City of Margins: A Novel
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- Author：William Boyle
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Summary
A vivid new cast of characters collide in gritty 1990s Brooklyn， in this latest from acclaimed neo-noir author William Boyle。
In City of Margins， the lives of several lost souls intersect in Southern Brooklyn in the early 1990s。 There’s Donnie Parascandolo， a disgraced ex-cop with blood on his hands; Ava Bifulco， a widow whose daily work grind is her whole life; Nick， Ava’s son， a grubby high school teacher who dreams of a shortcut to success; Mikey Baldini， a college dropout who’s returned to the old neighborhood， purposeless and drifting; Donna Rotante， Donnie’s ex-wife， still reeling from the suicide of their teenage son; Mikey’s mother， Rosemarie， also a widow， who hopes Mikey won’t fall into the trap of strong arm work; and Antonina Divino， a high school girl with designs on breaking free from Brooklyn。 Uniting them are the dead: Mikey’s old man， killed over a gambling debt， and Donnie and Donna’s poor son， Gabe。
These characters cross paths in unexpected ways， guided by coincidence and the pull of blood。 There are new things to be found in the rubble of their lives， too。 The promise of something different beyond the barriers that have been set out for them。 This is a story of revenge and retribution， of facing down the ghosts of the past， of untold desires， of yearning and forgiveness and synchronicity， of the great distance of lives lived in dangerous proximity to each other。 City of Margins is a Technicolor noir melodrama pieced together in broken glass。
In City of Margins， the lives of several lost souls intersect in Southern Brooklyn in the early 1990s。 There’s Donnie Parascandolo， a disgraced ex-cop with blood on his hands; Ava Bifulco， a widow whose daily work grind is her whole life; Nick， Ava’s son， a grubby high school teacher who dreams of a shortcut to success; Mikey Baldini， a college dropout who’s returned to the old neighborhood， purposeless and drifting; Donna Rotante， Donnie’s ex-wife， still reeling from the suicide of their teenage son; Mikey’s mother， Rosemarie， also a widow， who hopes Mikey won’t fall into the trap of strong arm work; and Antonina Divino， a high school girl with designs on breaking free from Brooklyn。 Uniting them are the dead: Mikey’s old man， killed over a gambling debt， and Donnie and Donna’s poor son， Gabe。
These characters cross paths in unexpected ways， guided by coincidence and the pull of blood。 There are new things to be found in the rubble of their lives， too。 The promise of something different beyond the barriers that have been set out for them。 This is a story of revenge and retribution， of facing down the ghosts of the past， of untold desires， of yearning and forgiveness and synchronicity， of the great distance of lives lived in dangerous proximity to each other。 City of Margins is a Technicolor noir melodrama pieced together in broken glass。
Reviews
Michael Martz
，
I absolutely love William Boyle's writing。 You could describe it as spare， 'noir-ish'， straightforward， or however you like， but his ability to paint a picture with his words of a slice of Italo-American Brooklyn in the 90's in 'City of Margins' is marvelous。 The dialogue and descriptions of the lives of his characters are enough to make you feel like you're watching a Scorsese movie。 That being said， 'Margins' is a tough one to like。 There is some violent action but a lot of slow moving plot ac I absolutely love William Boyle's writing。 You could describe it as spare， 'noir-ish'， straightforward， or however you like， but his ability to paint a picture with his words of a slice of Italo-American Brooklyn in the 90's in 'City of Margins' is marvelous。 The dialogue and descriptions of the lives of his characters are enough to make you feel like you're watching a Scorsese movie。 That being said， 'Margins' is a tough one to like。 There is some violent action but a lot of slow moving plot activity with characters whose lives intersect， mostly unknowingly， until an ending that really doesn't end much of anything。 Kind of like real life， I suppose。'Margins' begins with a bunch of dirty cops roughing up a college kid who is trying to get it on with an underage girl from the neighborhood， moves to the same guys tossing a man who's late on payments to a local loan shark off a bridge， and then explains how the various spouses， family members， and others affected by these acts interact with one another。 The Brooklyn of 'Margins' seems like a very insular， claustrophobic place where everyone seems to either know， or know of， everyone else。 Loved the writing， the dialogue， and a few of the characters， but the overall darkness of 'Margins' was the only thing preventing me from assigning a '5' rating。 Nothing really can be done about that unless there's a follow up that provides some closure。 If that's the case， I'll be reading it because Boyle's a fantastic writer。 。。。more
Frank Brennan
