Call number
FIC DOS
Collection
Genres
Publication
International Collectors Library
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. Literature. HTML: Considered by many to be John Dos Passos's greatest work, Manhattan Transfer is an "expressionistic picture of New York" (New York Times) in the 1920s that reveals the lives of wealthy power brokers and struggling immigrants alike..
Subjects
Media reviews
The Bookman
To me, Manhattan Transfer is the best modern book about New York that I have read. It is an endless series of glimpses of people in the vast scuffle of Manhattan Island, as they turn up again and again and again, in a confusion that has no obvious rhythm, but wherein at last we recognize the
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systole-diastole of success and failure, the end being all failure, from the point of view of life; and then another flight towards another nowhere...
The scenes whirl past like snowflakes. Broadway at night — whizz! gone! — a quick-lunch counter! gone! — a house on Riverside Drive, the Palisades, night — gone! But, gradually, you get to know the faces. It is like a movie picture with an intricacy of different stories and no close-ups and no writing in between. Mr. Dos Passos leaves out the writing in between. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member lucybrown
This is a book I recommend only to readers I know to patient. For the patient reader it is a treasure trove, a gem, and if a gem it must be emerald because it there ever was a book with a signature color it would be this one. At one point I began counting how many time the color green was
Here is my review from when I read it in 2009 I had avoided Dos Passos novels for fear that they would be deadeningly political. Was I ever wrong? This book is wonderfully enjoyable. Told in impressionistic vignettes the book moves quickly as stars on the Manhattan stage rise and fall. Dos Passos indictment of the materialism and soulessness of turn of the century New York is told with neither sentiment nor heartlessness, but falls in a middle ground-dispassionate.
The time frames can be confusing. For instance, in the beginning the book,the child Ellen is born, and carries her to a school- age. However,in the same section, the time lapse for Max, a wanderer hoping to find a job in the city, is only a few days elapse.
Some characters are followed from childhood to adulthood, the two most promnient are Jimmy Herf and Ellen. Others appear briefly and then are never heard from again leaving a tantalizing void.
On a peculiar note, I have never read a book where color is used in such an effective way. At times it seems as if colors shine dimly on the story, rather like gels have been but in can lights. And the color green is forever popping up. I have no idea if it was intentional. Very odd and intriguing. Really a fantastic book, and I am now going to search out more of dos Passos's books. Certainly my favorite book by a "one-eyed Portuguese bastard."
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mentioned, then any shade of green was mentioned. This is not to suggest that this book needed games such as mine to make it absorbing. Between the incisive character development, modern tough-sweet lyricism, the rhythmic pulse of the story Manhattan Transfer had style and substance to spare. Here is my review from when I read it in 2009 I had avoided Dos Passos novels for fear that they would be deadeningly political. Was I ever wrong? This book is wonderfully enjoyable. Told in impressionistic vignettes the book moves quickly as stars on the Manhattan stage rise and fall. Dos Passos indictment of the materialism and soulessness of turn of the century New York is told with neither sentiment nor heartlessness, but falls in a middle ground-dispassionate.
The time frames can be confusing. For instance, in the beginning the book,the child Ellen is born, and carries her to a school- age. However,in the same section, the time lapse for Max, a wanderer hoping to find a job in the city, is only a few days elapse.
Some characters are followed from childhood to adulthood, the two most promnient are Jimmy Herf and Ellen. Others appear briefly and then are never heard from again leaving a tantalizing void.
On a peculiar note, I have never read a book where color is used in such an effective way. At times it seems as if colors shine dimly on the story, rather like gels have been but in can lights. And the color green is forever popping up. I have no idea if it was intentional. Very odd and intriguing. Really a fantastic book, and I am now going to search out more of dos Passos's books. Certainly my favorite book by a "one-eyed Portuguese bastard."
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LibraryThing member dczapka
This book is almost as challenging to read as it is to review, because it innovatively eschews so many of what we would consider to be standard literary conventions and still manages, at times, to be a compelling read.
