Identify Books As A Certain Age
| Original Title: | A Certain Age: A Novel |
| ISBN: | 0385496117 (ISBN13: 9780385496117) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | Manhattan, New York City, New York(United States) |
Tama Janowitz
Paperback | Pages: 336 pages Rating: 3.16 | 969 Users | 51 Reviews
Representaion Concering Books A Certain Age
From the bestselling author of Slaves of New York comes a hilarious, clear-eyed, satiric novel about the sad plight of a misguided woman on the make in Manhattan. Thirty-two-year-old Florence Collins is an "aging filly-about-town"--still beautiful enough to be (sometimes) invited to the best parties and the right restaurants, but unmarried and rapidly going broke. In her world, marriage to a wealthy man is all that can save her, although Florence's hard-hearted search for security and status takes her on an inevitable downward spiral.New York "society novels" at the turn of the nineteenth century gave us a piercing look at the world and rituals of the city's wealthy; Janowitz here casts that tradition in a fresh light, giving us a tirn-of-the-century society novel that demonstrates how little seems to have changed. In a sly and unforgettable portrait of New York's haute monde, Janowitz brilliantly evokes a young woman's struggle for love and survival in the city that is as unforgiving today as it was a hundred years ago.
List Based On Books A Certain Age
| Title | : | A Certain Age |
| Author | : | Tama Janowitz |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 336 pages |
| Published | : | July 5th 2000 by Anchor (first published June 17th 1999) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Womens Fiction. Chick Lit. Contemporary. Novels |
Rating Based On Books A Certain Age
Ratings: 3.16 From 969 Users | 51 ReviewsComment On Based On Books A Certain Age
Wow! I thought this would be a load of junk, but it's magnificently written, raw and hideous. This book does a fantastic job of illustrating through and through exactly why I left New York City and never looked back. Granted, I have never, will never be as vain and vacuous as Florence and her friends but at the same time, there is so much truth in the way the writer describes how people in NYC lose interests in everything you say after you get out two sentences, unless it is in regards tomore than just "didn't like it," i hated it. i really wish i could award this book zero stars. to paraphrase another view from, i think, elle magazine (don't scorn the source, they actually run intelligent and literate reviews, and their "elle's lettres" prizes are usually on-the-mark.)... anyway, back to the quote, "the author should look up the definition of "satire," read it, and die of shame." seriously, this book is that bad. it was deeply discounted on a remainder table, plus i received an
Never have I wanted to slap someone as badly as I wanted to slap Florence. What a waste of time.
I love this book. It's a retelling of sorts of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth. The main character is a borderline sociopathic, shopaholic, shallow victim whose life slowly goes from bad to worse following a Hamptons weekend at a "friend's" home. I don't know why I like this book so much -- the characters are so flat and unsympathetic -- but I really do. I also love Slaves of New York, my copy is old and dog-eared.
"A Certain Age" is an updating of "The House of Mirth," but whereas THoM is largely about Victorian women's lack of choices (compounded by Lily Bart's naivete and poor judgement), this book is only about the protagonist's appallingly poor judgement. As a result, there is literally nothing sympathetic about the protagonist, who seems completely unable to take care of herself and somewhat intent on destroying her life. As a reader, I lost patience with her much as her fictional friends seemed to.
I thought Tama Janowitz presented a myriad of details about life in New York City, which was the best aspect of this book. It was a satire, and it certainly shows how a woman was wasting her life trying to find a rich man to marry without developing anything within herself to sustain her. The ultimate foolishness displayed by Florence was that she completely ignored such a man who was in love with her because she did not realize that he was well-to-do. I grew very impatient with the vacuous
This book is a bit trashy with some dark humor (nothing violent, just depressing). I read this in my late 20s and for some reason the book really stuck with me. I've reread it a few times and keep a copy on my shelf. What happens to the main character is scary and you feel it, even tho she's unlikeable.
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