As we approach the launch of Mr. Boardwalk in paperback, the reviews and comments are starting to cluster. An insightful review by Joshua Isard appears today in The Philadelphia Review of Books. Click on the name to see it in full. Here are some excerpts:
"...while the novel will conjure up any local’s finest memories of walking along the boards with a funnel cake, Greenstein goes beyond the summer phenomenon and delves deep into an essential turning point in the history of perhaps the most famous shore destination in American history: Atlantic City."
"Before the huge casinos with faux themes and the false hope of winning big, the city was full of local seasonal businesses which, in the novel, seem to act more like family than competitors. This is not to say that they were all aboveboard in their dealings, but they supported each other in an environment bereft of the multi-million dollar resorts which make up the only Atlantic City many of us have ever known. It was also an era of sex and drugs predating HIV and strains of pot that make a person comatose—elements Greenstein includes in his story and which serve to accurately represent the time period."
"Greenstein brings us back to that time and shows us why the characters love it, while also reminding us that it was not without its consequences for the individuals who lived through it. That nostalgia can have a bit of a dark side. Through Mr. Boardwalk, Jason’s love of Atlantic City begins to border on obsession, which affects not only his life in the '70s, but also his adult life. This connection between the two narratives is one of the real strengths of the novel, and leads to a tight, satisfying ending."
"...while the novel will conjure up any local’s finest memories of walking along the boards with a funnel cake, Greenstein goes beyond the summer phenomenon and delves deep into an essential turning point in the history of perhaps the most famous shore destination in American history: Atlantic City."
"Before the huge casinos with faux themes and the false hope of winning big, the city was full of local seasonal businesses which, in the novel, seem to act more like family than competitors. This is not to say that they were all aboveboard in their dealings, but they supported each other in an environment bereft of the multi-million dollar resorts which make up the only Atlantic City many of us have ever known. It was also an era of sex and drugs predating HIV and strains of pot that make a person comatose—elements Greenstein includes in his story and which serve to accurately represent the time period."
"Greenstein brings us back to that time and shows us why the characters love it, while also reminding us that it was not without its consequences for the individuals who lived through it. That nostalgia can have a bit of a dark side. Through Mr. Boardwalk, Jason’s love of Atlantic City begins to border on obsession, which affects not only his life in the '70s, but also his adult life. This connection between the two narratives is one of the real strengths of the novel, and leads to a tight, satisfying ending."
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