Este tema está marcado actualmente como "inactivo"—el último mensaje es de hace más de 90 días. Puedes reactivarlo escribiendo una respuesta.
1simchaboston
Aside from books about the Red Sox, I don't have any books about Boston. Anyone have any recommendations? Someday I'm going to have kids, and when they ask me questions about their hometown I want to be able to do more than say, "Um, ask your grandparents." :D
2ibbetson
A few from my shelf:
Lost Boston by Jane Holtz Kay
Common Ground by J. Anthony Lukas
All Souls by Michael Patrick Macdonald
Boston: A Topographical History by Walter Muir Whitehill
The first is a photo book of Boston before the 1960's - Scollay Square, the old West End, etc. The second and third are about Boston in the 1970's and 80's - not good times for the city, but you get the back story on issues of race and class that are still with us. The fourth - despite the horrible title - is a readable story about the making of Boston itself, and how the city itself has been remade over the years.
For some reason all of my Boston books are about the Red Sox, racism, crime or are architecture-related.
Lost Boston by Jane Holtz Kay
Common Ground by J. Anthony Lukas
All Souls by Michael Patrick Macdonald
Boston: A Topographical History by Walter Muir Whitehill
The first is a photo book of Boston before the 1960's - Scollay Square, the old West End, etc. The second and third are about Boston in the 1970's and 80's - not good times for the city, but you get the back story on issues of race and class that are still with us. The fourth - despite the horrible title - is a readable story about the making of Boston itself, and how the city itself has been remade over the years.
For some reason all of my Boston books are about the Red Sox, racism, crime or are architecture-related.
3MMcM
That's pretty open ended.
If you want to know how cow paths turned into irregular streets and swamps turned into townhouses, there's Boston : A Topographical History.
If you want to know how cow paths turned into irregular streets and swamps turned into townhouses, there's Boston : A Topographical History.
4Sniv
Another Bullshit Night in Suck City: A Memoir by Nick Flynn. Obviously, though, it's not about the history of the city and taking pride in it. Much of it deals with Flynn's relationship with his father, and issues of Boston's homeless population.
5elvendido
Legends of Winter Hill by Jay Atkinson has been selling well at my girlfriend's bookstore. More crime stuff. There's something very seductive and dramatic about Boston area crime, almost mystic. Which brings to mind Mystic River and The Boondock Saints, two very good movies about the Boston area and crime. There's A Civil Action as well, Woburn is a Boston suburb. In fiction, there's the eco-thriller Zodiac, set in and around Boston Harbor (touchstones won't work for some reason).
8katie.chase
Mystic River was a book first! And a really great one, at that. Let's not forget Dennis Lehane's Kenzie/Gennaro series, too.
Can anyone else think of other fiction with good Boston settings? All I can think of is Curtis Sittenfeld's new novel, The man of my dreams, which takes place partially in the Tufts area.
Back in nonfiction territory, I have Gracefully Insane, a history of McLean hospital, on my list to read.
9elvendido
The Dirty Girls Social Club was written by a Boston University graduate based on her years of partying there. I wasn't impressed with the few pages I read as far as quality of writing goes, but it sold rather well so I imagine it was a run read regardless.
11pksteinberg
I enjoyed David Kruh's Always Something Doing about old Scollay Square. The area now is so disappointing to its former glory.
Other books on Boston that I have are:
Mapping Boston. This features some great information and illustrations of older maps about the forming of Boston, to compliment Walter Muir Whitehill's Boston: A Topographical History.
Peter Davison's The Fading Smile: Poets in Boston, from Robert Frost to Robert Lowell to Sylvia Plath is a decent memoir of the poets in the Boston area in the 1950s period.
The last book on Boston I have is Buildings and Landmarks of Old Boston: A Guide to the Colonial, Provincial, Federal, and Greek Revival Periods, 16 by Howard S. Andros. It is a good guide to Boston.
Other books on Boston that I have are:
Mapping Boston. This features some great information and illustrations of older maps about the forming of Boston, to compliment Walter Muir Whitehill's Boston: A Topographical History.
Peter Davison's The Fading Smile: Poets in Boston, from Robert Frost to Robert Lowell to Sylvia Plath is a decent memoir of the poets in the Boston area in the 1950s period.