The novel opens on a ferry boat and quickly introduces two key elements: short
Unfortunately, not all of these tales are particularly engrossing, and while some of them evolve throughout the novel, others appear in a blink and vanish. The evolution of Jimmy Herf, for instance, who grows up during the course of the novel, becomes more and more intriguing as he piles up successes and failures and comes to terms with his mother's death when he was a child. "Congo Jake," on the other hand, never really becomes more than a stereotype, and so we don't truly celebrate when his proverbial ship comes in late in the text.
But again, perhaps this is all part of the game: to mirror real life through the ways in which we keep up with and lose sight of people we perhaps wish we hadn't. To that end, the novel succeeds, but the lack of trajectory or clear resolution of many of these stories (or stories-in-progress) makes for a very unconventional work but also one that doesn't necessarily seem to be gesturing towards anything specific.
A good read for the patient and the attentive.
The novel opens on a ferry boat and quickly introduces two key elements: short
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segments featuring one or two major characters that comprise the chapters of the book, and a HUGE and diverse cast of characters that populate this slice of city life. With such an expansive project, much of the early going of the novel is merely keeping all the characters and their situations straight, with every few pages switching gears to explore a completely new scenario. It's disorienting, and probably intentionally so, in that it highlights through its style one of the problems of modernity. Unfortunately, not all of these tales are particularly engrossing, and while some of them evolve throughout the novel, others appear in a blink and vanish. The evolution of Jimmy Herf, for instance, who grows up during the course of the novel, becomes more and more intriguing as he piles up successes and failures and comes to terms with his mother's death when he was a child. "Congo Jake," on the other hand, never really becomes more than a stereotype, and so we don't truly celebrate when his proverbial ship comes in late in the text.
But again, perhaps this is all part of the game: to mirror real life through the ways in which we keep up with and lose sight of people we perhaps wish we hadn't. To that end, the novel succeeds, but the lack of trajectory or clear resolution of many of these stories (or stories-in-progress) makes for a very unconventional work but also one that doesn't necessarily seem to be gesturing towards anything specific.
A good read for the patient and the attentive.
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LibraryThing member whitewavedarling
This is a dense read, but well worth the time. Dos Passos' language and metaphors are brilliant, and his characters as entertaining as they are realistic. It's a book that you need to spend time with because, fair warning, there are dozens of characters to keep track of, but the atmosphere of early
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twentieth century New York is flawlessly portrayed, and the book as a whole is a masterpiece of careful portrayal and interpretation. This is a book that bears up under reading and rereading, and it's worth the time to explore. It's not an easy read, but I highly recommend it when you have the time to fully escape into a piece of literature for a few days. Show Less
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
The ferry-slip. A ferry, and a newborn baby. A young man comes to the metropolis and the story begins. It is a story of that metropolis: "The world's second metropolis." But it is really the latest in a line that extends backward in time to "Nineveh . . Athens . . . Rome . . . Constantinople . ."
John Dos Passos presents stories of some of the people who call this metropolis, Manhattan, home near the beginning of the twentieth century. The novel is about New Yorkers and their stories -- numerous characters whose commonality is only their status as New Yorkers brought them together, impersonally and randomly. He does so with an engaging style that encompasses the sights, sounds, feelings, and excitement encountered by those who peopled this island metropolis. Each chapter begins with passages comprising observations of city life, newspaper headlines, bits and pieces of dialogue, and phrases from advertisements. All these passages emphasize that "Manhattan Transfer" is a collective novel about the city of New York, about its shallowness, immorality, and grinds of the urban life. The characters' lives only depict some of them.
There are the dreams of new parents whose daughter, Ellen, is born at the opening of the novel. Her life and career will be one of two that span the course of the novel. But there are also young lovers, young men, down-and-outers, immigrants, swells, and others on the make with little but their dreams to keep them going. Some stories are about dreams shattered or those whose lives are stillborn,limited by poverty or lack of vision. The angry rebels are present as well -- those found on the street corner protesting for better treatment, better pay, or mimicking the ideas of radicals and anarchists of the day.
