Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
Author: Kathleen Rooney
Published by: Daunt Books
Pages 277
Format Paperback
My Rating ★★★★★
Published by: Daunt Books
Pages 277
Format Paperback
My Rating ★★★★★
When 85 –year-old Lillian Boxfish steps out of her apartment on New Year’s Eve in 1984, little does she know she’s about to embark on a journey across the whole of Manhattan.
‘Extraordinary…Rooney creates a glorious paean to a distant literary life and time.’
Publishers Weekly
‘A witty and heartfelt ode to a city, to its infinite variety, to its melting pot of citizens.’
Boston Globe
‘Easily the best gadding-around-town novel since Dawn Powell and Dorothy Parker.’
Daniel Handler
‘Extraordinary…Rooney creates a glorious paean to a distant literary life and time.’
Publishers Weekly
‘A witty and heartfelt ode to a city, to its infinite variety, to its melting pot of citizens.’
Boston Globe
‘Easily the best gadding-around-town novel since Dawn Powell and Dorothy Parker.’
Daniel Handler
My thoughts:
On New Year’s Eve in 1984, Lillian Boxfish takes a long walk across Manhattan. During the walk, she recounts many important events and moments she has already experienced in her life, starting by recounting stories from the 1920s. Delving into these stories, Lillian reminisces, amongst other things, about her glamorous career in advertising, her failed marriage, and stints of electro-shock therapy. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Lillian, in my opinion, is that in her prime, she was the highest paid female advertising copywriter for Macy’s, as well as being a successful poet.
Each chapter take us on a different part of her New Year’s Eve walk and through her earlier years, as streets and areas she comes across on the walk remind her of past times. Her recollections of her earlier life were intriguing and thoughtful, and really helped to build up the personality of Lillian Boxfish, as well as giving her an interesting, sometimes unexpected backstory, and keeping the reader wanting to find out how her evening walk might conclude.
I enjoyed the writing style very much, and the storytelling reminded me a little of reading an Elizabeth Strout novel, mainly due to the level of detail we are given about the characters, and of course the engrossing tales of the past, all of which are even more compelling with the addition of Lillian Boxfish’s quirky and often whimsical thoughts and feelings upon reflection of the events she describes.
All in all, I found this one to be a highly enjoyable read, and it is fun, whilst also including moments that are really thought provoking and full of emotion. It reads almost as a love letter to New York, and how much the city has meant to Lillian throughout her life, which I found genuinely touching and intriguing. I’d highly recommend giving this one a try if you’re looking for something a bit different! I also feel that it works particularly well as a book to read during the Autumn or Winter, with it’s descriptions of the city lit up at night on a cold New Year’s Eve. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk is a really charming, unusual read that certainly kept me engrossed from start to finish.
Overall reaction:
On New Year’s Eve in 1984, Lillian Boxfish takes a long walk across Manhattan. During the walk, she recounts many important events and moments she has already experienced in her life, starting by recounting stories from the 1920s. Delving into these stories, Lillian reminisces, amongst other things, about her glamorous career in advertising, her failed marriage, and stints of electro-shock therapy. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Lillian, in my opinion, is that in her prime, she was the highest paid female advertising copywriter for Macy’s, as well as being a successful poet.
Each chapter take us on a different part of her New Year’s Eve walk and through her earlier years, as streets and areas she comes across on the walk remind her of past times. Her recollections of her earlier life were intriguing and thoughtful, and really helped to build up the personality of Lillian Boxfish, as well as giving her an interesting, sometimes unexpected backstory, and keeping the reader wanting to find out how her evening walk might conclude.
I enjoyed the writing style very much, and the storytelling reminded me a little of reading an Elizabeth Strout novel, mainly due to the level of detail we are given about the characters, and of course the engrossing tales of the past, all of which are even more compelling with the addition of Lillian Boxfish’s quirky and often whimsical thoughts and feelings upon reflection of the events she describes.
All in all, I found this one to be a highly enjoyable read, and it is fun, whilst also including moments that are really thought provoking and full of emotion. It reads almost as a love letter to New York, and how much the city has meant to Lillian throughout her life, which I found genuinely touching and intriguing. I’d highly recommend giving this one a try if you’re looking for something a bit different! I also feel that it works particularly well as a book to read during the Autumn or Winter, with it’s descriptions of the city lit up at night on a cold New Year’s Eve. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk is a really charming, unusual read that certainly kept me engrossed from start to finish.
Overall reaction:
