Nonfiction

El fondo del puerto

El fondo del puerto

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  • Create Date：2023-01-15 08:16:28
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Joseph Mitchell
  • ISBN：8433901699
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Summary

Periodismo y literatura conviven en las legendarias crónicas de Nueva York escritas por el mejor reportero de The New Yorker。

Mucho antes de que Tom Wolfe y compañía se inventaran el concepto de «Nuevo Periodismo»， Joseph Mitchell ya estaba practicando algo muy similar en sus hoy legendarios artículos para The New Yorker。

De los varios libros en que se fueron recopilando， este siempre ha estado considerado como el mejor y más representativo del estilo Mitchell。 Reúne seis piezas escritas en las décadas de 1940 y 1950。 Son textos independientes pero vinculados entre sí， porque en todos ellos el autor merodea por el frente marítimo de Nueva York y explora una ciudad muy alejada de las postales turísticas。 Mitchell describe las zonas portuarias， el río Hudson y el East River， el mercado de pescado， las ya desaparecidas instalaciones dedicadas al cultivo de ostras， un viejo cementerio en Staten Island， barcazas， gabarras， barcas de pesca y personajes singulares como Sloppy Louie， el dueño de un restaurante。

Retrato del vientre de la ciudad y también de un mundo que desaparece， de historias del presente y leyendas del pasado， de tipos excéntricos， El fondo del muelle es una prodigiosa crónica de Nueva York y sus habitantes: periodismo de primera y gran literatura。

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Reviews

Debbie ，

Oh boy， I found this to be an amazing read！ I know MANY people will find the subjects boring and would think Mitchell offers way too much information but I didn't。 I thoroughly enjoyed learning so many things about fishing and all the creatures in the harbors in and around NYC in the past。 The character studies of the people in the Fulton Fish Market and the characters all around the area back in the day were absolutely fascinating。 Oh boy， I found this to be an amazing read！ I know MANY people will find the subjects boring and would think Mitchell offers way too much information but I didn't。 I thoroughly enjoyed learning so many things about fishing and all the creatures in the harbors in and around NYC in the past。 The character studies of the people in the Fulton Fish Market and the characters all around the area back in the day were absolutely fascinating。 。。。more

phil breidenbach ，

I've read this book more than once， probably 3or 4 times。 The first time was back in the late 70's。 I always enjoy the way Joseph tells a story。 When he is finished， you know the area， you know the people and you understand the ways they work。 He retells great stories that have been told to him by the characters in them。 He is a great historian。 I've read this book more than once， probably 3or 4 times。 The first time was back in the late 70's。 I always enjoy the way Joseph tells a story。 When he is finished， you know the area， you know the people and you understand the ways they work。 He retells great stories that have been told to him by the characters in them。 He is a great historian。 。。。more

Red ，

Easily my favorite Joseph Mitchell collection so far， they transport me to a real and surreal NYC that it’s hard to believe ever existed

Mike Wigal ，

The last chapter killed it for me。 Mitchell was a wonderful writer。 Then he got writer’s block for about the last 30 years of his life。 Strange。

Steve Hanchett ，

I picked this up because it was mentioned as an example of great writing in the book Writing Well。 The chapters were originally articles for a monthly。 The subject matter is varied but all connected to New York Harbor area and history。 Mitchell was able to write about subjects I normally wouldn't be interested in and yet it kept my interest。 I picked this up because it was mentioned as an example of great writing in the book Writing Well。 The chapters were originally articles for a monthly。 The subject matter is varied but all connected to New York Harbor area and history。 Mitchell was able to write about subjects I normally wouldn't be interested in and yet it kept my interest。 。。。more

Kristofer Petersen-Overton ，

Absolutely stunning。 Masterful prose from a keen and generous observer of the human condition。 As a New Yorker in exile， I found Mitchell’s vignettes of the city’s previous lives to be a brilliant way of discussing the passing of time in general。 The closing discussion， among aging fishermen， of the meaning of life is really an earnest and beautiful summation of the collection's central theme。 Absolutely stunning。 Masterful prose from a keen and generous observer of the human condition。 As a New Yorker in exile， I found Mitchell’s vignettes of the city’s previous lives to be a brilliant way of discussing the passing of time in general。 The closing discussion， among aging fishermen， of the meaning of life is really an earnest and beautiful summation of the collection's central theme。 。。。more