Among the many stories some stand out. There is James Merivale who is born to wealth and a prosperous future and John Harland who has seen better days and lives on the verge of losing it all. There is the family man Ed Thatcher with his wife and newborn daughter Ellen (mentioned above). There is also the other character whose story will span the novel, Jimmy Herf, whose path will cross that of Ellen. Jimmy Herf works with the "Times" in a job that he finds unfulfilling eventually leaving this job. Jimmy's search for his dream will form another arc that provides a link for all the stories bringing the reader ultimately back to the ferry with which the book began. This arc is not unfamiliar in the sense it is similar to the arc of young Nicholas Rostov in War and Peace and many other young men since.
Dos Passos' style is mesmerizing and fits perfectly with the story he tells. The characters form a mosaic that blends with the sights and sounds of Manhattan to create a world that is alive with all the possibilities, both successes and defeats, that humanity may experience.
British novelist D. H. Lawrence wrote Manhattan Transfer is "the best modern book about New York" because it "becomes what life is, a stream of different things and different faces rushing along in the consciousness, with no apparent direction save that of time".
The historical references include discussion of the "bonus marchers" of veterans requesting their military bonuses, references to Sarajevo, and other events; all of which provide a background that provides context for these peoples' lives. I found this book an exciting read that gripped my attention and did not let it go. I would highly recommend this modern classic.
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and others since.John Dos Passos presents stories of some of the people who call this metropolis, Manhattan, home near the beginning of the twentieth century. The novel is about New Yorkers and their stories -- numerous characters whose commonality is only their status as New Yorkers brought them together, impersonally and randomly. He does so with an engaging style that encompasses the sights, sounds, feelings, and excitement encountered by those who peopled this island metropolis. Each chapter begins with passages comprising observations of city life, newspaper headlines, bits and pieces of dialogue, and phrases from advertisements. All these passages emphasize that "Manhattan Transfer" is a collective novel about the city of New York, about its shallowness, immorality, and grinds of the urban life. The characters' lives only depict some of them.
There are the dreams of new parents whose daughter, Ellen, is born at the opening of the novel. Her life and career will be one of two that span the course of the novel. But there are also young lovers, young men, down-and-outers, immigrants, swells, and others on the make with little but their dreams to keep them going. Some stories are about dreams shattered or those whose lives are stillborn,limited by poverty or lack of vision. The angry rebels are present as well -- those found on the street corner protesting for better treatment, better pay, or mimicking the ideas of radicals and anarchists of the day.
Among the many stories some stand out. There is James Merivale who is born to wealth and a prosperous future and John Harland who has seen better days and lives on the verge of losing it all. There is the family man Ed Thatcher with his wife and newborn daughter Ellen (mentioned above). There is also the other character whose story will span the novel, Jimmy Herf, whose path will cross that of Ellen. Jimmy Herf works with the "Times" in a job that he finds unfulfilling eventually leaving this job. Jimmy's search for his dream will form another arc that provides a link for all the stories bringing the reader ultimately back to the ferry with which the book began. This arc is not unfamiliar in the sense it is similar to the arc of young Nicholas Rostov in War and Peace and many other young men since.
Dos Passos' style is mesmerizing and fits perfectly with the story he tells. The characters form a mosaic that blends with the sights and sounds of Manhattan to create a world that is alive with all the possibilities, both successes and defeats, that humanity may experience.
British novelist D. H. Lawrence wrote Manhattan Transfer is "the best modern book about New York" because it "becomes what life is, a stream of different things and different faces rushing along in the consciousness, with no apparent direction save that of time".
The historical references include discussion of the "bonus marchers" of veterans requesting their military bonuses, references to Sarajevo, and other events; all of which provide a background that provides context for these peoples' lives. I found this book an exciting read that gripped my attention and did not let it go. I would highly recommend this modern classic.
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LibraryThing member lriley
Dos Passos is an American writer I'm coming to appreciate more and more. This book originally published in 1925--is very experimental in nature following a variety of threads occuring often simultaneously and which more often than not resemble an impressionistic and cinematic style reliant on
Anyway liked it very much.
