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judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
Ana Menéndez's latest novel, THE APARTMENT, takes us to Miami's South Beach, Florida, to The Helena, the historic Art Deco apartment building rich in history, time, and character where we meet the many residents of Apartment 2B who have come and gone over seven decades.
Built in 1942, many people and families have come to Miami's South Beach to the Helena Apartment and called 2B home.
First, we meet a military couple from Texas: Sophie and Jack Appleton. The new bride is enamored with this glamorous town, but he's preoccupied with the war and abusive.
In 1963, an aging Cuban concert pianist Eugenio Francisco Montes Behar, grieved for a lost love and finds the man's spirit in music. He plays for a nursing home and at weddings, living here for 11 years. Eugenio contemplates his love of music after he hears about the death of a great Cuban composer.
In 1972, Sandman, a refugee in his own country, a divorced Vietnam vet with PTSD who's badly undone by an anti-war march, then saved by hatchling sea turtles. He deals with termite-eaten furniture left by previous tenants.
In 1982, Isabel, an 18 yr old Marielita disappointed in South Beach and its decay but dazzled by the older painter first as a muse, then as a lover.
In 2002, married couple Maribel Rodriguez and Ignacio Salas resided there with his girlfriend, Beatrice Dumonts—a complicated threesome created not by love or desire but by immigration law.
In 2010, a 40 yr. old Pilar, a Cuban American journalist, prepares to leave 2B apartment (now a condo) after she lost her job faced with the reality of moving back in with her parents.
Pilar rents her condo to a young man named Lenin García, another Cuban refugee, who soon dies. His fate impacts other tenants in surprising ways.
From the Cuban concert pianist, the widow of an intelligence officer raising their young daughter alone; a man waiting on a green card marriage to run its course so that he can divorce his wife and marry his lover. A Tajik building manager with a secret identity, a Vietnam vet receiving packages from his ex-wife. Each has a story, and the walls of Apartment 2B are a part of their lives.
Do the walls talk? Told in short chapters with stories of each tenant.
Each tenant has past losses, challenges, struggles, dreams, and hopes for the future. For over seventy years, it has stood tall and held the resident's secrets.
In the latter part, set in 2012, we learn of Lana, an immigrant, a mysterious woman struggling with her demons, who mourns her beloved while unaware of the apartment's tragic history.
Distraught and alone, she is watched over by a ghost, and together these two strangers brought into the community by The Helena will find a measure of comfort and purpose, gaining new insight into what we all owe one another.
Beautifully written and lyrical! I loved the South Beach Art Deco apartment and have lived in South Florida for 20-some years. I had an office in Miami for years and spent much time in South Beach as a consultant working with Art Deco historical properties and hotels as well as Palm Beach area. I was delighted to see this book.
The characters were well drawn, and the setting was a character among itself with thoughtful meditation—a mix of historical, literary fiction, magical realism, and a little mystery.
AUDIOBOOK While the author is, of course, very talented, and I listened to the audiobook narrated by Whitney Dykhouse delivering an outstanding performance—I did feel it started out very intriguing and strong. Still, mid-way to the end, it became slow and confusing. The last section was drawn out and strange and my least favorite. It may have been better to have a print or digital reading copy to follow in those areas.
Overall, I enjoyed reading about the residents and history and revisiting one of my favorite spots full of history and charm.
Thanks to HighBridge Audio for a gifted ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 27, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
June 2023 Must-Read Books
Built in 1942, many people and families have come to Miami's South Beach to the Helena Apartment and called 2B home.
First, we meet a military couple from Texas: Sophie and Jack Appleton. The new bride is enamored with this glamorous town, but he's preoccupied with the war and abusive.
In 1963, an aging Cuban concert pianist Eugenio Francisco Montes Behar, grieved for a lost love and finds the man's spirit in music. He plays for a nursing home and at weddings, living here for 11 years. Eugenio contemplates his love of music after he hears about the death of a great Cuban composer.
In 1972, Sandman, a refugee in his own country, a divorced Vietnam vet with PTSD who's badly undone by an anti-war march, then saved by hatchling sea turtles. He deals with termite-eaten furniture left by previous tenants.
In 1982, Isabel, an 18 yr old Marielita disappointed in South Beach and its decay but dazzled by the older painter first as a muse, then as a lover.
In 2002, married couple Maribel Rodriguez and Ignacio Salas resided there with his girlfriend, Beatrice Dumonts—a complicated threesome created not by love or desire but by immigration law.
In 2010, a 40 yr. old Pilar, a Cuban American journalist, prepares to leave 2B apartment (now a condo) after she lost her job faced with the reality of moving back in with her parents.
Pilar rents her condo to a young man named Lenin García, another Cuban refugee, who soon dies. His fate impacts other tenants in surprising ways.
