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The Colossus of New York
- A City in Thirteen Parts
- Narrated by: Colson Whitehead
- Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs
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Publisher's Summary
Thoughts on Central Park, the subway, Coney Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, and much more bring the city to life as never before. Reading his own words, Whitehead shapes his book into an unforgettable meditation on the greatest city in the world.
Critic Reviews
"Whitehead lays out a wildly creative view of New York City....This 13-part lyric symphony is like E.B. White's Here Is New York set to the beat of Ellington or Cage." (Publishers Weekly)
"Whitehead riffs poignantly and playfully on myriad strategies for urban survival as he incisively distills the kaleidoscopic frenzy of the city into startlingly vital metaphors and cartoon-crisp analogies. Intensely sensory in his details, wistful and funny in his psychological disclosures, he makes everything come to mythic life." (Booklist)
What listeners say about The Colossus of New York
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- Rebecca
- 09-07-09
Just not entertaining
This is more like a prose poem than a book, often presented in disjointed stream of consciousness. I think the author is trying to capture the feel of NYC, but in a whiny, self-absorbed way. (I know that probably doesn't make much sense; sorry!) I have spent some time in NY and this didn't make me say, "Yes, that's just how it is!" It just isn't very interesting to be inside his head.
A minor irritant was that the narrator/author pronounces "didn't" as "din"; a speed bump on what should be a series of flowing riffs.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- andrew
- 08-07-15
very slow
think Holden Caulfield talks about new York for 3 hours, but speaking only in metaphor
2 people found this helpful