Latest book by Elizabeth Gilbert—”City of Girls,” a book which will make you love reading again
In 2019, one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Gilbert, launched her latest novel “City of Girls.” My husband bought it for me as a Christmas present. However, owing to its nearly 500 pages, it took me until a few weeks ago to finish it. This lockdown period is strange, just like a mirror, reflecting everything, and turning it on its head. For example, I enjoy reading, yet I have read so few books recently. Why am I so reluctant to go into bookstores? It makes no sense because I have always loved reading. Clearly, self-doubt has taken over, telling me that “you are not going to enjoy the process of reading because it is not your native language!” or “you are never going to stick with it! You will quit in the middle and never finish it; just like all the other books you started.”
However, to my delight, after finishing “City of Girls”, I have found that I enjoy reading again! Last weekend, walking by a bookstore near my home, I discovered that my passion for reading had returned. It gave me a much stronger sense of belonging to this place. I highly recommend you read “City of Girls”, no matter who you are. If you are an avid reader, you will love it for its entrancing story; if you are frustrated that you never seem to finish a novel, you will enjoy its readability and humor.
Life is just like an adventure. Embrace it!
If you’ve ever read “Eat, Pray, Love“, or watched the movie adaptation, I think you will find that the main character in “City of Girls”, Vivian Morris, is quite similar to Liz. They are both talented. Vivian knows how to sew, having learned from her grandma when she was young; Liz is a famous writer. They both have their irreplaceable talent, but their lives seem to be stuck in a rut.
In her book, Gilbert takes us back to New York in the 1940s. Vivian has been expelled from Vassar College and is living in her Aunt Peggy’s playhouse making costumes. We see how Vivian explores and finally conquers this glamorous city. We also see how Vivian is amazed by the people around her in the playhouse; showgirls and dancers- young and stunning of course; a playwright, who is loyal but writes in clichés all the time; a much more talented songwriter, whose ability doesn’t seem to fit with those cheap and clichéd stories. And then there is a character called Edna, who shows up later of the story, but immediately catches our attention. Cool and elegant, she is the kind of woman whom men admire, and girls dream about being. Because I love clothing, and have had experience working for a couture dress maker, I think I am particularly attracted to Vivian’s description of the stylish-looking Edna. I really hope this book will be adapted for the big screen so that we can see how Edna looks in real life! Perhaps Helen McCrory in “The deep blue sea” might be a good fit!
“City of Girls” tells a colorful story, but it also raises important issues, such as sexual violence (which in this book mostly happens in the middle of the night), gender inequality, and social class differences. Nevertheless, Gilbert depicts these issues in a delightful and subtle way. Overall, the story will mostly make you laugh, even though there are sad truths within it.
We become an adult as we are able to fight our own corner.
The turning points in this book come whenever Vivian messes up the good things in her life; her job in the playhouse, her friendship with Edna, the relationship with her boyfriend and her brother. I found one particular quote inspirational —”We become an adult as we are able to fight our own corner.” So what might our own corner be? Well, it is concerned with honor. As a child, we don’t fight for honor because others do it for us. We are seen as kids, so never need to take full responsibility for what we do. But if you want to be a real adult, fighting on your own for your honor is inevitable; it might be painful but it is also a relief.
One of the most touching relationships in the book is that between Vivian and Frank, a veteran of World War II, and someone who has said horrible things to Vivian in the past. They both carry their own sad story, and use their own ways to avoid being consumed by it. But the wound will always exist until you finally face it, admit it and release it. This reminds me not to judge others so simply, to spend more time with them, and listen to their stories. In this way, we can learn to stand in their shoes rather than just care about our own. Maybe that is the moment when we not only fight our own corner but also help others to fight theirs, and so become an adult.
People come and go. In the end we still on our own.
This was exactly my feeling as I finished the last page. The author uses just a few pages to go through the death of the characters, giving the reader no time to take it in. Some people she cared so much about ultimately seem irrelevant; some who died long ago still seem alive, coming to mind in every corner of New York.
Just like Vivian says at the end: “This is what I found about life, as I’ve gotten older: you start to lose people, Angela. It’s not that there is is ever a shortage of people—oh, heavens no. It is merely that—as years pass—there comes to be a terrible shortage of your people. The ones you love. The ones who knew the people that you both loved. The ones who know your whole story.”
Thank you Elizabeth Gilbert for taking nearly 6 years to create this warm but truthful story. Life is too short. Let’s explore it to the full! Let’s cry and smile! I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did.
Leave your comment for me if there is any book you recommend! And If you are also interested in this story, click here to buy 🙂