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chelle_thebelle's review against another edition
4.0
When I saw “January 1980” in the beginning, I had some sense of how this book would end. But knowing the destination didn’t keep me from enjoying the journey. The details and places made it like stepping into a time machine instead of reading a book.
silvej01's review against another edition
3.0
Having moved into New York City in the spring of 1978 for grad school, I experienced many aspects of the city depicted in this book. I was also just about the same age as Anton Winter, the narrator, who has grown up with his family in the Dakota—that great, storied, and exclusive 19th century residential building on the Upper West Side—but I didn’t exactly move in the same circles. Anton’s father has been a popular sophisticated late night network talk show host who lost his show owing to a psychiatric crisis from which he’s still recovering. Despite his famous on-screen breakdown, he is still much loved by the public and the glitterati in whose circles he has long moved. John Lennon is Anton’s neighbor in the the Dakota and their friendship grows over the course of the novel.
I was a struggling student without much money and without connections to the actors, personalities, and celebrities of the day. Nor did I frequent their restaurants, bars and clubs. And rather than the Upper West Side Dakota, I lived in a teensy West Village studio—one of those where you had to leave the apartment to change your mind. Just the same, I experienced the city during the terrible calamities of 1980—the hostage crisis, the election of Reagan, the murder of Lennon—the year this book takes place. Barbash gets it right. He does a great job of capturing the feel of the New York I knew when I finally made it my home. This made the book a fun memory trip to my early days in a city I loved then and still love now.
Given this, I suppose it’s unfair for me to say that some of what I enjoyed in the book is also a something of a weakness. Barbash goes all out dropping names and anecdotes from the time. His research (his memory?) is too much on display. On the one hand, it was great to fondly be reminded, say, of Judy Carne from Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in. On the other, she and countless others mentioned in the book felt at times like they were piled on top of one another. Too often, I had the sense that Barbash had created a giant stack of 1970s and 1980 index cards and he was determined to bring each one into the book.
Nevertheless, a huge delight for me was the character of John Lennon. I was wholly convinced and was thrilled to be able to feel like I was spending time with the guy. Barbash offers an astonishing gift and I am grateful to him—the chance to just hang with John Lennon for a while. Of course, it’s 1980 and we know where this book is heading, and Barbash handles this well. The narrator of the audiobook I listened to, John Miskeman, was outstanding. Each character had his or her own distinctive voice. But listening to John talking was especially transporting. In the midst of my “reading” the book, I just happened to catch some clips on tv of John talking and was even more impressed with Miskeman’s John. Barbash not only succeeds in evoking that time and place, albeit sometimes with a heavy hand, but for this reader, brings back to life one of the great cultural heroes of the 20th century.
I was a struggling student without much money and without connections to the actors, personalities, and celebrities of the day. Nor did I frequent their restaurants, bars and clubs. And rather than the Upper West Side Dakota, I lived in a teensy West Village studio—one of those where you had to leave the apartment to change your mind. Just the same, I experienced the city during the terrible calamities of 1980—the hostage crisis, the election of Reagan, the murder of Lennon—the year this book takes place. Barbash gets it right. He does a great job of capturing the feel of the New York I knew when I finally made it my home. This made the book a fun memory trip to my early days in a city I loved then and still love now.
Given this, I suppose it’s unfair for me to say that some of what I enjoyed in the book is also a something of a weakness. Barbash goes all out dropping names and anecdotes from the time. His research (his memory?) is too much on display. On the one hand, it was great to fondly be reminded, say, of Judy Carne from Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in. On the other, she and countless others mentioned in the book felt at times like they were piled on top of one another. Too often, I had the sense that Barbash had created a giant stack of 1970s and 1980 index cards and he was determined to bring each one into the book.
Nevertheless, a huge delight for me was the character of John Lennon. I was wholly convinced and was thrilled to be able to feel like I was spending time with the guy. Barbash offers an astonishing gift and I am grateful to him—the chance to just hang with John Lennon for a while. Of course, it’s 1980 and we know where this book is heading, and Barbash handles this well. The narrator of the audiobook I listened to, John Miskeman, was outstanding. Each character had his or her own distinctive voice. But listening to John talking was especially transporting. In the midst of my “reading” the book, I just happened to catch some clips on tv of John talking and was even more impressed with Miskeman’s John. Barbash not only succeeds in evoking that time and place, albeit sometimes with a heavy hand, but for this reader, brings back to life one of the great cultural heroes of the 20th century.
cathyleigh1's review against another edition
4.0
Loved 99% of this book. The ending felt abrupt - would have liked more on Anton's life after New York and his feelings after Lennon's death.
alliepeduto's review against another edition
3.0
I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would judging from other reviews. I agree that it meandered a bit in terms of plot, but I like historical fiction enough that I don’t mind the pop culture references and circumstances that author focused on. It feels a little strange to call a book set in 1980 “historical fiction,” but it was almost 40 years ago now, and it highlights a very particular time in our history (though the political and social justice issues felt eerily similar). I also had the advantage of learning a lot of history from this very particular year from a recent trip to Atlanta (I went to the Carter Presidential library and CNN headquarters) so it felt like an extension of all I learned there. Overall I wouldn’t recommend it to just anyone, and I don’t know how someone who loved during this year would feel about it, but it was an interesting and fun jaunt into my parents’ favorite decade.
cdfeeney's review against another edition
Loved the John Lennon parts- very interesting history here (Real? Made up?). I also like the insight into the life of late 70s-early 80s NY upper west side “royalty”.