From the Cuban concert pianist, the widow of an intelligence officer raising their young daughter alone; a man waiting on a green card marriage to run its course so that he can divorce his wife and marry his lover. A Tajik building manager with a secret identity, a Vietnam vet receiving packages from his ex-wife. Each has a story, and the walls of Apartment 2B are a part of their lives.
Do the walls talk? Told in short chapters with stories of each tenant.
Each tenant has past losses, challenges, struggles, dreams, and hopes for the future. For over seventy years, it has stood tall and held the resident's secrets.
In the latter part, set in 2012, we learn of Lana, an immigrant, a mysterious woman struggling with her demons, who mourns her beloved while unaware of the apartment's tragic history.
Distraught and alone, she is watched over by a ghost, and together these two strangers brought into the community by The Helena will find a measure of comfort and purpose, gaining new insight into what we all owe one another.
Beautifully written and lyrical! I loved the South Beach Art Deco apartment and have lived in South Florida for 20-some years. I had an office in Miami for years and spent much time in South Beach as a consultant working with Art Deco historical properties and hotels as well as Palm Beach area. I was delighted to see this book.
The characters were well drawn, and the setting was a character among itself with thoughtful meditation—a mix of historical, literary fiction, magical realism, and a little mystery.
AUDIOBOOK While the author is, of course, very talented, and I listened to the audiobook narrated by Whitney Dykhouse delivering an outstanding performance—I did feel it started out very intriguing and strong. Still, mid-way to the end, it became slow and confusing. The last section was drawn out and strange and my least favorite. It may have been better to have a print or digital reading copy to follow in those areas.
Overall, I enjoyed reading about the residents and history and revisiting one of my favorite spots full of history and charm.
Thanks to HighBridge Audio for a gifted ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 27, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
June 2023 Must-Read Books
wannabeelibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an advanced listening copy of this book. all opinions are my own.
favorite quote: “[she] does not believe in ghosts. we are our own ghosts, dragging our mournful pasts behind us forever.”
this book details the mournful pasts of the inhabitants of apartment 2B; through their stories, ana menéndez depicts the reality of surviving immigration, war, and loss. i really enjoy the “house as a character” motif because it allows the audience to see how the apartment reflects its tenants.
while it may not have been for me, i’d recommend this book to enjoyers of short story collections and historical fiction alike.
•a note on the listening experience: the narrator did a great job so if audiobooks are your thing, i recommend checking out the recording of this book
favorite quote: “[she] does not believe in ghosts. we are our own ghosts, dragging our mournful pasts behind us forever.”
this book details the mournful pasts of the inhabitants of apartment 2B; through their stories, ana menéndez depicts the reality of surviving immigration, war, and loss. i really enjoy the “house as a character” motif because it allows the audience to see how the apartment reflects its tenants.
while it may not have been for me, i’d recommend this book to enjoyers of short story collections and historical fiction alike.
•a note on the listening experience: the narrator did a great job so if audiobooks are your thing, i recommend checking out the recording of this book
lisramos's review
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
madmatilda's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
asharticulates's review against another edition
3.0
The Apartment gives you a peek behind closed doors into unit 2B throughout 70 years. It also poses the question: how do we impact a space by just existing in it?
Overall, I enjoyed this book. There are great discussions about the history of one confined space, and the impact of immigration and gentrification in South Miami Beach.
However, I struggled a bit with the pacing, starting around the 60% mark.
I found some sections to be a little confusing or too short. I wanted more for from certain tenets and less from others. But, with 70 years covered and over 10 tenets mentioned, it is done well for the most part. There are some call backs to previous tenets that I loved.
This is my first time reading from this author and I’ll be reading from them again.
(Thank you to RBMedia and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC.)
Overall, I enjoyed this book. There are great discussions about the history of one confined space, and the impact of immigration and gentrification in South Miami Beach.
However, I struggled a bit with the pacing, starting around the 60% mark.
I found some sections to be a little confusing or too short. I wanted more for from certain tenets and less from others. But, with 70 years covered and over 10 tenets mentioned, it is done well for the most part. There are some call backs to previous tenets that I loved.
This is my first time reading from this author and I’ll be reading from them again.
(Thank you to RBMedia and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC.)
juliedew's review
3.0
2.5-3 stars
The Apartment tells the stories of the occupants of Apartment 2B of The Helena in Miami. I loved the premise and thought it started off strong with the POV of a Native woman on the land that will become The Helena. Each chapter is a different occupant, some of the stories I loved and others were so-so. I liked the connections between storied and wish there had been more.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Apartment tells the stories of the occupants of Apartment 2B of The Helena in Miami. I loved the premise and thought it started off strong with the POV of a Native woman on the land that will become The Helena. Each chapter is a different occupant, some of the stories I loved and others were so-so. I liked the connections between storied and wish there had been more.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.
akblair's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and War
Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, and Islamophobia