

Edward Rutherfurd celebrates America’s greatest city in a rich, engrossing saga, weaving together tales of families rich and poor, native-born and immigrant—a cast of fictional and true characters whose fates rise and fall and rise again with the city’s fortunes. From this intimate perspective we see New York’s humble beginnings as a tiny Indian fishing village, the arrival of Dutch and British merchants, the Revolutionary War, the emergence of the city as a great trading and financial center, the convulsions of the Civil War, the excesses of the Gilded Age, the explosion of immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the trials of World War II, the near demise of New York in the 1970s and its roaring rebirth in the 1990s, and the attack on the World Trade Center. A stirring mix of battle, romance, family struggles, and personal triumphs, New York: The Novel gloriously captures the search for freedom and opportunity at the heart of our nation’s history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 10, 2009
• ISBN: 9780385530231

Edward Rutherfurd

Edward Rutherfurd nació en Salisbury, Inglaterra. Se diplomó en historia y literatura por Cambridge. Es el autor de Sarum, El bosque, Londres, París, Nueva York, Rusia, Rebeldes de Irlanda, Príncipes de Irlanda y China. En todas sus novelas Rutherfurd nos ofrece una rica panorámica de las ciudades más atractivas del mundo a través de personajes ficticios y reales que se ponen al servicio de una investigación minuciosa en lo que ya se ha convertido el sello particular de autor.

Reviews for New York

[elsyd_19 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my all-time favorites. One of those books you really don't want to end! If you live in New York or have ever visited New York, this is a must read!

[siri51 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Accurately described as a sweeping saga - I learnt much about New York history through the stories of several families over their generations.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsThis is a novel that follows multiple characters through 400+ years in New York City. Primarily, we follow the same family(ies) through the generations. Starting in the 17th century with a Dutch family (and we also follow African Americans, Irish, Italians…), we follow from grandparent to grandchild (for the most part) and we see the characters through colonization, slavery, the Civil War, Tammany Hall, The Triangle Factory fire, the Depression, up to and including 9/11.I listened to the audio, and for me, audios narrated by a male voice aren’t always exciting for me; add to that, the length of this one (I also tend to have trouble with very long audios), and I was pleasantly surprised. I waffled between rating this 3 stars (ok) and 3.5 (good), as there were parts where I lost interest. I think I rated “Sarum” 3 stars, and though it was a number of years ago, I do think I preferred “New York”. In some ways, with the different characters (though all family), it felt a bit like short stories – some situations and characters I found more interesting than others. It did end on a strong (but very difficult) note with 9/11.

[hardlyhardy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Charlie shrugged. ‘Maybe I'm just being a novelist.’ Novelists liked to imagine the interconnectedness of things -- as though all the people in the big city were part of some great organism, their lives intertwined.” — Edward Rutherfurd, “New York”Edward Rutherfurd gets personal twice in his 2009 novel “New York,” and the lines above mark the second time. Commenting on one of his characters he is also commenting on himself and on what he is attempting to do in this novel and all the others he has written: to imagine the interconnectedness of things — as though all the people in the big city were part of some great organism, their lives intertwined.He succeeds admirably, even more so than he did in an earlier Rutherfurd novel I read, “London.” The reason may be simply that New York City has a much shorter history than does London. In his novels he follows a few fictional families through the entire history of a city, country or region, conveying important details of history while displaying how key events impact his characters and then showing how these characters impact the lives of descendants who will not remember them. That task can be daunting in a place with as long a history as London. New York, however, has been around just a few hundred years, and so some of his characters can stay around for several chapters in some cases, and readers can follow more closely as one family member passes the baton to the next generation.Rutherfurd's main characters are part of the Master family, some of whom lived in the city when it was still called New Amsterdam at the time of Peter Stuyvesant. The family business prospers, and the Masters become part of the New York elite. They witness the Revolution, the impact of slavery on the city, the Civil War, major fires and the blizzard of 1888, the arrival of large numbers of immigrants, the Great Depression and, eventually, the terrorist attack on the twin towers. The author mixes in families representing different groups, including blacks, Irish, Jews and Puerto Ricans. In a sense, Rutherfurd demonstrates that the history of New York City is also the history of the United States.The author errs here and there in his massive novel. At one point, for example, he writes that "General Grant had just smashed the Confederates at Gettysburg." Grant was attacking Vicksburg at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg. Later the British author rites of a family going to the beach for a few days, saying it "was one of the best holidays they'd had in years." Americans normally refer to such days away from home as vacations, not holidays.This novel proves totally absorbing, demonstrating as much as any novel can the "interconnectedness of things."And as for the other time Rutherfurd gets personal. He pokes fun at himself when he has one of his characters say about another, "Of course ... he was never a gentleman. He even wrote historical novels."