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Here is a book that doesn't score that high -- but it was one that thoroughly enjoyed。 Here is a book that doesn't score that high -- but it was one that thoroughly enjoyed。 。。。more
Flora
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Uber noir。 Gritty， as stated on the jacket flap。。。。。and depressing。
Patti
，
Gritty and raw。
Laila
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I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review。 Thank you for the opportunity。A dark and grisly drama。 The reader gets sucked into the world almost immediately。 The writing is good and flows well。 I liked the connections between the characters and how the author interlaced this with events and built the story up in layers。 A good read。
Hannah Kalmes
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DNF @ 30%。I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately couldn't get attached to any of the characters enough to keep going - I blame the pandemic and being in a weird headspace， so don't let this put you off reading if you're into 90s Brooklyn and complex neighbourhood dynamics！ Thanks to Netgalley for providing me an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review。 DNF @ 30%。I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately couldn't get attached to any of the characters enough to keep going - I blame the pandemic and being in a weird headspace， so don't let this put you off reading if you're into 90s Brooklyn and complex neighbourhood dynamics！ Thanks to Netgalley for providing me an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Chris
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The setting is an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn during the 1990s。 There are dirty cops， low level gangsters and various other mostly lonely and struggling characters whose lives intertwine around money， tragedy， violence， sex and revenge。 The author somehow balances outrageous behavior with humanity so that I was able to simultaneously accept the craziness， feel compassion about grim circumstances and enjoy all of the funny quirks present in the plot and personalities of this tale。
Paul
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3。2
Bonnie Novick
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I enjoyed this to the extent that I know the neighborhood， my favorite bakery is mentioned， and some of the characters rang true。 But overall I was not impressed。 Just a bit stereotypical。
karen wescott
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Accurately detailed day to day life in Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn。 Lower middle class people who never get out of debt and loss of loved ones and their dreams is sadly overwhelming。 Just scratch the surface and anger， vengeance and violence emerge。
Brent Forkner
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A winner as gangster books go。 A lotta atmosphere and relatable characters
Chris Pavone
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A noir cast of characters collide in Gravesend， Brooklyn， in the early 90s， with dirty cops and petty criminals and half-wiseguys and long-suffering wives and drifting teenagers plus a suicidal one。 For most of the book， the characters’ families circle around one another， then ultimately collide in a few related murders。 All the plot lines can exist independently but they're also all interdependent， which is tremendous fun， albeit a bit far-fetched。 I also think there are a few too many characte A noir cast of characters collide in Gravesend， Brooklyn， in the early 90s， with dirty cops and petty criminals and half-wiseguys and long-suffering wives and drifting teenagers plus a suicidal one。 For most of the book， the characters’ families circle around one another， then ultimately collide in a few related murders。 All the plot lines can exist independently but they're also all interdependent， which is tremendous fun， albeit a bit far-fetched。 I also think there are a few too many characters in this novel， especially with more than one newly sexually awakened middle-aged woman with a grown child。 But these are petty complaints compared to the characters and language and dialogue， all absolutely sparking。MARGINS is also a vivid glimpse into a very different Brooklyn， not that long ago， before NYC's most populous borough became a tourist attraction and a place to which privileged youths moved after graduating from liberal-arts colleges across the country。 Boyle's Gravesend is reminiscent of the Brooklyn in which I grew up during the 1970s and '80s， a sprawling working-class city that was divided up largely along ethnic lines into distinct neighborhoods with local populations where everyone was known， the criminals and cops and wayward teenagers and upstanding citizens; the distinctly urban version of small-town life。 I don't idealize this Brooklyn， but I do recognize its idiosyncrasies， and no one I've read is better than Boyle at capturing the suffocating paradox of small-town limitations within the most cosmopolitan of cities。 。。。more