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
4.0
New York City, 1980. Anton, 23, is the 1st-person narrator looking back on one year, "a year of comebacks," in which he comes back from the peace corps, recovering from malaria while his father recovers from a breakdown, and they together try to revive his father's career as a TV persona/host. The family has to sell some of their wealth, but as long as they are able to keep their residence at the prestigious Dakota on the upper West side, they are in good standing; but that won't last long if the father's career is over.
Despite the high-brow lifestyle which might be foreign to most people, readers will be able to connect with the familial and coming-of-age themes. The family members show genuine affection for each other and the eccentric parents are in love. Anton's voice reminded me of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's: clean-pressed and tidy, smartly observant, with martini in hand. All of the pop culture references give this a 70's vintage feel.
Despite the high-brow lifestyle which might be foreign to most people, readers will be able to connect with the familial and coming-of-age themes. The family members show genuine affection for each other and the eccentric parents are in love. Anton's voice reminded me of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's: clean-pressed and tidy, smartly observant, with martini in hand. All of the pop culture references give this a 70's vintage feel.
triceratopper's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
Why did this quickly become RPF for The Beatles... where the OC is basically responsible for the continued success of the group... 🤨
inyu's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
lonestarwords's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Most great men begin great lives by getting out of their comfort zone.
The Dakota Winters
Tom Barbash
•
Last week when I was packing to head up to NYC to see my daughter, I was searching for an audiobook for the flight and a friend recommended this "right up my alley" backlist title.
•
It was clear from the first chapter of The Dakota Winters that its author had actually lived in NYC. Often the setting is used to sell books but then falls off the mark. Barbash grew up on the UWS and his familiarity with the entire city and the lore surrounding the infamous Dakota was easily my biggest draw.
•
The Dakota Winters is a well drawn time capsule. It opens in 1979 when Anton Winter, the son of the well known television personality Buddy Winter, returns to NYC after being in the Peace Corps. His father is in the wake of a nervous breakdown and the story centers around the family’s support of their father while we also watch Anton in a sort of belated coming-of-age tale.
•
The Dakota is best because it was where John Lennon resided and also where he was killed. Lennon plays a significant role in this story as he is a family friend to the Winters and figures largely into Anton's life. Here the book almost feels like non-fiction and did feel a bit awkward. The Winter's hobnob with lots of “socialites" from the Lennons, to the The Kennedys, to Mary Lou Whitney -- it's a who's who of NYC in this time period and they all play a role in the story.
•
For the first half of the novel I was totally absorbed in Barbash's description of NYC in the 1980s, one that is quite different from the city of today. I did become a bit bored when Anton leaves on a sailing trip with Lennon and I felt that the story drifted (pun intended) out of its comfort zone.
•
All in all it was a great companion for my NYC trip, complete with strolling by The Dakota as we were walking the UWS on Saturday afternoon. It doesn't matter how many times I've walked by this landmark, I always stop and imagine the history hidden behind closed doors. Although this wasn’t what I’d expected, all in all it wasn't half bad.
The Dakota Winters
Tom Barbash
•
Last week when I was packing to head up to NYC to see my daughter, I was searching for an audiobook for the flight and a friend recommended this "right up my alley" backlist title.
•
It was clear from the first chapter of The Dakota Winters that its author had actually lived in NYC. Often the setting is used to sell books but then falls off the mark. Barbash grew up on the UWS and his familiarity with the entire city and the lore surrounding the infamous Dakota was easily my biggest draw.
•
The Dakota Winters is a well drawn time capsule. It opens in 1979 when Anton Winter, the son of the well known television personality Buddy Winter, returns to NYC after being in the Peace Corps. His father is in the wake of a nervous breakdown and the story centers around the family’s support of their father while we also watch Anton in a sort of belated coming-of-age tale.
•
The Dakota is best because it was where John Lennon resided and also where he was killed. Lennon plays a significant role in this story as he is a family friend to the Winters and figures largely into Anton's life. Here the book almost feels like non-fiction and did feel a bit awkward. The Winter's hobnob with lots of “socialites" from the Lennons, to the The Kennedys, to Mary Lou Whitney -- it's a who's who of NYC in this time period and they all play a role in the story.
•
For the first half of the novel I was totally absorbed in Barbash's description of NYC in the 1980s, one that is quite different from the city of today. I did become a bit bored when Anton leaves on a sailing trip with Lennon and I felt that the story drifted (pun intended) out of its comfort zone.
•
All in all it was a great companion for my NYC trip, complete with strolling by The Dakota as we were walking the UWS on Saturday afternoon. It doesn't matter how many times I've walked by this landmark, I always stop and imagine the history hidden behind closed doors. Although this wasn’t what I’d expected, all in all it wasn't half bad.