The last book on Boston I have is Buildings and Landmarks of Old Boston: A Guide to the Colonial, Provincial, Federal, and Greek Revival Periods, 16 by Howard S. Andros. It is a good guide to Boston.
12elvendido
Another good book about the Boston area (though most certainly not for the kiddies) is Rent Girl by Michelle Tea. It's largely about her experiences as an escort working in Boston. Her book The Chelsea Whistle is about growing up in one of Boston's poorest suburbs.
13bostonhistory
I have an annotated list of recommended Boston books over at my blog, The City Record and Boston News-Letter: http://bostonhistory.typepad.com/notes_on_the_urban_condit/2006/04/a_couple_of_o...
The recommended books are towards the bottom of the post. I would also recommend John Marquand's The Late George Apley
The recommended books are towards the bottom of the post. I would also recommend John Marquand's The Late George Apley
14prophetandmistress
If you've got the time on your hands David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest is set in a dystopian Boston complete with the Storror 500.
15simchaboston
Wow, lots of great suggestions! Thanks, everyone. I better get reading.
16timspalding
For mysteries--which I don't usually read--I am a huge fan of Sophie Belfort's Marvell College Murders, which takes place at (basically) Harvard, and has a GREAT description of the names around the top of the BPL.
17katie.chase
I didn't know that Infinite Jest is set in Boston! Now I'll need to give it another look.
And let me add another geographical book: Inventing the Charles River.
And let me add another geographical book: Inventing the Charles River.
18colombe
If you're looking for children's books, the best book (hands down) is the classic Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. There's a reason why there are statues of them in the Public Gardens! The illustrations are a great way to "navigate" the city despite their being drawn in the 40's. (Not much has drastically changed. You even get the swan boats in there!)
This should be on every Bostonian's bookshelf even if you're sans kiddies. ;)
Best,
Chelsea :)
This should be on every Bostonian's bookshelf even if you're sans kiddies. ;)
Best,
Chelsea :)
19jbd1
For a general history of Boston, I'd recommend Thomas H. O'Connor, The Hub: Boston Past and Present.
If you like mysteries/literary thrillers set in Boston, Matthew Pearl's The Dante Club is excellent.
If you like mysteries/literary thrillers set in Boston, Matthew Pearl's The Dante Club is excellent.
20teaperson
On the mystery front, there's many books by Robert Parker, with his detectives Spenser and more recently Jesse Parker.
In contemporary literature, Elinor Lipman's books are all set around Boston-Brookline-Newton (or the Cape), and offer an enjoyable traipse through modern middle-class manners. Lipman's friend Mameve Medwed does the same for Cambridge, most enjoyably in How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life. Tom Perotta's Little Children is a good read set in a community that greatly resembles his town of Belmont.
In contemporary literature, Elinor Lipman's books are all set around Boston-Brookline-Newton (or the Cape), and offer an enjoyable traipse through modern middle-class manners. Lipman's friend Mameve Medwed does the same for Cambridge, most enjoyably in How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life. Tom Perotta's Little Children is a good read set in a community that greatly resembles his town of Belmont.
21crystallyn Primer Mensaje
I have to second the Dante Club suggestion. It's an interesting slice of Cambridge and Boston history with a little bit of mystery thrown in as well. Pearl takes historical events surrounding Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell and Dante scholar J.T. Fields and turns them into the key detectives in a murder mystery. It's a really wonderful read.
Anyone read A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger (Perfect Storm) or Gracefully Insane by Alex Beam? The former is about the Boston Strangler and the latter about McClean Hospital. I've been meaning to check both out.
Anyone read A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger (Perfect Storm) or Gracefully Insane by Alex Beam? The former is about the Boston Strangler and the latter about McClean Hospital. I've been meaning to check both out.
22MMcM
The current (September 13 - 26, 2006) Improper Bostonian has a cartoony map of a couple dozen Boston literary locations. And it is free.
23paghababian Primer Mensaje
One of my favorite books set in Boston is It Happened In Boston?, about an artist living downtown. I think of him every time I'm in the Public Garden... and I can't use sugar bowls anymore because of that book.