Brett Oaten
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I loved this book so much。 An absolute masterpiece in my opinion。 I will now read everything he has ever written
Peter Learn
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Noirest of noir
Taylor Blaylock
，
When Donnie and Donna Parascandolo's son， Gabe， commits suicide， and when Rosemarie Baldini's husband and Mikey Baldini's father dies， these families along with others are connected in ways they could never imagine。 Boyle's dark and evocative new novel is drama and mafia mystery at its finest。 Many authors can either develop characters well or spin a great plot， but only few can do so as Boyle has done here。 His writing is so lifelike， and makes you feel like you are in the room watching the dia When Donnie and Donna Parascandolo's son， Gabe， commits suicide， and when Rosemarie Baldini's husband and Mikey Baldini's father dies， these families along with others are connected in ways they could never imagine。 Boyle's dark and evocative new novel is drama and mafia mystery at its finest。 Many authors can either develop characters well or spin a great plot， but only few can do so as Boyle has done here。 His writing is so lifelike， and makes you feel like you are in the room watching the dialogue happening。 His ability to interweave the different characters' lives is truly the pinnacle of the art。 I've read several books that have tried to something similar， but Boyle shows how small the world can really be when life happens。 His characters cover a broad spectrum of life， and he develops them in a way that you care even for the bad guys because he shows the humanity and the struggles in them all。City of Margins can be dark， rough， and emotionally draining， but he includes hope even in the darkest places。 This is one that anyone can enjoy whether you're looking for a mafia thriller or a book heavy in character development。As an Oxford， Mississippi ex-pat， I was really happy to see this author now lives there。 He is true testament to the legacy of Oxford authors。 。。。more
Rob Nankin
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I had to keep checking the author as I thought I was reading a book by Dennis Lehane。 Great writing！
Paula
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I have read a novel by William Boyle before and enjoyed his noir Crime Fiction style of writing。 Tongue in cheek using the Italian section of Brooklyn as his background。 His characters， their lives and way of speaking is unique to the area and "the neighborhood" as he puts it。 I should have enjoyed this book more than I did， but with it's many characters， their lives and motivations， well I had to keep going back and forth to keep track of who was who and just what their motives were。 Still a pa I have read a novel by William Boyle before and enjoyed his noir Crime Fiction style of writing。 Tongue in cheek using the Italian section of Brooklyn as his background。 His characters， their lives and way of speaking is unique to the area and "the neighborhood" as he puts it。 I should have enjoyed this book more than I did， but with it's many characters， their lives and motivations， well I had to keep going back and forth to keep track of who was who and just what their motives were。 Still a page turner， and wonder how a man named William Boyle has these people down so pat， but was left with many unanswered questions by the end。 。。。more
Susan Corcoran
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The more you read， the more you discover than within each genre of fiction， lays a wealth of different types of story。 I tend to think of crime thrillers as being all about the murder and the investigation， yet in City of Margins William Boyle delivers a masterclass in character driven story telling！There is crime， but this is a novel driven by richly drawn characters and their interactions。 From Donnie Parascandolo a disgraced former cop to Antonia Divino a high school girl with a rebellious st The more you read， the more you discover than within each genre of fiction， lays a wealth of different types of story。 I tend to think of crime thrillers as being all about the murder and the investigation， yet in City of Margins William Boyle delivers a masterclass in character driven story telling！There is crime， but this is a novel driven by richly drawn characters and their interactions。 From Donnie Parascandolo a disgraced former cop to Antonia Divino a high school girl with a rebellious streak and a yearning to break away from the crime ridden streets of Southern Brooklyn， we are introduced to a wealth of individuals。 It gives the novel a distinct personality; different because it breaks the mould of what we might expect a thriller to be。William Boyle manages to open a window into the soul of life in Southern Brooklyn， giving us an intimate window into events that both connect the characters and divide them。 Some of it most shocking moments coming from some of it’s most intimate scenes。 One moment a character is dealing with the complicated emotions tied up with the loss of a loved one， the next they are witnessing brutality and passion， caught up in the cycle of violence that connects them all。The narrative of a City Of Margins is like a spider ebb of intricate connections， which over the course of the book leads to loss， love， violence and new beginnings。 I loved how the writer managed to give us a snap shot of a world and lives so different from my own， by simply having the courage and confidence to trust in his own abilities to write characters that embody the diverse melting pot of New York’s Brooklyn streets。It is a novel that feels gritty， full of lives lived in freefall and it is quietly impassioned and accomplished。 。。。more
