The Washington Post is calling “City of Fire” the “it” novel of the year. Garth Risk Hallberg’s 944-page debut novel will be appearing alongside the man himself at Square Books this Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Being such a long book, “City of Fire” follows the stories and journeys of numerous characters in New York City, ending with the infamous blackout of 1977. In the center of it all, the reader first meets Samantha Ciccario.
From her incident in Central Park, we meet the rest of the cast in an outward spiral, from her boyfriend Charlie to the Hamilton-Sweeneys family, to demon brothers like Amory.
The book tackles a number of different controversies and diverse topics, such as drugs, the punk rock music scene, homosexuality, wealth and politics and eating disorders. Within “City of Fire,” there is room for everything and everyone.
“‘City on Fire’ has so many outstanding features, it’s difficult to choose. But if I had to, I’d say: the novel’s warmth and generosity toward its characters,” Diana Miller, Hallberg’s editor at Alfred A. Knopf, said. “When you’re reading, you become deeply connected to them and it feels as if you’re living inside the book, right along with them. Then, after you’ve finished, they stay with you.”
Hallberg uses inserts like his character William Lamplighter’s Adult Wellbeing sheet and a fanzine titled “Land of 1,000 Dances” to breathe new perspective into the lives of his characters and to give us this feeling of living inside the book alongside them.
The fanzine’s front page, decorated with phrases like “this issue: reviews of cheap stuff” and “plus: post-humanism: what is it??” allow us to have some fun with Samantha for buying into the punk rock scene, but this insert also encourages us to empathize with her.
Hallberg utilizes this over and over with varying fonts, fanzine front pages, coffee rings, wellbeing sheets, notebook paper, envelopes and folders, graffiti and photographs. We are provided an intimate peek into this assembly of characters with everyday objects, just as Hallberg provides us a peek into the life of 70s New York City culture.
Although the sheer volume of “City of Fire” might be off-putting, the story lines fed through the great congregation of diverse characters are kept smooth and entertaining.
William Hamilton-Sweeney, a member of the rich New York City family, cannot get away from his drugs, while his African-American lover, Mercer Goodman, cannot get away from his supposed masterpiece of a novel. It is William’s former band that Samantha and her boyfriend, Charlie Weisbarger, worship, but we also learn about William’s sister, Regan, and her separation with husband, Keith.
Hallberg’s grasp of vocabulary becomes apparent from the very first page. Words like “mesozoic,” “bourgeois” and “contrail” show Hallberg’s grasp of the finer points of the English language. His sense of humor comes through too, demonstrated in Mercer’s use of Biblical euphemisms for gay sex with his partner and Charlie’s concern about his tendency to sprout zits in odd places. Although this is Hallberg’s first book, it’s clear he and “City of Fire” are going places.
“Probably every editor would say this: each relationship with a book and an author stands out in some way,” Miller said. “But I can say, it has been remarkable to see the novel strike a chord with such a wide range of people: booksellers, librarians, editors, critics, readers across the country. It has so many entry-points, says so much about a swathe of different human experiences.”
“City of Fire” has something for everyone. Be sure to catch Hallberg and his debut novel at Square Books today.
And if you’re concerned about the length, here’s what Miller has to say: “I’ve encountered the question before about whether the length of the novel is intimidating. To which I’d say: early readers have said, numerous times, they didn’t want the book to end. That’s the kind of experience you can only get when you’re immersed in something capacious. A long novel is a treat—there are hours of entertainment in store.”