[unacceptajack_ · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This books is a wonderful example of a good historical novel. The stories for each generation were linked well, but not too obviously. I found Rose's story a little laboured, but apart from that I was completely transfixed by the descriptions of New York through the centuries and the families' storied being told.

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well, there's around two weeks of my life when I could have been reading other books that I won't get back, but I FINISHED A BOOK BY EDWARD RUTHERFORD!

[kiwimrsmac · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As always, Edward Rutherfurd's books are seeped in fact, fantastic fiction, and are as utterly believable as fiction. Loved it. Loved recognising all the areas and buildings described in the book. The characters were perfectly described - loveable and villainous at the same time.

[lissabeth21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love when a novel drags you into a character's drama in the first two pages! I have a real affinity for the way Rutherfurd ties people and families together over the generations. It has a very buddist feel to me - that we are all connected throughout time. Cried with fear for these characters and the thousands of New Yorkers like them during the 2001 chapter. I love when a book evokes that kind of deep emotion.

[bookdiva85 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first time reading this author and I was thoroughly impressed. His style in which in combined his story with actual historic events was impressive and it kept the story moving. Following the families throughout the generations provided an outlook on how some things are today. I was concerned that the story wouldn't be developed as much as it was but Edward has a great respect for detail. His writing style is one that I have to say is my favorite. When placing a story around historical facts there has to be detailed information. I definitely can't wait to read another of his books.

[tess_schoolmarm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you like Michener, you will also like Rutherfurd's [New York: The Novel]. The saga begins in the early 1600's with the settling of New York and ends with the 911 tragedy. It drags a bit during the Revolution, but not enough to cause the reader to wonder if they should stop reading the book! I will other books by this author.

[addictivelotus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I both loved this book and didn't love this book at the exact same time. The process of reading it was a fascinating relationship. I would become frustrated with the choppiness of the plot or the similarity of the point of view characters and set it aside and then be inexplicably drawn back and unable to put it down for several hours.Other reviewers have pointed out the lack of diversity in the characters (not bringing in Jewish characters until the 1950s, completely dropping the African-American storyline in the 1860s and never picking up the thread again, token Latino character for about a chapter who is then for all intents and purposes ignored, etc.), but I think that the major character problem is that toward the end everything got very rushed and I didn't get to know the characters well at all. I don't know why this is the case. I feel I got to know the earlier characters quite well. I understood why Mrs. Van Dyke acted the way she did; I rooted for Abigail Master; I felt genuine tension for Hudson and his family; I was legitimately sad when Anna Caruso died, but by the time the 30s rolled around we were speeding through decades so fast I didn't have time to understand the character's motives. It was also sad to see interesting periods of New York's history completely brushed over. I can understand the brush-off of Five Points, because immigrant stories in that time and the draft riots do get discussion, but in the 20th century? After we realize the Masters are going to be okay, we skip to the mid-50s. No depression? No WWII? The turbulence of the 60s happens off screen, and the 70s (a seriously fascinating time in NYC's history as far as I'm concerned) get about a chapter that sums up things up: there's a killer, there's a blackout, time for the 90s. I realize there's a lot of ground to cover and very interesting things in the previous centuries were also skipped, but I think the lack of significant character development during the last quarter of the book exacerbates this problem.I personally would have preferred that this book would have ended with the "Towers" chapter. While, yes, that would have been a cliche choice, the theme of the novel seemed to be everything is a cycle and the loss of the wampum belt seems to finalize the story which begins with it's delivery. Also, I personally found the epilogue a little preachy (not because of the "Spirit of New York" discussion, but the whole bit about people not really having ADD and kids today, etc). Despite -all- of this, I really enjoyed this novel and I'm glad that I read it. The first 3/4 of the book is an engrossing look into the lives of an interesting family and the world around them.

[tess_w · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you like Michener, you will also like Rutherfurd's [New York: The Novel]. The saga begins in the early 1600's with the settling of New York and ends with the 911 tragedy. It drags a bit during the Revolution, but not enough to cause the reader to wonder if they should stop reading the book! I will other books by this author.

[booklovers2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Listened to it on Audible Audio. This was really a great listen. Very interesting. Spanned several generations of New York families. Great history lesson on the beginning of New York to present day told as a fictional depiction through a generational family. There was a point towards the end that started to be very depressing. Then the anticipation of the worse events for New York. I actually had to turn it off and regroup emotionally before completing the book. The only negative I have is that jumping into the next generation of family members, I felt like I wasn't ready for the end of the characters. The ending tied up and united the original families interesting enough to say I loved the book and will read another by this author.  