Sarah O'Riordan | travelseatsreads
，
This is a depressing， gritty and violent crime fiction which looks at just how shit people can be given their circumstances， however I loved reading it。 Boyle has created a whole cast of perfectly flawed characters that you are equally loving and hating throughout the book。 These people have done and continue to do terrible sordid things but there is something heartwarming and endearing running right throughout the book。I adored how all the stories intertwined and came together towards the end。 This is a depressing， gritty and violent crime fiction which looks at just how shit people can be given their circumstances， however I loved reading it。 Boyle has created a whole cast of perfectly flawed characters that you are equally loving and hating throughout the book。 These people have done and continue to do terrible sordid things but there is something heartwarming and endearing running right throughout the book。I adored how all the stories intertwined and came together towards the end。 And without giving any spoilers away， it was nice to see some good prevail at the end。 。。。more
Don Gorman
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（3）。 This is one wild and crazy noir ride。 We are back in the Italian hood。 Kids， adults， cops， crooks， everyone is misbehaving。 And as the sub plots unfold， you can just feel that worlds will collide， and man， do they ever。 A really weird and fun excursion。 Good stuff。
Rhian Eleri
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If Tarantino wrote books。。。。 this is what you would get！ Im a sucker for a gangsta movie！ And with pulp fiction being up there as one of my faves， I got those same vibes from City Of Margins。 I was also hooked on the Sopranos recently and It really helped with some of the language used in this book。 The first part concentrates on intriduction to the many characters。 They all live in Brooklyn New York and at girdt it seems they have no connection。 Soon though， it becomes apparent that what brings If Tarantino wrote books。。。。 this is what you would get！ Im a sucker for a gangsta movie！ And with pulp fiction being up there as one of my faves， I got those same vibes from City Of Margins。 I was also hooked on the Sopranos recently and It really helped with some of the language used in this book。 The first part concentrates on intriduction to the many characters。 They all live in Brooklyn New York and at girdt it seems they have no connection。 Soon though， it becomes apparent that what brings them together is crime grief and violent pasts。 I loved Ava Bifulco， I thought she was the only character who showed genuine feelings。 Falling fo Don Parascando was probably the last thing she needed， but it gave us the grit of this story and an insight into his character as well as Ava's。 Enjoyed the quick sharp story telling here。 I was right there with them， as even doing the 'accents'。 This is one world Id love to delve deeper into。 I'm so intrigued by the lives of these people。 。。。more
Lisa
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If you loved Pulp Fiction then you would love this novel！ It's dark and intense， sprinkled with some very funny moments。 Boyle has created an authentic world of tough guys， mean streets， and dark humour。 The details of place， people， and actions transport you to Brooklyn。 The New York slang weaved throughout is fabulous。 I enjoyed the structure of this novel， each chapter is narrated by a different character with all the threads joining them together is slowly revealed as you read。It missed out If you loved Pulp Fiction then you would love this novel！ It's dark and intense， sprinkled with some very funny moments。 Boyle has created an authentic world of tough guys， mean streets， and dark humour。 The details of place， people， and actions transport you to Brooklyn。 The New York slang weaved throughout is fabulous。 I enjoyed the structure of this novel， each chapter is narrated by a different character with all the threads joining them together is slowly revealed as you read。It missed out on 5⭐ because there isn't a single likable character in there and I personally like at least one to root for。 Overall， a great example of crime noir， not for the faint-hearted。 I will be looking out for his previous books。A huge thanks to Anne Cater & No Exit Press for gifting me a copy in return for an open & honest review。⭐⭐⭐⭐ 。。。more