And I found a website that is fantastic on this subject. Apparently the site has been taken down, so I had to link to the Google cache of it:
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:l2GvYWaUoikJ:www.cas.suffolk.edu/richman/Bo...
Hope that works!
And I found a website that is fantastic on this subject. Apparently the site has been taken down, so I had to link to the Google cache of it:
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:l2GvYWaUoikJ:www.cas.suffolk.edu/richman/Bo...
Hope that works!
25bossyboots
I read Hot and Bothered, by Annie Downey. It is based in both Boston and Cambridge..funny story about a mom...it's a chick-lit novel though..so don't know it is something you can share with your kids..but you as a parent might like...
New Film...The Departed based on a novel... Amazing! Again, not something you could share with you kids....
New Film...The Departed based on a novel... Amazing! Again, not something you could share with you kids....
26rsullivan
William Martin wrote two good historical novels (mystery) about Boston. Back Bay and Harvard Yard are both hard to put down.
27seanthib Primer Mensaje
I'm new to LT and so I am a bit late to chime in on this thread but I'd like to recommend Alan Lightman's The Diagnosis as a good novel set in the Boston area.
I am also a fan of Russell Greenan's It Happened in Boston? and another gem is his novel The secret life of Algernon Pendleton which is a absinthe driven romp complete with a talking vase and a tomb raider...and this kicker is it takes place in Brookline.
I am also a fan of Russell Greenan's It Happened in Boston? and another gem is his novel The secret life of Algernon Pendleton which is a absinthe driven romp complete with a talking vase and a tomb raider...and this kicker is it takes place in Brookline.
28Prongs
I would like to recommend The Name of War by Jill Lepore. I first heard of the book when it was reviewed in the Boston Globe and the book was a very enjoyable read about a time period in history that we don't hear about much in school (or at least I didn't). It was both fascinating, and sad, to think about that incredible clash of cultures.
29tobiejonzarelli
Here is one to add to the list:
Author: Susan Wilson
Title: Literary Trail of Greater Boston: A Tour of Sites in Boston, Cambridge and Concord
Author: Susan Wilson
Title: Literary Trail of Greater Boston: A Tour of Sites in Boston, Cambridge and Concord
32Prongs
The English Department at my High School had Back Bay on its Summer Reading list when I was in school in the early 90's. I expected it to be a rather dry work of historical fiction and was kind of surprised to read passages that seemed more like they fit in a romance novel. Did any one else have a similar experience?
33mamajoan
Seconding the recommendation of Linda Barnes's mystery series about detective Carlotta Carlisle(sp?). Some of the recent ones are so-so, but the first few are excellent. Also, if mysteries are your thing, Gregory MacDonald (of "Fletch" fame) wrote a few mysteries about Flynn that are set in the Boston area: Flynn and Flynn's In and The Buck Passes Flynn. The Flynn character also appears in one of the Fletch books although I can't recall which one offhand.
One of my all-time favorite books is Zodiac by Neal Stephenson. This is science fiction and makes great use of the Boston area as its setting. HIGHLY recommended.
The recent bestseller The Namesake (also a recent movie) starts out in Cambridge and then moves to the western suburbs for a while.
One of my all-time favorite books is Zodiac by Neal Stephenson. This is science fiction and makes great use of the Boston area as its setting. HIGHLY recommended.
The recent bestseller The Namesake (also a recent movie) starts out in Cambridge and then moves to the western suburbs for a while.
34paghababian
Cell by Stephen King begins in Boston, on the corner of the Public Gardens where the ice cream truck always sits. The story veers off horribly about halfway through, but the beginning in Boston, then on into Malden and up to New Hampshire, is great. I can't look at the Frosty truck the same way anymore...
And I'll second (third?) Zodiac.
And I'll second (third?) Zodiac.
35A_musing
How about The Bostonians or Little Women? A bit of Longfellow or Lowell is also possible. Well, all those will at least get the Brahmin history out there.
A real classic is The Urban Villagers by Gans.
A real classic is The Urban Villagers by Gans.
36lquilter
Improper Bostonians by Barney Frank is a fun local gay history.
37ablachly
Lisa Carey's Every Visible Thing is set in Brookline and Cambridge...
38Campion7
Mew is for Murder by Clea Simon is set in the Cambridge, Boston, JP area. A good mystery for cat lovers as one of the main characters is a kitten named Musetta.