Thomas McDade ，

Comment Noel Perrin， The Reader's Delight， The Neglected Books Page"The book contains six long essays， all connected with the waterfront。 One–the only one some lesser person might have written–is about rats: the three varieties that inhabit New York， spread plagues， come and go on ships。 That piece is merely brilliant reporting。Cover of Vintage paperback of 'The Bottom of the Harbor'The other five are a kind of writing for which there is no name。 Each tells a story， and is dramatic; each is both Comment Noel Perrin， The Reader's Delight， The Neglected Books Page"The book contains six long essays， all connected with the waterfront。 One–the only one some lesser person might have written–is about rats: the three varieties that inhabit New York， spread plagues， come and go on ships。 That piece is merely brilliant reporting。Cover of Vintage paperback of 'The Bottom of the Harbor'The other five are a kind of writing for which there is no name。 Each tells a story， and is dramatic; each is both wildly funny and so sad you can hardly bear it; each tells its story so much in the words of its characters that it feels like a kind of apotheosis of oral history。 Finally， like the Icelandic sagas， each combines a fierce joy in the physicality of living with a stoical awareness that all things physical end in death， usually preceded by years of diminishment。 One winds up admiring Mitchell’s characters （all real people）， loving them， all but weeping for them， maybe hoping to live as gallantly。… Mitchell， who has a genius for finding real-life metaphors， tells you early on about an old graveyard in the lower part of the town。 It’s quite a large one， and it’s still in use。 It is entirely surrounded， however， by a modern factory–a huge one， belonging to the Aluminum Company of America。 The cemetery forms a two-acre garden in the middle。 Funerals go in an out through the factory gate， as do people visiting graves or people who simply want to picnic in the beautiful old graveyard。 That was part of the agreement when the company bought part of what was once the Vreeland farm。Not only that， there are rosebushes in there， descended from a rosebush that came from Holland in the 1630s。 Or so， at least， Mitchell hears from an old woman whom he meets （and naturally gets to know） while she is gardening in the graveyard。Mitchell himself could be called a gardener in a graveyard， if that didn’t make him sound much more lugubrious and much less fun to read than he actually is。 … I do know that Mitchell has the gift of making roses bloom in the darkest and most unexpected places。” 。。。more

AC ，

What an astonishing writer！ A writer’s writer， as they say。

Cheryl ，

This book was one of many that came from the library of a friend who passed away。 I don't know why it caught my eye， but it looked intriguing。 The dust jacket promused a look at New York City and its harbor as it used to be and a chance to enjoy really good writing。 It definitely delivered。 I found it an enjoyable read， with captivating prose， even though I don't know that I would have cared about the subject matter one way or another if I ran across it somewhere else。 It was in many ways a soot This book was one of many that came from the library of a friend who passed away。 I don't know why it caught my eye， but it looked intriguing。 The dust jacket promused a look at New York City and its harbor as it used to be and a chance to enjoy really good writing。 It definitely delivered。 I found it an enjoyable read， with captivating prose， even though I don't know that I would have cared about the subject matter one way or another if I ran across it somewhere else。 It was in many ways a soothing escape。 Even the piece about rats。I think my favorite entry was Mr。 Hunter's Grave， although Dragger Captain was also quite good。 I don't know enough about New York City to know for sure that all of these pockets of life are long gone， but I think they must be。 The stories feel timeless in some ways， but very ancient in others， and evoke the idea of a simpler time and way of life in one of the most complicated places on earth。 。。。more

Emma ，

5/5Joseph Mitchell was a journalist for the prestigious New Yorker for the majority of his career。 He always wrote on the side but he never believed in his own texts。 This is a collection of short chronicles on his New York。 The harbor， the fishermen， the rats， the restaurants， a picture of a place that's long gone。 He pictures it with such tenderness and care， it is truly fascinating。 New York in the 1950's is not yet for bankers and billionaires， it is still full of strange corners and little 5/5Joseph Mitchell was a journalist for the prestigious New Yorker for the majority of his career。 He always wrote on the side but he never believed in his own texts。 This is a collection of short chronicles on his New York。 The harbor， the fishermen， the rats， the restaurants， a picture of a place that's long gone。 He pictures it with such tenderness and care， it is truly fascinating。 New York in the 1950's is not yet for bankers and billionaires， it is still full of strange corners and little mysteries。 All the anecdotes the author shares with us through his recounting of his conversations with locals， all the tiny details and descriptions of another world。。。 Sometimes quite dark and eerie， quaint and run down， it is also a picture of change， of things that used to be but no longer exist or are starting to fade。 It's beautiful and powerful in a quiet， careful way。 。。。more