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newspaper headlines and tin pan alley popular musical lyrics to fill the gaps between scenes and/or to flesh the scenes out. Dos Passos has a very good eye for detail and is very keen on showing the gap between the rich and the poor--those who are defeated far outweighing in numbers the success stories. The two main characters of Jimmy Herf--an orphan brought up in well to do circumstances by his mothers' wealthy family who somewhat to their chagrin rejects the opportunity to join the family business--and becomes a newspaper man instead and Elaine Thatcher an aspiring actress on Broadway being chased by a whole host of would be suitors--and both of whom over the course of events eventually hook up to raise the child of the man Elaine really loved--who had accidentally killed himself. There are however no real happy endings here. The marraige is doomed from the start and as the book ends the penniless Mr. Herf is to be seen hitchhiking out of New York out to what one would hope to be a new and better horizon.Anyway liked it very much.
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LibraryThing member deckehoe
At about a third of the way through I was sure that this was going to be a favourite. The writing was cinematic, New York of the early 20th century was vibrant and pulsed from every page. Then the scope narrowed, Ellen and Jimmy Herf took centre stage, and the pacing dropped. Still, a wonderful
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read and a gorgeous depiction of big city life. Show Less
LibraryThing member LizaHa
I learned the hard way that it is probably not a good idea to read this book if you are already feeling restless.
LibraryThing member suesbooks
I got less from this book than I expercted. There are many critical reviews due to the numerous characters and the bare development of many of them. I was interested to learn about New York City and the liberal views of many. The difficulties experienced by so many saddened me. I also noticed that
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Jews had an especially difficult time and many of the worse characters had Jewsih names. I don't know the history to know if that was based on fact. I did care about many of the characters. This occurred mainly in the late 1800's to the beginning of World War II. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kristelh
Reason Read: Reading 1001 botm September 2023, TIOLI #9
This book was published in 1925 and covers the time period of the Gilded age to the Jazz age in New York City. It is a series of overlapping individual stories and narrative collage (These works tell visual stories of individuals, businesses,
Themes also include youth and wealth. A person needs to look good, to be young to survive in New York. Another is the wealthy capitalist and the trade unions. Interestingly, the press is a symbol of distrust. One character is a radical journalist and another one wants to be a reporter. He is unable to get his articles published because they don't fit the mainstream idea. Some things don't change. The implication that the media is blamed by a judge as emboldening burglars. Some things don't change I guess.
There are 4 main characters and several secondary characters; Ellen Thatcher a successful actress, several marriages/divorces. Bud Korpenning; farmer roots unable to make it in the city. George Baldwin; young lawyer makes a successful law suit thant benefits Gus the milkman. Jimmy Herf, his mother dies, he has money and can go to school and go into business but chooses instead to enlist and also be a reporter.
This book was published in 1925 and covers the time period of the Gilded age to the Jazz age in New York City. It is a series of overlapping individual stories and narrative collage (These works tell visual stories of individuals, businesses,
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organizations and communities. They are bold, personalized forms of visual communication, identity and storytelling.) John Dos Passos was an American socialist novelist and in this work he is showing New York to be a city in motion; there are ships, trains, buses, taxicabs. On importance is the Manhattan transfer which stands for people who are just passing through. Architectures include the skyscrapers and the bridge, Broadway and Wall street. Themes also include youth and wealth. A person needs to look good, to be young to survive in New York. Another is the wealthy capitalist and the trade unions. Interestingly, the press is a symbol of distrust. One character is a radical journalist and another one wants to be a reporter. He is unable to get his articles published because they don't fit the mainstream idea. Some things don't change. The implication that the media is blamed by a judge as emboldening burglars. Some things don't change I guess.
There are 4 main characters and several secondary characters; Ellen Thatcher a successful actress, several marriages/divorces. Bud Korpenning; farmer roots unable to make it in the city. George Baldwin; young lawyer makes a successful law suit thant benefits Gus the milkman. Jimmy Herf, his mother dies, he has money and can go to school and go into business but chooses instead to enlist and also be a reporter.
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Awards
Pages
352
ISBN
0618381864 / 9780618381869
UPC
046442381864