39stringcat3
Greetings from a Bostonian on the Left Coast. I just realized I have only Boston nonfiction except for It Happened In Boston?, which I happened to come across this week.
Let me throw in Dead Certainties by Simon Schama, about a famous 19th century murder case. Also Cambridge Reconsidered by S. B. Sutton, very short at 126 pages. For the Revolution there's Richard Ketchum's Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill, and David Hackett Fischer's Paul Revere's Ride, both very readable. For lots of those old Boston anecdotes people love there's Cleveland Amory's first book, The Proper Bostonians, which is dated but still fun. Ditto Nancy Hale's A New England Girlhood.
Stretching the geography: I highly recommend Nathaniel Philbrick's latest book Mayflower. Finally explained the whole Pilgrim/Puritan thing and what really happened during King Philip's War. What a bunch of (insert favorite derisive term here)s the Pilgrims were. I'll never feel the same about buckles on shoes. Also Ahab's Wife, a novel drawn from Moby Dick takes place mainly on Nantucket, back when it was a real place, way before the snotty tourists got there. Some anachronistic tendencies, but I enjoyed it tremendously. Forget Boston Adventure by Jean Stafford. Boring.
Let me throw in Dead Certainties by Simon Schama, about a famous 19th century murder case. Also Cambridge Reconsidered by S. B. Sutton, very short at 126 pages. For the Revolution there's Richard Ketchum's Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill, and David Hackett Fischer's Paul Revere's Ride, both very readable. For lots of those old Boston anecdotes people love there's Cleveland Amory's first book, The Proper Bostonians, which is dated but still fun. Ditto Nancy Hale's A New England Girlhood.
Stretching the geography: I highly recommend Nathaniel Philbrick's latest book Mayflower. Finally explained the whole Pilgrim/Puritan thing and what really happened during King Philip's War. What a bunch of (insert favorite derisive term here)s the Pilgrims were. I'll never feel the same about buckles on shoes. Also Ahab's Wife, a novel drawn from Moby Dick takes place mainly on Nantucket, back when it was a real place, way before the snotty tourists got there. Some anachronistic tendencies, but I enjoyed it tremendously. Forget Boston Adventure by Jean Stafford. Boring.
40stringcat3
Just finished reading Russell Greenan's It Happened in Boston? and am still stunned. The language is beautiful, the artistic anti-hero is barking mad, lots of inside info on how to forge paintings. I cannot recommend it enough. Early in the book I was reminded of the zaniness of A Confederacy of Dunces, but as the story darkened I thought of Scott Bradfield's Dream of the Wolf.
The Modern Library paperback re-issue has an excellent intro by Jonathan Lethem (his Motherless Brooklyn was brilliant) and a short but interesting afterword by the author.
The Modern Library paperback re-issue has an excellent intro by Jonathan Lethem (his Motherless Brooklyn was brilliant) and a short but interesting afterword by the author.
41Willie64 Primer Mensaje
The most obivious work of fiction set in Boston is The Bostonians by Henry James.
Another, a Pulitzer Prize winner that is all but forgotten today is The Late George Apley by John P. Marquand, a satirical look at the Boston Brahmins.
Another, a Pulitzer Prize winner that is all but forgotten today is The Late George Apley by John P. Marquand, a satirical look at the Boston Brahmins.
42jayceebee
I'm reading All Souls: A Family Story from Southie by Michael Patrick MacDonald. It's fantastic and I can't put it down.
43vpfluke
A quirky science fiction novel: Future Boston: the history of a city 1990-2100 by David Alexander Smith.
For non-fiction, there is The Image of the City by Kevin Lynch, which is very good in describing how we see an urban place, and in particular, Boston.
I also like Boston English Illustrated which apparently no one else in LT has.
For non-fiction, there is The Image of the City by Kevin Lynch, which is very good in describing how we see an urban place, and in particular, Boston.
I also like Boston English Illustrated which apparently no one else in LT has.
44avaland
I have the forthcoming Dennis Lehane, The Given Day set in Boston during the policeman's strike in the early part of the 20th century. His foray into literary fiction, I believe. Will let you know. Due out September of this year.
45crazyjster
Gracefully Insane is a great book about McClean Hospital. It gives the hospitals history in a dignified manner. As someone in the Mental Health profession and worked with the MA mental health system, I thought it was particullary (can't spell tonight) well done...as was Mount Misery which was basically a parody of McClean.
46crazyjster
All I can say about the Cell is he writes about driving down Rt.1 through Saugus and then onto Salem St. in Malden. Being from Malden, I obviously got excited. Something happened at 120 Salem St. and I lived at a very nearby house number on Salem St. 120 was a funeral parlour...kinda weird since I doubt he ever drove down that street.
47lilithcat
> 35
How about The Bostonians or Little Women?
Little Women wasn't set in Boston.
No one's mentioned The Silent Traveller in Boston, by Chiang Yee, which I highly recommend: http://www.librarything.com/work/1000508/reviews/686318
I'd also suggest Cleveland Amory's The Proper Bostonians and Patricia Vigderman's The Memory Palace of Isabella Stewart Gardner.
How about The Bostonians or Little Women?
Little Women wasn't set in Boston.
No one's mentioned The Silent Traveller in Boston, by Chiang Yee, which I highly recommend: http://www.librarything.com/work/1000508/reviews/686318
I'd also suggest Cleveland Amory's The Proper Bostonians and Patricia Vigderman's The Memory Palace of Isabella Stewart Gardner.
48upstairsgirl
Two good nonfiction books I've read recently: The Gardner Heist and, if you're really interested in an in-depth history of public housing in Boston, From the Puritans to the Projects: Public Housing and Public Neighbors talks a lot about a side of the city that I think not too many people get to see. I also recommend Mapping Boston (full disclosure: I worked for one of the authors when I was in college).
In YA lit, the Anastasia Krupnik series by Lois Lowry (...who won't touchstone, for some reason) took place in or around Boston. And of course Johnny Tremaine, which I hated, but is a classic.
In YA lit, the Anastasia Krupnik series by Lois Lowry (...who won't touchstone, for some reason) took place in or around Boston. And of course Johnny Tremaine, which I hated, but is a classic.
49lemontwist
On Beauty by Zadie Smith was awesome, and I had a hard time putting it down. I'm pretty sure the Wellington College in the book is a parody of Wellesley. The son in the book tries to get some street cred by telling people he's from Roxbury.
50mdbirmingham 
Este mensaje ha sido denunciado por varios usuarios por lo que no se muestra públicamente. (mostrar)
I'd like to say thank you for allowing open acceptance into this group. Yes the setting is both in Boston and CT. Before I go any further I must state the following piece so you may know me a little better.
I'm M.D. Birmingham and to be honest I haven't been able to do much leisure reading since Feb 11th, 2007. The year of 2007 after awakening (emerging & merging) from my 63 day non-responsive coma reading wasn't an ability that I was easily capable to do. It's not because I couldn't read and comprehend (as with illiteracy), or my earlier stages of hand dexterity deficits (no gross motor skills). It wasn't because of shortened attention span due to stimuli overload; it was my double vision (best generally explained as a side effect from my coma and injury nature of DAI). Whether it was a large magazine page or typically sized book, whenever I looked at the words on the page it was like staring at a “wordsearch.” All the letters were jumbled on the page and it took much consistent effort to retrain my vision to follow the page line by line; along with my mind. Aside from books and pages with writing, typical exit signs and labels with writing (on doors, etc) that I encountered in my "world" (inpatient hospitalized stay) were seen either as a “wordsearch” or double. The double vision caused the same object to appear as you would see if you were to cross your eyes while reading this. One set of the writing is slightly off to the other side (left or right) and a bit lower than its "twin." I did overcome this challenge through the help of time and creating my own strategies to no longer see double but only one object (like 1year olds or younger, vision tests were obviously not possible). Needless to say, that was only one challenge I overcame to write my own autobiography titled Getting There... and yes I did type it entirely prior to submitting as a galley; along with this whole message. For other groups that I belong to I will cut and paste this information regarding the topic question of introducing myself as it is truth to who I am. During the final days to my book’s “being” before becoming "live" to the public I made the website www.getting-therebook.com which contains links to the web address (photos, etc) mentioned in the book. You are welcome to follow my trail of "crumbs" that will lead you to both desire more and satiation.