ThisButterflyWarriorReads
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This intense， dark and intriguing novel about the lifes of Italian people in 1980's New York grips you at once。William Boyle has a nack for bringing you in the middle of the story and feeling the emotions of the characters。 The story starts with a conversation of 3 cops with some mafiatype side hustle and one of them， Donny， is the red thread throughout the novel。 I am impressed with the way I felt like I was truly in the 80s even though I am born in 1987 thanks to the vocabulary and references This intense， dark and intriguing novel about the lifes of Italian people in 1980's New York grips you at once。William Boyle has a nack for bringing you in the middle of the story and feeling the emotions of the characters。 The story starts with a conversation of 3 cops with some mafiatype side hustle and one of them， Donny， is the red thread throughout the novel。 I am impressed with the way I felt like I was truly in the 80s even though I am born in 1987 thanks to the vocabulary and references used by the characters。 Everything fits， from the linoleum to the smoking habits， the need to entertain with food for this close community and the fact that it is such a close knit community。Read more about my experience on my blog post: my link text 。。。more
Louise
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July 1991， Brooklyn。 Donnie’s divorced， dealing with – or rather， not dealing with – the suicide of his teenage son， and living the life of a dirty cop。 He’s drinking beer with his buddies， and keeping an eye on the neighbourhood with his baseball bat。 July 1993。 Ava’s car breaks down on her way home from work。 Don stops and gives her a lift， and ends up eating dinner with her and her adult son， Nick。 Mikey dropped out of college in the wake of his father’s death – Giuseppe died owing $25，000 in July 1991， Brooklyn。 Donnie’s divorced， dealing with – or rather， not dealing with – the suicide of his teenage son， and living the life of a dirty cop。 He’s drinking beer with his buddies， and keeping an eye on the neighbourhood with his baseball bat。 July 1993。 Ava’s car breaks down on her way home from work。 Don stops and gives her a lift， and ends up eating dinner with her and her adult son， Nick。 Mikey dropped out of college in the wake of his father’s death – Giuseppe died owing $25，000 in gambling debts to Big Time Tommy。 Mikey’s mother， Rosemarie， worries about her son’s future， and her own， as Giuseppe's debts loom large。 Meanwhile， Antonina is dreaming of escaping the neighbourhood and creating her own future。The viewpoint is ever-shifting between many different characters， but it’s all about connections and links and threads: Rosemarie works for Ava。 Nick taught Mikey。 And Don is of course Donnie， who used his bat on Mikey for getting too friendly with Antonina， and on a job for Big Time Tommy that went wrong。 As the book unfolds， some lives are drawn together and others pushed apart; old connections are revived and new ones are made。 Bad things happen （though note that the cops aren’t called in）， and people struggle with actions， motivations and old ties that bind。 But there is also black humour， and the everyday details – especially all the cooking keeping their Italian heritage alive despite the loss of language and the waning influence of the church – keep things in balance。The easy style and homely feel of City Of Margins， the authentic dialogue and details of places， people， actions and objects envelop the reader from the first page。 It’s less like visiting， more like we are inhabiting the place through his words。 。。。more
Amanda
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In City of Margins we are introduced to a series of characters starting with Donnie Parascando， a disgraced ex-cop who works as an enforcer for loan shark Big Time Tommy。 One by one， the other characters are added to form a kind of dysfunctional family tree in a predominantly Italian neighbourhood in Southern Brooklyn。We learn very early on in the story， how one act of revenge， one wrong decision， one judgement can trigger a devastating series of events that you could never have imagined possibl In City of Margins we are introduced to a series of characters starting with Donnie Parascando， a disgraced ex-cop who works as an enforcer for loan shark Big Time Tommy。 One by one， the other characters are added to form a kind of dysfunctional family tree in a predominantly Italian neighbourhood in Southern Brooklyn。We learn very early on in the story， how one act of revenge， one wrong decision， one judgement can trigger a devastating series of events that you could never have imagined possible。I am ashamed to say that this is the first time I have read this kind of pulp/noir crime novel。 I didn’t know what to expect but I was hooked right in from the start， it was really addictive， like reading a dark and gritty soap opera。My main preconception about the book was that I wouldn’t warm to the characters， but， despite their flaws， I found myself rooting for them， hoping their luck would turn and was genuinely interested in their stories and backgrounds。It was the level of characterisation that really pulled me in to the story， brilliantly written， I could quite happily have carried on reading about this mixed bag of individuals indefinitely。 。。。more
