One Fifth Avenue

By: Candace Bushnell

Narrated by: Donna Murphy

One Fifth Avenue, the Art Deco beauty towering over one of Manhattan's oldest and most historically hip neighborhoods, is a one-of-a-kind address, the sort of building you have to earn your way into - one way or another. For the women in Candace Bushnell's new novel, One Fifth Avenue, this edifice is essential to the lives they've carefully established - or hope to establish. From the hedge fund king's wife to the aging gossip columnist, to the free-spirited actress (a recent refugee from L.A.), each person's game plan for a rich life comes together under the soaring roof of this landmark building.

Acutely observed and mercilessly witty, One Fifth Avenue is a modern-day story of old and new money, that same combustible mix that Edith Wharton mastered in her novels about New York's Gilded Age and F. Scott Fitzgerald illuminated in his Jazz Age tales. Many decades later, Bushnell's New Yorkers suffer the same passions as those fictional Manhattanites from eras past: They thirst for power, for social prominence, and for marriages that are successful - at least to the public eye. But Bushnell is an original, and One Fifth Avenue is so fresh that it reads as if sexual politics, real-estate theft, and fortunes lost in a day have never happened before.

From Sex and the City through four successive novels, Bushnell has revealed a gift for tapping into the zeitgeist of any New York minute and, as one critic put it, staying uncannily "just the slightest bit ahead of the curve." And with each book, she has deepened her range, but with a light touch that makes her complex literary accomplishments look easy. Her stories progress so nimbly and ring so true that it can seem as if anyone might write them - when, in fact, no one writes novels quite like Candace Bushnell. Fortunately for us, with One Fifth Avenue, she has done it again.

©2008 Candace Bushnell (P)2008 Hyperion

diappointing

Would you try another book from Candace Bushnell and/or Donna Murphy?

sure

What was most disappointing about Candace Bushnell’s story?

having read several of candace bushnell's book, this one was definitely by far the worst.

What about Donna Murphy’s performance did you like?

she was doing a good job

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

probably not....u can't compare it to

Simply Loved it!

i just loved this novel, truly a classic if you love New York, its buildings and the people who live in them. i definitely can see myself re-listening to this book many times in the coming years.

I recommend this book

This was a well written and well thought out story. I enjoyed all of the characters and hate to say goodbye to them. I listened to this as an audible book, but then bought a hardcopy I saw at a secondhand shop. This book has a place on my bookshelf.

Pretty good!

This one was very good but not 5 stars. It was very entertaining and you will not be bored listening to it.

Not what I expected

I'll preface this with the fact that I didn't read the entire book's description before choosing this book, since I've loved everything else by Candace Bushnell. However, usually I stick it out until the end even on books I'm not in love with. Not this one. I have such a hard time with this narrator's voice and character style and can't keep up with the characters in this book, so am quitting a Audible book in the middle for the first time. I wouldn't recommend this book as a great one to listen to - perhaps it would present better on paper?

Enjoyable

If you like gossip this book is for you. The story kept my interest and created suspense with a good story line.

This should be a movie or a t.v. series

I really enjoyed this story. While not a Sex and the City type of story, it is one of a kind that should be made into a television series. It is mindless and better that most stuff on television. The storyline is entertaining. I found the characters to be interesting and complex. The narration was outstanding. I would love to see more stories associated with One Fifth and its current, new, and aspiring tenants. I hated for the story to end.

Story is entertaining, narration is irritating

I enjoyed listening to this story. Yes it is lightweight, yes it is about people who are ridiculously wealthy and mostly shallowly developed, but I still found the plot engaging. I did find the narrator's voice and her voices for the characters irritating and off. . .they all sounded like they were from another era, the 30's maybe. .doesn't really fit the world of iphones, youtube and multimillion dollar apartments she describes.

Pretentious bubblegum listening

I'm only half way through this book, but I don't think my reaction to it will change as I finish listening. I'd never read Candace Bushnell before, so maybe it's typical of her books, but the tone of this book is very pretentious. Perhaps its because of the subject matter, but it's a bit off putting. I think the narrator's faux British accent contributes, too. The book isn't brilliant, but it is light weight reading if you don't feel like doing much heavy lifting on your commute.

Did Not Care For It

I was so disappointed! I had to start this audiobook 3 times. The characters just were NOT sticking.
No real development of any character, that is probably why I didn't like any of them.
I would not recommend this book.