Plod, plod, plod. Nothing much happens here. An old New York apartment building renovated to apartment ownership and the people who live there. That's about it.

Set in New York's Little Italy in the 1950s--a community closely knit by gossip and tradition--this is the story of an extraordinary family, the Santangelos. [Prose] writes equally well about sausages and saints, documenting the madness and the grace of God in everyday life.

Although the first and second half of the book contain the same characters, thy're quite different which is why I think they can be treated as separate novellas. The first revolves around the rather pedestrian life of Joseph Santangelo, a butcher in Little Italy in the 1950's, his friends, fiancee Catherine, and mother, who is probably the most colorful character of all. The story takes off when we spend time with Mrs. Santangelo, Joseph's mom, a highly superstitious woman, but oddly sensible in her own way.

In the second part, Joseph and Catherine, now married, have to contend with their increasingly religious and strange daughter, Theresa, who appears to be channeling her now deceased grandmother, but carrying her superstitious/religious ways to an absurd extreme. Just as Joseph and Catherine were powerless to change Mrs. Santangelo's old world views, they are even more powerless to prevent their daughter from sinking into a world of delusion.

This book had one sad event after another and even had a depressing ending, but the writing was supurb.

I initially found this book mildly interesting- the lives of a few young people in New York- but soon grew bored with their senseless lives and total sense of entitlement about everything. Every character in the book- with the exception of Annabel, a total flat character- was too good to do actual work, they felt that the world owed them something, felt that they were so intellectually above everyone else that only they know the meaning of truth, in whatever form they were looking for. Even Danielle, the only one I initially had respect for, gets so wrapped up in her affair she becomes a stereotypical girl. None of the characters contributes a single thing, and they get boring, dull, and not worth reading about.

I've read this book several times over the years, since Dad gave it to me (birthday?). I love the writing, the story, and the characters- both animal and human. While the detractors say that the book reads too much like a list and contains too much that isn't about the birds, I disagree. I think that the point of the book is centered around the hawks, but is actually the entire nature in Central Park. All of the cycles, the animals, and the community of people who observe them. Who knew that one could find such a group in the heart of New York City?
I think that's the other reason I love this book- that it takes place in Central Park, a place I love. It feels like home to read this book.

What an informative and well written book! Now I must go immediately back to Central Park;-)

Nicely wove together so many different stories from different social, ethnic, and economic groups from turn of the century New York. Surprisingly, it wasn't difficult to keep the stories strait, since they were distinct but connected. I was constantly checking online to see what was fiction and which parts were actual historic events. I was disappointed that the beating of workers and children to break a textile strike was true, but the black revolt over the vandalism of a car was not.
Overall, a good combination of historical and fictional events. Less of a cohesive story than The March, the other book I've read by Doctorow.

In Brooklyn in 1947, Michael Devlin, an 11-year-old Irish kid who spends his days reading Captain Marvel and anticipating the arrival of Jackie Robinson, makes the acquaintance of a recently emigrated Orthodox rabbi. In exchange for lessons in English and baseball, Rabbi Hirsch teaches him Yiddish and tells him of Jewish life in old Prague and of the mysteries of the Kabbalah. Anti-Semitism soon rears its head in the form of a gang of young Irish toughs out to rule the neighborhood. As the gang escalates its violence, it seems that only being as powerful as Captain Marvel--or a golem--could stop them. Strongly evoking time and place, Hamill, editor of New York's Daily News, serves up a coming-of-age tale with a bit of magical realism mixed in. I also read 'Forever' by Hamill which I enjoyed.

Peter Hamill took me to many places. I was enthralled with his perceptions and placing. I went with the main character, Michael Devlin, to many of his imaginative places. I am still not sure the theme or the 'wrong message' as another reader put it. Still more puzzles to put together.

I had to read this book for my CORE 104 class in TO, and I couldn't get into it. While there are parts that are interesting, and I guess I saw the point, I really couldn't get into the surreal narrative of the story.
I pretty much feel the same way rereading it 8 years later. While I've enjoyed many strange books in my time, there's something about the disjointed nature of his experiences- while the narrative flows, the protagonist experiences many completely different things with little time to transfer from one mode of thought to another.
I think the different stories it tells about race and the different ways of thinking about being African American are interesting and thought provoking. But I don't think I'll be coming back to this one.

Dark, frustrating and beautiful. Read it with "Native Son."