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"City of Girls" by Elizabeth Gilbert Review


I came across this novel by accident. I was at a birthday party and started discussing books with some of the ladies around the table. "City of Girls" came up a few times as something I should read. Three months later and I've finally decided it would be a good time to give it a try!

"City of Girls" by Elizabeth Gilbert is a novel that will keep you reading. This novel published in 2019 is full of exciting and scandalous exploits. It opens in New York City 2010 with our main character Vivian Morris reading a letter from an unknown person named Angela. The whole book revolves around answering Angela's question, "What were you to my father?"

Vivian goes back in her memory to the summer of 1940 when she was kicked out of Vassar College and was sent to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg in the rundown theater 'Lily Playhouse.' The Lily is the backdrop for the first half of the novel. Vivian takes us through her memories of her time there when she was living a very indulgent life full of alcohol, sex, and coming of age. Everything is fun and games until a scandalous event rocks Vivian's life.

This first half of the book was rather slow for my tastes. I walked away from "City of Girls" only 50 pages in because the beginning was too drawn out for me. Once I returned to this novel I became more interested. As more characters entered the plot it helped me feel more connected to Vivian Morris. She was young and trying to find her place in life. I felt sympathy for her struggling to fit into a life that gave her very little in the way of direction. Plus, theater can be scary when you are the outcast at first. You latch onto whoever shows you sympathy or understanding, which is the showgirl Celia Ray. That's part of where Vivian's tumultuous life begins.

The second half of the book features Vivian's later life and how her youthful exploits impacted her outlook. This is where we finally start to get an inkling of the answer to Angela's question. We meet even more characters and get to see how some of the previous characters have grown or were impacted by the war.

Overall, this book is well worth the read. It's somewhere around 480 pages long, so it does take some dedication. As I noted earlier it had a very slow start as well. I have taken the time to read other "everyday reader" reviews and many rated it much lower than I would. True, there were parts that were a little predictable, but the rest was truly entertaining. This novel takes the cake on covering events/people that were still considered 'bad' or 'immoral' during the time eras this took place in. Any young woman willing to slog through a longer novel should read this. I think  lot of the general population, especially those who would call themselves feminists, will enjoy this read too.

I would rate "City of Girls" a 3 out of 5 stars.
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