City Below CL

by James Carroll

Book Overview

A New York Times Notable Book"A rich, seductive meld of characters real and fictive, of history and fancy." -- New York Times Book ReviewIn this compelling family saga set during a tumultuous era in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395590701
• ISBN13: 9780395590706
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 422 Pages
• Weight: 1.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Superbly Crafted

James Carroll's The City Below recounts the saga of the Doyle brothers in four giant steps--1960, 1968, 1975 and 1984. Set mainly in Boston and centered on the working-class Irish of Charlestown, Carroll takes Terry and Nick Doyle along sharply disparate paths from late adolescence, staring at the cracks in the ceiling of the bedroom they share above the family flower shop, to an affluent middle age--Terry in commercial real estate and Nick in organized crime.Slated for the priesthood, Terry is afflicted by what his friend, Bright McKay, describes as having a need to see himself as a sinner and life's good things as temptations; Terry is a straight arrow, an idealist doomed to disappointment, a trusting friend destined for betrayal, even by those within the Church. Fastening his star to the Kennedy family, Terry rises in the world of politics, ultimately veering in commercial real estate development, envisioning the rehabilitation of Boston's old ethnic quarters.Nick is as crooked as they come, his style distinguished by a subtlety that would delight Machiavelli. Inheriting the family flower business, Nick sees beyond its commercial expansion to organizing a protection racket for the Flower Exchange. Powerless to compete head-to-head with the Italian Mafia, he crafts a subservient alliance with them, continuously plotting to expel them from Irish turf.Although Terry perseveres in loving his brother, Nick is as disloyal as he is devious, using Terry at any opportunity to advance his own interests. Like two speeding comets, the enmities of their relationship ultimately collide in a deeply personal way.This is not a story of Boston, in spite of the fond (or not so fond) memories it may evoke in Townies; it isn't a story of the Catholic faith or the Irish Catholic culture; it isn't a story of politics peculiar to Boston. While these elements enrich the tapestry of the tale, the story clearly transcends these parochial concerns to reveal a growing mastery of the storytelling art that Carroll realizes in his most recent novel, Secret Father.

The City Below

This book was recommended to me by a friend who like myself grew up in Charlestown. I grew up in Charlestown until 1981 when I was 25 and moved to Ct. I enjoyed reading about the place I called home and description of the streets on which I hung out. I do think he did well with the Doyle brothers but missed some of the real emotion and feeling of being a Townie. He also used incorrect names for some places/things while used exact names of others so I was unsure if it was for legal reasons he changed names or was he just misinformed. I agree with other reviewers that he did not get gritty enough with the criminal side of the characters. I have recommended this book to other Townies as an enjoyable look at our home.

Kudos

A great book, and just like many reviewers have said I didn't want the book to end. I am someone who grew up in Revere and spent time in Charlestown, and the detail to the details of the city of Boston are impeccable.

Best read in years

I was given this book by a friend and put off reading it -- thought it would be just an okay book. I have been disappointed since I finished it! It is one of those books that you just never want to end. Carroll's writing is wonderful and leaves you hungry for more. It's a must read for everyone but especially those from the Boston area. Enjoy.

Vital for anyone interested in Boston's Tribal divisions

After reading Carroll's American Requiem, I was eager to read this novel. The story revolves around the ethnic divisions in Boston and the experience of Irish Americans in particular in the Kennedy era. Carroll's characters are not as predictable as some, although their experience is representative. The dynamic between the two main characters is interesting, and the textual flow keeps you thinking. I recommend this novel to anyone who is of Boston Irish heritage, or finds the ward politics of that time period enthralling!