Kim Zinkowski ，

I rated this book as excellent。 It was passed on to Dave。 S。 to give to his daughter Anna who was living in NYC at the time。

Jigar Brahmbhatt ，

The inimitable Mr。 Joe Mitchell gives voice to people who have never been listened to， and in so doing reaches the pulse of the city， explores lives that are so common yet unforgettable， and leaves a lasting record of a bygone way of life。 Mr Hunter's grave， for example， has become a legendary place for Mitchell aficionados - and it would not be pompous for me to say that should I get a chance to visit the United States， I would love to stuff a wild-flower book and some sandwiches in my pockets The inimitable Mr。 Joe Mitchell gives voice to people who have never been listened to， and in so doing reaches the pulse of the city， explores lives that are so common yet unforgettable， and leaves a lasting record of a bygone way of life。 Mr Hunter's grave， for example， has become a legendary place for Mitchell aficionados - and it would not be pompous for me to say that should I get a chance to visit the United States， I would love to stuff a wild-flower book and some sandwiches in my pockets and visit the site so lovingly described by him！ He affirms the fact that every life is interesting。 You just need to learn to listen。 In an arresting piece published in the New Yorker， titled Joe Mitchell's Secret， Mark Singer （himself a Mitchell fan）， tries to profile the great profiler and comes up with beautiful observations， like this one: "Without playing dumb， he had the country fellow's deadly ability to sniff out pretentiousness three avenues away。 And he possessed extraordinary courtesy and patience as a listener， an aptitude nurtured during a childhood spent among folk who never tired of telling stories about themselves。" Not a bad aptitude to cultivate should one chooses to be a writer！ His reward was that， Singer informs us， to the end of his life， people wanted to talk to him。 Mitchell was ever so curious to render the contents and the cadences of the "variegated New York vernacular"。 Like Joyce's Dublin， Mitchell's New York is a very curious place， found only in the pages of his books， and it must have inspired many to seek their own New York， or any city for that matter。 He mysteriously stopped writing in early 60s， and never published anything till his death， and that's thirty years of silence。 Funny thing is that he would visit the New Yorker office regularly， and file the jottings he had made on loose papers。 Colleagues thought he was working on a big fat piece， but it never came out。 How he spent those thirty years？ By meeting more people， by taking initiatives to preserve old buildings， by being member of various organizations。。。"When he came upon an old building in early stages of demolition， he would wander inside - a natty gent in a well-pressed business suit， usually carrying a shopping bag - and drag out whatever he could carry that looked interesting: bricks， shards of marble cornices， elevator pulleys"。 He was a hoarder of old hotel spoons， brass hinges， and other odd treasures， and had innumerable glass jars filled with them。 "As long as he stayed attached to these relics， it meant that he hadn't stopped trying"。There are speculations that he was working on a personal piece， a grand memoir of the city， a life work， and one can only imagine how it would have turned out。 When I read this book with that knowledge in my mind， a quiet remark from "Mr Hunter's Grave" （an extraordinary piece） gave me some idea of the work in progress， or I only think so: "For some reason I don't know and don't want to know， after I have spent an hour or so in these cemeteries， looking at gravestone designs and reading inscriptions and identifying wild flowers and scaring rabbits out of the weeds and reflecting on the end that awaits me and awaits us all， my spirits lift， I become quite cheerful， and then I go for a long walk。" 。。。more

Jenny ，

I loved it！ The language was perfect--simple yet effective。 I could practically smell the water and hear the voices speaking。 A perfect read for every New Yorker and every New-Yorker-wannabe， like me。

Hal ，

Some interesting colorful descriptions of Old New York。 But a lot of it was dragging for me - the minutiae of fishing。 I prefer his New Yorker colleague， AJ Liebling

Stewart ，

Mitchell was one of the greatest journalistic writers "The New Yorker" ever produced， and these gritty， luminous sketches of a New York City that has now long become a memory。。。the New York City of fishermen， longshoremen， old saloons， colorful characters living on the fringes of society。。。are quiet， affectionate masterpieces。 Truly brilliant writing。 Mitchell was one of the greatest journalistic writers "The New Yorker" ever produced， and these gritty， luminous sketches of a New York City that has now long become a memory。。。the New York City of fishermen， longshoremen， old saloons， colorful characters living on the fringes of society。。。are quiet， affectionate masterpieces。 Truly brilliant writing。 。。。more

