AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!From the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and The Signature of All Things, a delicious novel of glamour, sex, and adventure, about a young woman discovering that you don’t have to be a good girl to be a good person.“A spellbinding novel about love, freedom, and finding your own happiness.” – PopSugar“Intimate and richly sensual, … finding your own happiness.” – PopSugar
“Intimate and richly sensual, razzle-dazzle with a hint of danger.” –USA Today
“Pairs well with a cocktail…or two.” –TheSkimm
“Life is both fleeting and dangerous, and there is no point in denying yourself pleasure, or being anything other than what you are.”
Beloved author Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction with a unique love story set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s. Told from the perspective of an older woman as she looks back on her youth with both pleasure and regret (but mostly pleasure), City of Girls explores themes of female sexuality and promiscuity, as well as the idiosyncrasies of true love.
In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of Vassar College, owing to her lackluster freshman-year performance. Her affluent parents send her to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg, who owns a flamboyant, crumbling midtown theater called the Lily Playhouse. There Vivian is introduced to an entire cosmos of unconventional and charismatic characters, from the fun-chasing showgirls to a sexy male actor, a grand-dame actress, a lady-killer writer, and no-nonsense stage manager. But when Vivian makes a personal mistake that results in professional scandal, it turns her new world upside down in ways that it will take her years to fully understand. Ultimately, though, it leads her to a new understanding of the kind of life she craves – and the kind of freedom it takes to pursue it. It will also lead to the love of her life, a love that stands out from all the rest.
Now eighty-nine years old and telling her story at last, Vivian recalls how the events of those years altered the course of her life – and the gusto and autonomy with which she approached it. “At some point in a woman’s life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time,” she muses. “After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is.” Written with a powerful wisdom about human desire and connection, City of Girls is a love story like no other.
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The writing style is superb. Each character was nuanced.
I should confess at the start that I have an inconsistent relationship with author Elizabeth Gilbert. I thought EAT, PRAY, LOVE was vastly overrated. But I simply inhaled THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS. And now, I can wholeheartedly recommend CITY OF GIRLS.
This novel begins with a letter. Written by an older Vivian Morris to a somewhat younger woman, Angela. It’s an attempt to answer a question posed by the younger woman. Only it turns out that it’s not an easy question to answer. And it takes the entire book to explain why.
Vivian first must revisit her life, beginning in the 1940s. From her wealthy but emotionally remote family of origin to a brief but disastrous experience at Vassar College, and, then landing on the doorstep of her bohemian aunt living in New York City. There, Aunt Peg and her extremely efficient business partner, Olive, run a rundown theatre that puts on second rate plays to a not-very-discerning neighborhood audience.
But NYC turns out to be revelation to 19 year old Vivian. Cavorting with glamorous showgirls, meetings legendary actors, and sampling the city’s wild nightlife is almost too much for the previously sheltered Vivian to handle. She learns a lot about love and makes some big mistakes, all while putting her considerable sewing skills to good use at the theatre.
I won’t speak to her adventures or the impact of World War II. Nor how she ultimately answer’s Angela’s question — since that would certainly spoil the read for you. But for me, the real value of this book is its exploration of love, in all its forms. Within family, between romantic partners, between siblings, and among good friends.
We’re not talking about the fantasy of love. The love Gilbert explores is all too human. The people are flawed. They often blunder and let each other down. But each one is loved anyway, for the whole person they are. Flaws and all. And, as we ultimately see, even those who aren’t lucky enough to be born into loving families can create their own loving families — out of the special people they meet throughout life. So, keep your eyes open.
Could not put it down.
I loved everything about this book and although I could not put it down, I was sad when I finished it. Lovers of Elizabeth Gilbert’s other books will not be disappointed.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I liked the narrator of the story and found the style of writing refreshing. Different from anything I’ve read recently.
I’m on the fence with this book. While I enjoyed the writing style of Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls, I’m rather disappointed by the character development in this book.
Vivian Morris is in her nineties where she’s recounting her days of youth in the 1940’s while living in New York City. Rather bluntly, Vivian says she is good at two things in life; sex and sewing. In her glory years, at the age of nineteen, Vivian makes the journey to New York City where she is going to live in her Aunt Peg’s crumbling theatre, the Lily Playhouse. In an effort to help the decaying theatre, Vivian uses one of her life skills, sewing, to make the costumes for the plays.
Using her other life skill, sex, Vivian spends her spare time hitting the town with the showgirls. From going out partying to having sex with random men, Vivian makes her way through the city, both literally and figuratively. Even though there’s a war going on and the U.S. is getting involved, this doesn’t faze Vivian in the least. That is until she becomes tangled in a sex scandal that brings her entire life in New York City to a complete halt. In shame, Vivian runs back home and spends the next year of her life brooding over the life she left behind and the mistakes she made. Some time later, her Aunt Peg comes to her rescue and asks for Vivian’s help with the plays again. Then she realises what’s happening around her with the war and how she can help support the war cause in New York City.