Becca Adams
，
Thanks to Love Book Tours & No Exit Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review⭐️⭐️⭐️。5 stars！ Synopsis: In City of Margins， the lives of several lost souls intersect in Southern Brooklyn in the early 1990s。 There's Donnie Parascandolo， a disgraced ex-cop with blood on his hands; Ava Bifulco， a widow whose daily work grind is her whole life; Nick， Ava's son， a grubby high school teacher who dreams of a shortcut to success; Mikey Baldini， a college dropout who's returned to the Thanks to Love Book Tours & No Exit Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review⭐️⭐️⭐️。5 stars！ Synopsis: In City of Margins， the lives of several lost souls intersect in Southern Brooklyn in the early 1990s。 There's Donnie Parascandolo， a disgraced ex-cop with blood on his hands; Ava Bifulco， a widow whose daily work grind is her whole life; Nick， Ava's son， a grubby high school teacher who dreams of a shortcut to success; Mikey Baldini， a college dropout who's returned to the old neighborhood， purposeless and drifting; Donna Rotante， Donnie's ex-wife， still reeling from the suicide of their teenage son; Mikey's mother， Rosemarie， also a widow， who hopes Mikey won't fall into the trap of strong arm work; and Antonina Divino， a high school girl with designs on breaking free from Brooklyn。 Uniting them are the dead: Mikey's old man， killed over a gambling debt， and Donnie and Donna's poor son， Gabe。These characters cross paths in unexpected ways， guided by coincidence and the pull of blood。 There are new things to be found in the rubble of their lives， too。 The promise of something different beyond the barriers that have been set out for them。 This is a story of revenge and retribution， of facing down the ghosts of the past， of untold desires， of yearning and forgiveness and synchronicity， of the great distance of lives lived in dangerous proximity to each other。 City of Margins is a Technicolor noir melodrama pieced together in broken glass。Thoughts: I enjoyed this book。 I liked how every chapter was a different characters point of view。 All their lives seemed to intertwine with each others as the story unfolds。 The language the author used made me laugh because it was all New York slang。 I read it all in a New York accent。 I think it was clever that the author did that。 I recommend this book it was an easy read。 。。。more
Paterson Loarn
，
I was totally absorbed by this book from its jaw-dropping first chapter to the unpredictable finale。Murder and despair link Boyle’s characters， but with Brooklyn rhythms embedded in their speech， their interactions are vivid and uplifting。 Donnie is a disgraced ex-cop with blood on his hands。 Lonely widow Ava， ruined by the debt her husband built up to a vicious crime boss， is trapped in a job she despises。 Her grubby teacher son， Nick， fantasises about an easy route to success。 Donna， Donnie’s I was totally absorbed by this book from its jaw-dropping first chapter to the unpredictable finale。Murder and despair link Boyle’s characters， but with Brooklyn rhythms embedded in their speech， their interactions are vivid and uplifting。 Donnie is a disgraced ex-cop with blood on his hands。 Lonely widow Ava， ruined by the debt her husband built up to a vicious crime boss， is trapped in a job she despises。 Her grubby teacher son， Nick， fantasises about an easy route to success。 Donna， Donnie’s ex-wife， is struggling to recover from the suicide of Gabe， their teenage son。 College dropout Mikey seeks a purpose for his aimless existence。 Only teenage Antonia， with plans to break free of the dismal Italian-American backwater where her forebears were trapped， is aspirational。 Set in Southern Brooklyn， USA， in the 1990s， City of Margins resonates with memories of Italy， even though not one of the characters has visited the country of their heritage。 Family legends have been passed down the generations， but the language has been lost。 Perhaps the first immigrants abandoned Italian during their struggle to survive in the new world， or possibly their children found it easier to blend into society without carrying the stigma of foreign speech。 Ava expresses regret that her parents， who spoke Italian with their own parents， did not teach her a single word。 ‘She wonders what it means to be from a place but not to know the place at all。 This makes her sad。’Cooking is one of the few things to have survived this general abandonment of Italian culture。 It is a significant motif in City of Margins， appearing as a sexual advance， a maternal attempt to hold fragmented families together or a way to create an illusion of closeness where none exists。 