I look forward to gaining more info from and within this group.
With utmost gratitude,
I'm M.D. Birmingham and to be honest I haven't been able to do much leisure reading since Feb 11th, 2007. The year of 2007 after awakening (emerging & merging) from my 63 day non-responsive coma reading wasn't an ability that I was easily capable to do. It's not because I couldn't read and comprehend (as with illiteracy), or my earlier stages of hand dexterity deficits (no gross motor skills). It wasn't because of shortened attention span due to stimuli overload; it was my double vision (best generally explained as a side effect from my coma and injury nature of DAI). Whether it was a large magazine page or typically sized book, whenever I looked at the words on the page it was like staring at a “wordsearch.” All the letters were jumbled on the page and it took much consistent effort to retrain my vision to follow the page line by line; along with my mind. Aside from books and pages with writing, typical exit signs and labels with writing (on doors, etc) that I encountered in my "world" (inpatient hospitalized stay) were seen either as a “wordsearch” or double. The double vision caused the same object to appear as you would see if you were to cross your eyes while reading this. One set of the writing is slightly off to the other side (left or right) and a bit lower than its "twin." I did overcome this challenge through the help of time and creating my own strategies to no longer see double but only one object (like 1year olds or younger, vision tests were obviously not possible). Needless to say, that was only one challenge I overcame to write my own autobiography titled Getting There... and yes I did type it entirely prior to submitting as a galley; along with this whole message. For other groups that I belong to I will cut and paste this information regarding the topic question of introducing myself as it is truth to who I am. During the final days to my book’s “being” before becoming "live" to the public I made the website www.getting-therebook.com which contains links to the web address (photos, etc) mentioned in the book. You are welcome to follow my trail of "crumbs" that will lead you to both desire more and satiation.
I look forward to gaining more info from and within this group.
With utmost gratitude,
51megrockstar
Denis Lehane is a great and semi famous local author. Apart from the fame, his books are great
52JHFrazier
Thanks for the list! I'm preparing to move out to Boston for a summer job and just read Zodiac by Neal Stephenson and had a great time. It's a quick read that bounces all over the city and the region. I'm planning on checking out Mapping Boston and Boston, A Topographical History from the library as soon as I have the time.
53timspalding
Wow. The resurrection of a five-year-old thread!
54dukedom_enough
"That is not dead which can eternal lie.
And with strange aeons even death may die"
- H. P. Lovecraft
And with strange aeons even death may die"
- H. P. Lovecraft
55Marissa_Doyle
#54 Which brings to mind Lovecraft's Boston-set story "Pickman's Model"... :)
56dukedom_enough
I guess Lovecraft is much more a Providence than a Boston writer? Where is Arkham, MA, anyway...
57paghababian
Pickman's Model is such a creepy story, and I think about it almost every time I'm in the North End.
58vpfluke
Arkham, MA, has a fictional quality to it, but it does have its own website, filled with historical data: http://www.arkham-mass.com/ . It might be north of Boston, and not too far from Salem, but others think it is near the Quabbin Reservoir. In any case, it is the home of Miskatonic University.
59dukedom_enough
You really don't want to get tenure at Miskatonic University.
60LucasTrask
vpfluke wrote:
Arkham, MA, has a fictional quality to it, but it does have its own website, filled with historical data: http://www.arkham-mass.com/ . It might be north of Boston, and not too far from Salem, but others think it is near the Quabbin Reservoir. In any case, it is the home of Miskatonic University.
The directions clearly show that it is "north of Boston, and not too far from from Salem." The map even clearly shows it is Salem.
Arkham, MA, has a fictional quality to it, but it does have its own website, filled with historical data: http://www.arkham-mass.com/ . It might be north of Boston, and not too far from Salem, but others think it is near the Quabbin Reservoir. In any case, it is the home of Miskatonic University.
The directions clearly show that it is "north of Boston, and not too far from from Salem." The map even clearly shows it is Salem.
62LucasTrask
The good news is that I don't know where Miskatonic University is located in the city.
63Marissa_Doyle
I wonder who coaches their water polo team?
64dukedom_enough
The Arctic Regions Center in the Geology Department goes through a lot of assistant professors.
