Book Review: Only In New York (Volume 3)
Reviewed by Madeline Barbush
A tongue-in-cheek portrayal of one man's fabulous life as a New Yorker living in the big city and abroad
Only in New York (Volume 3) comprises 38 tongue-in-cheek short stories about the impressivelife of the author: Manhattan-born M.G. Crisci. Spanning 70 years, from the 50s to present day (with the exception of a final story imagined in the near future), Crisci puts his life, flaws and all, on full display. He shows us that he is a clever storyteller with the ability to laugh at himself—truly, what could be better?
He's gotten himself into countless predicaments in and way outside of New York, admittedly all by his own fault, but he takes full responsibility. His no-regret mentality is certainly something to aspire to. We can all hope to live a life as full and interesting as his.
Midway through the book, I realized that instead of a collection of stories about life in New York, Only in New York feels more like a fascinating and brief study of a man who started as a kid in Harlem, helping his dad in his butcher shop under the subway tracks and then working his way up as a successful businessman and world traveler.
The first story introduces us to Crisci as a teenager living in Long Beach for a summer. Mr. Reatti, the Italian immigrant grandfather of his neighbors, teaches him how to fish. It is endearing, and most of all we learn about a main attribute of Crisci's: his readiness to try anything. He is someone who likes to push boundaries and test his and others' endurance.
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