The women obsess about food and drink， while the men graze on crisps between violent clashes or episodes of fantasy。 Behind the ‘chicken parm’ Mikey’s mother broods over， the Folgers coffee in every household， pignoli pastries and ubiquitous bubbling gravy， there lurks a hidden meaning。 The human longing to nurture and be nurtured has been brutally overcome by an urge to grab and run。Adherence to the Roman Catholic Church is another survival from the ancestral life in Sicily or Calabria。 Very few of the characters even bother to pay lip service to religion， but for some， it still has deep significance。 The influence of the local church appears to be social rather than spiritual。 Several of the characters remember each other from their days at the school attached to it， and the building itself is familiar and reassuring。 The priest and nuns represent the knowledge of good and evil。 Everyone has been taught right from wrong， but in the struggle for everyday survival， Hell is an occupational hazard for the citizens of the City of Margins。 。。。more
miss。mesmerized mesmerized
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New York in the 1990s isn’t an easy place to live。 Several people’s paths cross but fate has decided not to grant them a lucky end。 Ex-cop Donnie Parascandolo saves Ava Bifulco when her car breaks down。 Ava’s grown-up son and teacher Nick wonders how his mother could so easily trust a stranger when he believed her still to mourn his father’s death。 Donnie’s ex-wife， on the contrary， is still mourning since she didn’t get over the suicide of their son Gabe whose suicide note is found by another l New York in the 1990s isn’t an easy place to live。 Several people’s paths cross but fate has decided not to grant them a lucky end。 Ex-cop Donnie Parascandolo saves Ava Bifulco when her car breaks down。 Ava’s grown-up son and teacher Nick wonders how his mother could so easily trust a stranger when he believed her still to mourn his father’s death。 Donnie’s ex-wife， on the contrary， is still mourning since she didn’t get over the suicide of their son Gabe whose suicide note is found by another lost soul， Mikey， a college dropout without any plans or future。 Unexpectedly， their lives are linked， yet not only by the encounters， but also by the blood that some of them have on their hands。 “City of Margins” is a perfectly pitched genre mix。 On the one hand， Boyle meticulously studies and portrays the inhabitants of Brooklyn， a borough which could hardly have been in a worse state than it was at the beginning of the 1990s。 On the other hand， it is a cleverly constructed crime novel which admittedly seems a bit outdated in its style but nevertheless is quite tempting。 He creates a lively and gripping atmosphere which makes it easy to enter the plot。The most fascinating was how Boyle links the different characters。 Their stories are narrated alternatingly and only slowly is revealed what connects them。 None of them has an easy life， nothing is granted， the need to fight every single day， but they know that this fight will not necessarily end in better times。 There is a certain melancholy quite close to a depressive mood， but sometimes， this is just how the world works。A great read with real depth in the character development。 。。。more
Andrew
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One of the Best。 I’ve been on board the William Boyle train form the very beginning and the ride keeps getting better。 Boyle is a modern master of high level pulp/ noir with echoes of Leonard and Willeford （ high praise indeed）。This is just a great and different story told in crisp elegant prose。 Highly Recommended。
Pamela Scott
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https://thebookloversboudoir。wordpres。。。I really enjoyed this book。 It reminds me a lot of the Tale of the City books。 I enjoyed the structure of the book， how each chapter is narrated by a different character， bouncing between different POV’s and gradually revealing the threads that join these lives together。 Each character has their own story and it’s slowly revealed how intertwined everyone’s lives， secrets and mistakes are。 The characters are all very different and so well-written they felt https://thebookloversboudoir。wordpres。。。I really enjoyed this book。 It reminds me a lot of the Tale of the City books。 I enjoyed the structure of the book， how each chapter is narrated by a different character， bouncing between different POV’s and gradually revealing the threads that join these lives together。 Each character has their own story and it’s slowly revealed how intertwined everyone’s lives， secrets and mistakes are。 The characters are all very different and so well-written they felt real。 The book is quite dark and intense at times but there are some very funny moments to ease some of the grimness。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=City of Margins: A Novel
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=City of Margins: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft