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dianametzger's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. A big shrug. The writing is vivid and interesting dialogue but there’s literally no drama in this novel. It’s wealthy white people who succeed at everything they do. I also don’t love imagined/fictional conversations with real celebrities. There just felt like no there there.
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