Bert Brehm ，

These unhurried stories hardly seem like writing。 It's as if Mitchell is a friend who is filling you in about something from the past without really trying to make a point。 He seems to be just chatting to fill the time but I found myself enjoying the leisurely tempo。 There is space in the narrative add your own internal images of the people and places so that you feel as though they are now your memories too。 These unhurried stories hardly seem like writing。 It's as if Mitchell is a friend who is filling you in about something from the past without really trying to make a point。 He seems to be just chatting to fill the time but I found myself enjoying the leisurely tempo。 There is space in the narrative add your own internal images of the people and places so that you feel as though they are now your memories too。 。。。more

Melanie ，

Well written-read for a book group-just not my type of book。

Melissa ，

I really enjoyed this。

Julia Good-Reads ，

It's definitely illustrative of some great NYC history。 I love the city and I love filling in some of my understanding of its past。 Some of these stories make me want to go to the places they describe， other stories are enriching memories of places I've already been， and answering questions I had wondered about。The stories are essentially interviews with various old timers， recounted in a professional reporter yet down to earth folksy manner。 It's not fabulous writing but it's generally enjoyabl It's definitely illustrative of some great NYC history。 I love the city and I love filling in some of my understanding of its past。 Some of these stories make me want to go to the places they describe， other stories are enriching memories of places I've already been， and answering questions I had wondered about。The stories are essentially interviews with various old timers， recounted in a professional reporter yet down to earth folksy manner。 It's not fabulous writing but it's generally enjoyable。I found myself skipping through some chapters when the story of the clam boats etc。 got a little bland， then stopping again on the Edgewater story （pallisades side of the Hudson）。For anyone who really loves getting out and exploring NYC and surroundings， hiking， and biking - really seeing it - this book will enrich your understanding beyond the surface and here and now。However， I may or may not finish it。 It's kind of like a series of articles in the New Yorker - you don't have to read them all， just the ones you enjoy。 。。。more

C。 James ，

I'm so glad to see that this one is back in print in a new edition。 Most of these articles appeared in The New Yorker and were collected in the 50's。 It's a NYC book， but I found it fascinating and for all the marine lore about New York harbor and what's in， on and under it。 I'm so glad to see that this one is back in print in a new edition。 Most of these articles appeared in The New Yorker and were collected in the 50's。 It's a NYC book， but I found it fascinating and for all the marine lore about New York harbor and what's in， on and under it。 。。。more

Tom Stamper ，

This collection of Joseph Mitchell's work centers around the the waterways of New York city and the people that make their living from them。 The first story is about the abandoned hotel above Fulton's Fish Market and Mitchell's curiosity that led him to explore it one day。 My favorite is probably title story about the oyster beds in and around Manhattan and how they are fished with legally and illegally。 Like all of Mitchell's stories he is in the background and the main characters are vividly b This collection of Joseph Mitchell's work centers around the the waterways of New York city and the people that make their living from them。 The first story is about the abandoned hotel above Fulton's Fish Market and Mitchell's curiosity that led him to explore it one day。 My favorite is probably title story about the oyster beds in and around Manhattan and how they are fished with legally and illegally。 Like all of Mitchell's stories he is in the background and the main characters are vividly brought to life。 。。。more

Robert ，

A thematic collection of articles originally published in The New Yorker covering people and places along New York's river-fronts。 A thematic collection of articles originally published in The New Yorker covering people and places along New York's river-fronts。 。。。more

patty ，

I just read the most interesting chapter on RATS， and quarantine/fumigation methods for merchant ships used a very very long time ago。