[sarapoole_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I approach an Edward Rutherfurd opus with a bit of trepidation, knowing as I do that so engrossing a story teller writing on such an epic scale will compel my time and attention regardless of what else beckons. As a native New Yorker, I anticipated finding this work particularly engaging but it exceeded even my expectations. Across the seismic shifts of history, Rutherfurd illuminates the evolution of a small colonial outpost into a world class city. Along the way, he introduces hosts of diverse, engaging characters who bring New York in all its many guises to life. At the heart of his story is the sometimes chaotic, always fascinating struggle for freedom and prosperity that has characterized New York through the centuries and continues to set it apart today.

[laugal-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great read if you like a historical,generational,epic! The author really got the details and facts researched! At times,you almost feel transplanted to the place and time he writes of.This is a dense read.It is not a quick read.But it is a most worthwhile way to spend time!

[stevelindahl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I grew up in northern New Jersey, so the history of New York is fascinating to me. Edward Rutherfurd tells the story of people living in the city, starting in the 17th century when the settlement was called New Amsterdam and was governed by Peter Styverson and ending in the 21st century when Rudy Giuliani was mayor. The novel focuses on the Master family, but also looks at other families whose lives were intertwined with the Masters. I thought Rutherfurd did an excellent job of mixing history with fiction.When I lived in the New York area, I went to the city often. I loved the museums, the theater scene from the small groups in store front theaters to the Broadway shows, and I went to countless concerts in Central Park and at the Fillmore East. I spent hours in the libraries, especially the main branch on Fifth Ave and the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. But despite loving the city I didn't know much about its history. I had no idea about the early connection to the slave trade, Spanish Harlem was just a song to me, and I knew next to nothing about the financial district, especially during the years leading up to the depression. New York covered those aspects of the city in a way that held my attention. I loved the book for that.I saw in some of the other reviews complaints that Rutherfurd did not spend time with the African American families living in the twentieth century. He did cover their experience, especially during the pre civil war years, but those families were only mentioned briefly during modern times. I don't agree with that criticism. Rutherfurd chose to write a story about the Master family and if he left their story for too long the plot would have lost its continuity. He covered the Italians and the Irish during the years when those nationalities were the bulk of the immigrants. The African Americans were in the city from early on, just as the English were. Another novel about their experience in New York would be equally fascinating, but this novel was primarily about the English experience. Perhaps he could have spent more time with the Puerto Ricans families, given their importance to modern New York, but he did touch on that experience and I learned a good deal. He discussed the Lenape Native Americans, but as with many of the other groups that section was from the point of view of the European (Dutch) settlers.My chief complaint comes down to a single word. Here's the line from late in the book:He'd been fortunate to get a low number in the lottery and avoided the draft.The word I object to is low. Rutherfurd was talking about the 1970s here and anyone who lived through that period knows that a low number meant you were going to war, not the other way around. The problem with this mistake is it stops the reader who knows its wrong and casts doubt on the accuracy of the rest of the book. But I'm still giving this book a five star rating. Overall, I loved it.Steve Lindahl - author of Motherless Soul and White Horse Regressions

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Michener-like in its grand scale, but it becomes very personal too. Fun, interesting facts about NYC: One discovers that there actually was a wall along side Wall Street at one time, for example. For a 860-page book, it moves very quickly.

[bogopea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Starts with Dutch and Indians in NYS and ends a few years after WTC disaster. Follows generations of a few families though some are dropped along the way and other intersect through the years. Enjoyable.

[pier50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A huge sweeping novel covering New York from the time of it's Dutch founders until the Twin Towers destruction in 2001, overlaid against a backdrop of various families lives and loves. It's a big book (over a 1000 pages) but pulls the reader in and compels you to keep reading. The stories spread over 300 years hang together pretty well, with a couple of common threads. Overall a most enjoyable read.

[librarian1204 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

History and more history. Only my New York state education kept me going.
Some parts really good and others dragged. I liked the England setting better.

[glorybe1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is another great book by an excellent author, all about (yes doesn't take a genius to work it out!) New York!It starts in 1664 and culminates in 2001 at the World Trade Centre.It is a story of fiction for the most part, and tells the stories of 3 or 4 families down through history. Here and there it got a little bogged down with political stuff but I suppose if you are telling the story of a vast city such as New York this is going to happen, but for the most part it had me hooked on the characters lives and loves.An excellent read, very meaty, and I can well recommend it to anyone with an interest in "The Big Apple" or indeed general history.