Like I said, I’m on the fence with this book. While I absolutely loved the writing — form the glamour and theatre life that brought me back to my high school theatre life — I wasn’t a big fan of the development of the characters. I found Vivian’s narcissism and how much she focused on herself and almost no one else to be one-dimensional. I wanted there to be a point of this story, that there was a life lesson to learn from Vivian’s past, but sure enough, she really only care about having more sex with men than she did in her youth — she literally said that!
What I really couldn’t get over either about this book was its length. It honestly could have been just 300 pages, it did not need to go on, and on, and on…but it did. I also think I built this book up too high. Having read such great reviews about this book ahead of reading it, I was really expecting something more — maybe more inspirational, emotional and encouraging? What I got was a woman wanting more sex out of her life.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls if filled with glitz and glamour from New York City’s 1940’s theater life. But it is also filled with erotic encounters, melancholy narration and too many pages. While there are hints of memoir thrown into this book, it leaves little for the readers to learn or discover about themselves. It is purely a raunchy sex-filed novel with limited revelations of making a better life. This is a hit or a miss depending on what you’re looking for!
Read my full review here: https://bit.ly/2Zvn3cW
This was actually my book club book last month, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Gilbert has said in interviews that she found herself writing the brightest, most carefree book she could ever imagine as a way to cope with the real-life untimely death of her partner Rayya. The first half is indeed an enormously entertaining, rip-roaring fling of a traditionally brought-up society girl, Vivian, who escapes to the rough-around-the-edges theater run by her aunt in New York City. A terrible mistake changes Vivian’s life, and the big-hearted story of how she rebuilds it adds a whole lot of depth to this story. My favorite quote is this: “Life is dangerous and fleeting. And thus there is no point in denying yourself pleasure or adventure while you are here.” Echoes my sentiments exactly.
If you are bothered by very detailed sexual descriptions, do not even attempt to read this book. I’ve never read Fifty Shades, but this is probably the closest thing I’ve ever come to that kind of book.
It also went on FOREVER.
Very interesting read. All the characters are a wide spectrum of people. Old New York and the stage and nightclubs come alive with Gilbert’s words and imagination.
The only other book that I have read by Ms. Gilbert was Eat, Pray, Love and although it was loved by many, I did not care for it. I saw City of Girls at the library and liked its’ subject line so picked it up. I adored this book and it is now on my all time favorite books list. What a wonderful story of friendship…..so many different kinds!
Gilbert’s years of research on the New York Theater district in the 1940 allow her to paint a vibrant story of an unconventional tribe of women. We agreed that he standout aspect of this audio book was Blair Brown’s narration. She truly brings the characters to life. Anyone with an interest in fashion history will also enjoy this sassy, sparkling romp through Manhattan.
The Walking Book Club ratings:
Motivation to Move: 4.8 Sneakers
Narration: 4.9 Sneakers
This book feels like sitting down with an old Broadway veteran for an evening of bourbon, scandal, and nostalgia. Elizabeth Gilbert does a fantastic job building the world of 1930s New York through the Lily Theater, and I loved experiencing the story through a narrator who feels very real, candid, witty, and unapologetic. I wish Vivian Morris was real so I could spend hours with her.
This book had it all. I had a hard time putting it down. I laughed and I cried The colorful characters and dysfunctional families were sometimes relatable and other times I was being educated in a different way of life. The history was very well researched. As I read, I was pulled into the book and the lines of reality were blurred. That is the sign of a great book. It was a bit racy to say the least , so mature readers only
I just love this writer. A great story with lots of historical details. I just love to read a great story and learn something at the same time. So many people helped the way they could during the war and it is always inspiring to learn about the ones on the shadow.
Love Love Love ‘City Girls’ by Elizabeth Gilbert!! The plot is full of life at its grandest: free & open. The characters live life fully and rarely spend much time looking back with moans & groans.
Initially, I thought Ms Gilbert wrote a story as different as Eat, Pray, Love as possible…. and sort of she did. But upon further thinking, I believe the author dove enthusiastically to the next fully lived only possible outcome! A great read!! Encore please
I loved reading this. Sexy and witty with great characters and a wonderful New York setting. So much fun.
Ta-Ta for now city of girls!
#riverheadsummerreads
I enjoyed reading this book and being transported back into the 40’s. I especially liked the way it was written in a letter form from Vivian to Angela, in my opinion in makes the reader feel more involved in the book. Vivian is not your typical girl from that era and she takes you along on her adventurous ride with confidence, learning on the way how to fully love herself.
An artistic triumph. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.
It took me on an adventure through old New York City !
Much of Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest book is set in New York in the 1940s. Instead of a feckless young man, we have a callow young woman determined to break out of her conventional upbringing. Where better to apprentice than with a struggling theater company in the heart of Times Square and in the company of a group of eccentric characters who smoke, drink, screw and fail spectacularly but always in style? Gilbert’s period details are lovingly rendered and her take on the experience of working in a low-rent theater is dead-on (based on my experience decades later). The last quarter of the book felt less satisfactory. The plot scooted through several decades so that the mature Vivian might finally absorb and impart several important life lessons. No matter; my heart and soul remained in mid-century mid-town Manhattan, with the glittery showgirls and the “men with proud chins.” I could have happily stayed forever.