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A review by tommooney
The Dakota Winters by Tom Barbash
3.0
There's plenty to like about this vision of late 70s New York. The book follows Anton, son of a talkshow host who's trying to rebuild his career after an on-set breakdown. The family occupies the Dakota, NYC's celeb spotting hotel, but their membership of the elite is under threat from their dwindling finances.
It has hints of Chabon, Fitzgerald, Wolfe, Yates and others. But I'm not sure how urgently we need novels about the existentialist meanderings of rich white dudes. It's been done a million times and it doesn't sing about New York in the same way as Kav and Clay, or Bonfire of the Vanities.
My main issue, though, is the inclusion of John Lennon (and some others) as a major character in the novel. It's always such a difficult trick to pull off, bringing a real life historical figure to life, and I don't think Barbash ever convinces us that this is John's voice.
Still, it's a decent read and will hold interest for certain readers, but not one I'll be foisting on everyone in sight.
It has hints of Chabon, Fitzgerald, Wolfe, Yates and others. But I'm not sure how urgently we need novels about the existentialist meanderings of rich white dudes. It's been done a million times and it doesn't sing about New York in the same way as Kav and Clay, or Bonfire of the Vanities.
My main issue, though, is the inclusion of John Lennon (and some others) as a major character in the novel. It's always such a difficult trick to pull off, bringing a real life historical figure to life, and I don't think Barbash ever convinces us that this is John's voice.
Still, it's a decent read and will hold interest for certain readers, but not one I'll be foisting on everyone in sight.