Synopses & Reviews
A New York Times Book Review Editors Choice
Inspired by her account in The New Yorker of adopting a profoundly troubled dog named Buster, acclaimed author Cathleen Schine's The New Yorkers is a brilliantly funny story of love, longing, and overcoming the shyness that leashes us. On a quiet little block near Central Park, five lonely New Yorkers find one another, compelled to meet by their canine companions. Over the course of four seasons, they emerge from their apartments, in snow, rain, or glorious sunshine to make friends and sometimes fall in love. A love letter to a city full of surprises, The New Yorkers is an enchanting comedy of manners (with dogs!) from one of our most treasured writers.
Review
"Sprightly, romantic, occasionally sad but always diverting . . . The New Yorkers will inspire you to sit, stay, and beg for more."--Connie Ogle, The Miami Herald
"Schine is a sly writer with considerable dog and people skills. . . . Fine and precise [in] execution . . . Filled with a sweetness of life."--The Boston Globe
"Poignant and frankly funny. Schine has a gift for illuminating wholly believable yet somehow unexpected characters with a single line."--Chicago Tribune
"Schine writes about her characters with affection and humor . . . and has created a love letter to the city that even a rural cat fancier could enjoy."--The Christian Science Monitor
"There's plenty of unexpected romance, but it would be a mistake to think that this is merely a love story about dogs or their people. It's really about Schine's love for the city that contains them--a Manhattan of the not-so-distant past. . . . [A] rich snapshot of urban life."--Time Out (New York)
"Schine's sleek little parable about love and loss in the big city is neatly layered with intersecting stories of each character. A sweetly savvy paean to dogs and the people who love them."--Baltimore Sun
Synopsis
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
Inspired by her account in The New Yorker of adopting a profoundly troubled dog named Buster, acclaimed author Cathleen Schine's The New Yorkers is a brilliantly funny story of love, longing, and overcoming the shyness that leashes us. On a quiet little block near Central Park, five lonely New Yorkers find one another, compelled to meet by their canine companions. Over the course of four seasons, they emerge from their apartments, in snow, rain, or glorious sunshine to make friends and sometimes fall in love. A love letter to a city full of surprises, The New Yorkers is an enchanting comedy of manners (with dogs ) from one of our most treasured writers.
Synopsis
Schine's brilliantly funny new novel revolves around one city block in Manhattan. In her book, as in life, canine companions compel their masters to go outside of themselves, to take part in the community they live in, to make friends, and, sometimes, to fall in love.
Synopsis
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
Inspired by her account in The New Yorker of adopting a profoundly troubled dog named Buster, acclaimed author Cathleen Schine's The New Yorkers is a brilliantly funny story of love, longing, and overcoming the shyness that leashes us. On a quiet little block near Central Park, five lonely New Yorkers find one another, compelled to meet by their canine companions. Over the course of four seasons, they emerge from their apartments, in snow, rain, or glorious sunshine to make friends and sometimes fall in love. A love letter to a city full of surprises, The New Yorkers is an enchanting comedy of manners (with dogs ) from one of our most treasured writers.
About the Author
Cathleen Schine is the author of The Love Letter and Rameau's Niece, among other novels. She has contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Magazine, and The New York Times Book Review.
Reading Group Guide
Discussion Questions
1. How does the novels neighborhood compare to your community? Does it remind you of any other fictional "villages"?
2. The novels title emphasizes the setting. In what way is it important for those events to take place in New York? What makes the world of dog owners special among other populations inhabiting the city?
3. How were you affected by the various shifts in point of view? What does this cast of characters have in common, and in what ways do they each represent a unique aspect of communities in general?
4. How do you picture the novels narrator, whose distinctive storytelling voice provides an air of authenticity throughout? Which twists in these intricate storylines surprised you the most?
5. Discuss the many forms of unrequited love describe in The New Yorkers. How do the characters react when their feelings of attraction arent mutual, such as the attraction Jody initially has for Everett, or Simon for Jody, or Everett for Polly, or Polly for Chris?
6. What humans were you reminded of while reading about the various personalities of the dogs in The New Yorkers?
7. How did your perception of Jody shift throughout the novel? To what degree is Beatrice responsible for her transformation? In your opinion, who (human or canine) is the novels main character?
8. Does Doris really hate dogs, or is her obsession simply a mask for some other, deeper frustration? What brings about her change of heart with Fredericka?
9. What makes George the ideal dog trainer? Do any of his techniques apply to life overall? Why is it so difficult for him to find his purpose before he begins seeing Alexandra?
10. Everett eventually becomes intensely attached to Howdy. Is dog love very different from the other kinds of love he has experienced? Why is he so resistant to pets at first? Do his feelings about his daughter and ex-wife change because of Howdy, or because of Polly?
11. If you were Jody, would you have married Simon? Does he lose interest because of Jodys hesitation, or would he have lost interest anyway after they were married, due to his self-proclaimed affinity for the single life?
12. Is there any contradiction between Simons enthusiasm for hunting and the other characters enthusiasm for their pets?
13. Is Jaime the most well-adjusted character in The New Yorkers? What enables him to create a sort of paradise for his numerous children and for everyone who visits his restaurant (except Doris), spending "his whole life in the pursuit of other peoples happiness" (chapter twenty-three)?