Nick ，

This is one of North Carolinian Joseph Mitchell's love letters to the people and places of a New York that has now disappeared。 In "The Bottom of the Harbor"， Mitchell takes up the waters around New York， and the people and animals who lived in and around it。 The book hits its stride midway through -- "Up in the Old Hotel" can be found elsewhere， and， while Mitchell's take on rats has his usual melodious accumulation of unending detail， it is when Mitchell found a natural storyteller that he was This is one of North Carolinian Joseph Mitchell's love letters to the people and places of a New York that has now disappeared。 In "The Bottom of the Harbor"， Mitchell takes up the waters around New York， and the people and animals who lived in and around it。 The book hits its stride midway through -- "Up in the Old Hotel" can be found elsewhere， and， while Mitchell's take on rats has his usual melodious accumulation of unending detail， it is when Mitchell found a natural storyteller that he was at his best。 The moment where the book takes off is when Mitchell meets the caretaker of a cemetery in a little-known community of black oystermen on South Staten Island--in a place that has no doubt been paved by now。 Mitchell had perhaps the best ear of any American journalist。 Here is Mr。 Brown， who the caretaker， Mr。 Hunter， meets on the way to the cemetery: "I stay to myself。 I was never one to go to people's houses。 They talk and talk， and you listen， you bound to listen， and half of it ain't true， and the next time they tell it， they say you said it。" Mr。 Hunter is followed by Ellery Thompson， part-time bugler， painter， amateur oceanographer， fishing boat captain and full time character。 The end of that piece， stories of the old community on isolated Block Island that lived off wrecks （and allegedly caused some）， is worth the price of the book。 "The Bottom of the Harbor" ends with a piece on the small municipality of Edgewater， which lies on the Hudson River on the New Jersey side below the Palisades， and the philosophical exchange between men who make their living off the water。 The fact that Mitchell suffered a legendary writer's block from the sixties onward is attributed by some by his work with Joe Gould， the streetcorner philosopher who spoke at such length of his imaginary book。 I wonder if it was not more because the New York that Mitchell loved， the place he came to inhabit during the Depression and chronicled with such apparent ease （no doubt after endless listening sessions）， was disappearing， and his faith in his talent and the kind of journalism he taught himself to master， was going with it。 。。。more

Alan ，

A collection of essays， centered around the New York waterfront in the late forties/early fifties。 Mitchell brings his characters alive with stories about shad fishing， the old Fulton Street fish market， and New York City rats。 Reading this was like glimpsing back at a time long gone。

André Spiegel ，

I was looking for an added， historic dimension to the city I have come to live in。 This I got。 Marvelous stories of a long bygone era， the days when Manhattan was still a harbor， and fishing the bays and sounds of New York and Connecticut still a significant industry。As others have pointed out， Joseph Mitchell is an author of the word "and"; he lists and enumerates fact after fact， more so， he celebrates it: this existed， and this was the case， and this was there， too。There is nothing in terms o I was looking for an added， historic dimension to the city I have come to live in。 This I got。 Marvelous stories of a long bygone era， the days when Manhattan was still a harbor， and fishing the bays and sounds of New York and Connecticut still a significant industry。As others have pointed out， Joseph Mitchell is an author of the word "and"; he lists and enumerates fact after fact， more so， he celebrates it: this existed， and this was the case， and this was there， too。There is nothing in terms of analysis or any deeper insight。 It would be a different book if there was， and Mitchell a different author。 。。。more

Dave-O ，

Poetry。

Laura ，

I enjoyed this book， written by a small-town North Carolina man who moved to NYC and wrote for the New Yorker。 If you have any interest in the old New York harbor and/or the old time fishermen （like my grandfather's family from Brooklyn）， this is a must read。 I enjoyed this book， written by a small-town North Carolina man who moved to NYC and wrote for the New Yorker。 If you have any interest in the old New York harbor and/or the old time fishermen （like my grandfather's family from Brooklyn）， this is a must read。 。。。more

Thom Dunn ，

Remember learning of the title piece from Barbara McK。 Got all excited about Joseph M。 after seeing film， Joe Gould's secret。 Journalism as fine literature。 Remember learning of the title piece from Barbara McK。 Got all excited about Joseph M。 after seeing film， Joe Gould's secret。 Journalism as fine literature。 。。。more

Jake ，

A classic New York book。 Mitchell has an amazing knack for describing the people and places along the old waterfront-- whether he's writing about the old Fulton Fish Market or the specifics of fishing in the lower harbor， you can see every detail like it was right there in front of you。 Most of these essays come from the late 40s and very early 50s， when the death of the waterfront from pollution and gentrification was just a few years away。 This feeling of an age coming to an end permeates the A classic New York book。 Mitchell has an amazing knack for describing the people and places along the old waterfront-- whether he's writing about the old Fulton Fish Market or the specifics of fishing in the lower harbor， you can see every detail like it was right there in front of you。 Most of these essays come from the late 40s and very early 50s， when the death of the waterfront from pollution and gentrification was just a few years away。 This feeling of an age coming to an end permeates the book， and gives it a deep， soulful melancholy that's hard to shake after you finish reading。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=El fondo del puerto

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=El fondo del puerto&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,El fondo del puerto&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0