This is a bleak first-person story covering more than twenty years of Abe Kunstler's life. He lives in a lifetime prison of his own construction, forged from lies and distrust.
We've all met negative and judgemental people but here is someone who doesn't seem to have an inkling of how he could enjoy life or bring pleasure to other people. He is not a very pleasant person but he does inspire loyalty. The clever use of dialogue means we do glimpse some of the other characters in a more honest way then from Abe's jaundiced and selfish view. We can see that Abe distorts everyone's motives, always assuming others are similarly self-serving and manipulative. But Abe isn't powerful because he is always fearful of discovery - he is living a lie.
As I said, bleak, and also humourless. I expected the title city might have itself provided a lighter touch. Although Tadzio Koelb does provide a reason why Abe is so attached to Trenton (presumably the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey) the reader doesn't feel this attraction.
We've all met negative and judgemental people but here is someone who doesn't seem to have an inkling of how he could enjoy life or bring pleasure to other people. He is not a very pleasant person but he does inspire loyalty. The clever use of dialogue means we do glimpse some of the other characters in a more honest way then from Abe's jaundiced and selfish view. We can see that Abe distorts everyone's motives, always assuming others are similarly self-serving and manipulative. But Abe isn't powerful because he is always fearful of discovery - he is living a lie.
As I said, bleak, and also humourless. I expected the title city might have itself provided a lighter touch. Although Tadzio Koelb does provide a reason why Abe is so attached to Trenton (presumably the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey) the reader doesn't feel this attraction.