[ameise1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is a gorgeous historical fiction in a wonderful written language. The story about New York is extending to the last 350 years. It starts with the first Dutch merchants and ends with their New Yorker's descentants. It's not only the history of a single city but also the Amerikan Independency. It narrates the most important American progress and on the other hand the City's development. It's carefully discribed how the buildings and old Manhatten could have been in the 17th and what major transformations it took up until now. On the basis of a family chronicle it was very easy to dip into the story and also to learn about different social points of view. Money and its rise and fall is not only in our days a major subject but also in the earlier time this family was depended on it. All the important Wall Street affairs can be found in this story aswell.

[yukon92 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Picked up this book while traveling - needed a big book to keep me occupied. I realized that I had read AND enjoyed Sarum years ago. Now that we have family living in NYC it was interesting to learn more about that huge city!I sure learned a lot about the history - Rutherfurd is surely this generation's James Michener!!!Enjoyed the book tremendously - am now looking forward to reading Rutherfurd's other books!

[hsudonym · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow, what an amazing undertaking!I have read all of Rutherfurds' books to date, and find him one of my favorite writers. New York did not disappoint.I grew up in NYS, and lived in New York for about 6 years. And I have to say that I gained more history in Rutherfurds, book than in all the years I took NYS history!The Dutch shaped the trading industry of New York, but the English shaped the financial. Both histories are vital to how New York has survived the centuries; and remained as vital as it is in the world. Any number of the historical situations that happened could have brought the city to it's knees and ended its reign. However, due to its diversity in industrial, trade and financial markets, it survived and prospered. I, at first, was sad at the coming and goings of different families, as they intertwined with the Masters. However, I finally realized that they each had their particular place in that area of the book, and the times it was focusing on.I felt most of the female characters were terrible people, but towards the end of each segment, they showed backbone and strength, and made me reevaluate their character.Some things I found interesting- the Revolutionary period, having the son and father at odds politically. The Draft Riots and how corrupt the reasons behind it, and how wide spread they were. The Civil War photography. The rise of the artistic community and refinement of the cultural life of New York. Plus so much more.I think when reading this, one needs to remember it is not about the history of New York, but rather the historical events in New York that shaped the Master family, and their relationships with the dominant peoples of the times they were in. One thing I also will mention, Rutherfurds' treatment of 9/11 was wonderful. I have to admit I was very moved; it was a hard time for me personally and those who loyalty never leaves the City, even if they do.

[aelizabethj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

God, this was a masterpiece. Rutherfurd wove hundreds of years together so seamlessly, it's a thing of beauty. I had wanted to read this as I had originally thought it was a non-fiction historical account of the birth of New York City, but now I feel like it was even better as a fictionalization. Everything did have that neatly resolved feeling at the very end, and I did feel a little cheated that almost everyone escaped the terrorist attack on World Trade, as that was not the case for many, but it wasn't enough to knock it down a star. I grew up bicoastal, and I consider New York to be my second home, so even just reading about the towers being hit was still a very emotional and visceral experience for me. This was brilliant, I became attached to the characters, and could clearly see in my mind's eye New York in all its forms throughout the years as it rose and progressed. Absolutely brilliant.

[pmaurer_11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well done tale of development of New York from its earliest days, when Indians occupied the land, and trappers traded with them. Follows family lines through American Revolution thro Civil war and forward. Last part of the book was in more modern times, and not as interesting. By that times all the characters lived relatively affluent lives, and I missed the struggles of making it in the new world. Long book, but interesting read (at least the first two thirds of the book.)

[jennifyr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I procrastinated reading this book for quite a while for some reason, but about a week ago I finally picked it up, and once I started, I couldn't help but to read it at every single chance I could get. I've never really read a lot of historical fiction before, even though I love history, but this has opened a new door for me to this genre. In fact, just today I picked up Edward Rutherfurd's "London" today to begin in a little while. Everything about this epic was incredible. Whether of the class of the wealthy, socially elite, or the underdogs of the slums (including viewpoints from African American slaves and free men, to the Irish, Italian, Jewish and Puerto Rican - the struggles are all different, yet at the core, are also the same), the characters were enriched, likeable, complex - the family histories were engaging and addictive, and maybe most importantly, believable. The families intertwine seamlessly with well, and lesser known, historical moments, and iconic and historic characters make an appearance now and then, but don't take over the story line. Rutherfurd is a writer who obviously respects history, and does his best to be true by it, which is admirable, when I feel so many other writers would take poetic license. You can tell Rutherfurd did his homework. It was exciting to hear of names and events you know of, and feel like you have the ability to live them through someone's eyes. I have always loved New York but now I can't wait to hop on a train and go there again as soon as possible. I'm hoping the next book of his I read will make me want to do the same with new lands that I've never been too. I just can't praise this novel enough, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves history, amazing writing, social issues... or anyone who wants a truly incredible book to sink their teeth into and walk away feeling not only accomplished, but ready for more. It's not often I read a 900 page book and want to dive directly into another of the author's work, usually I need a break, but even after almost 1000 pages, I didn't want the story to end. That is the mark of a truly gifted story teller. Every New Yorker (or anyone who has spent time in the city) should at least try this book out. It makes you fall in love with it from an entirely different angle. And within the story of New York, there is the story of America, and of all the different people that make it up. It's a incredible tale of social change, social injustice, class struggles, the American dream, prejudice and acceptance, struggle and resurrection, and over all... strength.

[cecrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've trusted this author before ("London", "The Forest") as researcher and tour-guide-through-time of the locales he writes about. New York has long interested me, so this novel was not to be resisted. Each chapter offers a vignette of New York at a different stage in its history, often advancing several years and sometimes to the next generation of families central to the narration. You don't visit with characters for very long before they're sequentially moved offstage, but you do see the unfolding of family fortunes through the centuries, like descending a family tree from its highest limbs to the present day at its roots. Accepting the setting as the novel's focal point rather than its characters, this structure works."New York" is about a city and its growth. It begins with New Amsterdam in the 17th century, and winds up with the events of 9/11. Only on the macroscale do I have a gripe, noting there's a skewing of the pace and degree of detail that favours the first half of the timeline. It's most evident when you take the example of war coverage. I was expecting to read about New York's role during the American Revolution; what I didn't expect was a full detailing of all events leading up to the war and the war itself, told from both sides. The Boston Tea Party, Valley Forge, Saratoga, etc. - it's all in there. That's a strong contrast with the Civil War, which is only briefly visited in comparison and where the story centers on the Draft Riots. World War II is barely mentioned in passing - no scenes of troop ships, no ticker tape parade at war's end.On the microscale, there is much to appreciate throughout. There is a very good capturing of a slave's perspective in one of the early chapters. I enjoyed the Ben Franklin 'teasers' prior to his actual appearance, and the cameo by the Albions from "The Forest", as well as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Caruso the Italian tenor, J.P. Morgan and other significant historical figures. Irish, Italian, Jewish and Puerto Rican immigrants are all well presented. Skyscraper construction in the 1920s and 1930s received its fair due. There are interesting details around how the stock market operated, then and now. The final chapters profile upscale characters who don't represent the Everyman of New York, but are a necessity for setting up the 9/11 sequence.Historical fiction is a great genre for combining learning and entertainment, provided it steers close to actual fact. Rutherfurd remains very steadily on the factual side. The fiction in this novel is only a garnish, but it's enough to ease the journey: there's a world of difference between googling the origin of the name Bronx (Bronk's) on the Internet and 'witnessing' its naming. Straight history rarely conveys the sense of what it was to be there in that time and place. Throughout this novelized telling I felt fully present in a way that no straightlaced 'city-ography' can capture.Constantly in the shadow of the late James Michener (and to whom he makes some fun references here, as if to acknowledge it), Rutherfurd is almost always considered the lesser talent. I always know Michener's characters more intimately and find them better rounded, but Rutherfurd is at least his match in terms of historical research and its non-obtrusive insertion into the flow of a story.

[literaryw_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Edward Rutherfurd paints a vivid picture of one of the greatest cities in the world. He moves through the times with a link to extravagant fictional characters directly intertwined to some of the most influential names in American history, such as J.P. Morgan, George Washington, Cornelius Vanderbilt and many more. This formula makes Edward Rutherfurd's New York: The Novel an excellent read!

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another historical saga with intertwined families by the author who is, for me, the leading living exponent of this genre. This gives a good feel for the rich cultural diversity and breadth of New York and demonstrates its well deserved place as one of the world's great cities. The only slight surprise was that the chapters on the 20th century skirted round the edges of all famous events between the Wall Street crash and 9/11. Not a criticism, as that is not the point of the novel, but I was a little surprised. This will never be my favourite Rutherfurd as I am ultimately more interested in British and Russian history than US history, but a fine read. I'd like to visit NY now.