Bright Lights, Big City

As I read this line, I had already heard 3 people order English Breakfast teas at the Barnes and Noble cafe. What a coincidence.

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Fr3NcHtOaSt

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

Randomly saw this on the shelf at my local Barnes and Noble. Read the blurb on the back about what it‘s about and it intrigued me. Gonna read it. At 182 pages long it‘ll be a one sitting read.
#brightlightsbigcity #jaymcinerney

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Eyejaybee

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

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Just finished Jay McInerney‘s dazzling debut novel from the early 1980s, Bright Lights, Big City‘. Hedonism unleashed in New York City! See my Goodreads review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2832292977. #book #books #bookish #booksbooksbooks #guardianbooks #brightlightsbigcity #jaymcinerney #bookphotography #booklove #bookstagram #booklove #dauntbooks #booknerd #fiction #literature

Libby1 Ooh! Lovely Daunt Books! 5y

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ladyonequestion

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

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Somehow, a novel about 80s excess narrated in the second person by an "emotional paraplegic" had such notes of real tenderness when describing the relationship with his mother. I would say that some of this has dated badly, but nevertheless I enjoyed the audiobook. It's witty, shocking at times but still has more heart than I expected.

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ladyonequestion

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

A bit of 80s cocaine fuelled nostalgia #theydontwritethemlikethatanymore

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shawnmooney

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

saresmoore Ha! Gross. 6y

LeahBergen Eww! 😆 6y

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shawnmooney

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

saresmoore Ha! Ain‘t it always the way? 6y

LeahBergen Damn it! 6y

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shawnmooney

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

LeahBergen I read this sooo long ago that I can hardly remember a thing about it. 6y

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madamereadsalot1

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

#readingresolutions day 18 #city @Jess7

City Lights Bookstore in the City by the Bay. I took this 3 years ago when I got to go to San Francisco and mark this amazing visit off my bookstore bucket list!

Jess7 Pretty!! This is on my bucket list! 6y

madamereadsalot1 @Jess7 it's such a neat shop! I spent a good deal of time in there. The location is also great! Great views of downtown SF and an amazing Indian restaurant practically across the street! 6y

Jess7 I‘ve been to SF about 10 years ago, but that was before I knew about this bookstore! I wish I would have made a point to go! Next time! 6y

madamereadsalot1 It was my first time to California & I didn't get to see as much as I had wanted. It was for a wedding so there were lots of things going on. But I got to pick 2 things for myself over the several days we were there, I opted for a day at Golden Gate Park by myself & a trip to City Lights with a family member. Most people were baffled that that was my choice. But travelling is not a luxury I get very often. I hope to go back to SF again to see more 6y

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CarolynM

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

#ReadingResolutions #City

Jess7

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Cinfhen

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

#FierceFeb This should go under #ThrowBackThursday because I‘m going wayyyyy back with this book & 🎥 The narrator (Michael J. Fox) is a sweet midwestern boy who finally finds his way to NYC where too many #NigtsInTheCity lead to a downward spiral of cocaine,alcohol, club hopping & genuine chaos. The book and movie screams 1980‘s and I may need to revisit both!

batsy

batsy I've always wanted to read this... Didn't know the movie version stars Michael J. Fox 🙌🏽💖 7y

Cinfhen Funny, he would never cut it as a “heartthrob” by today‘s standard @batsy 7y

batsy Right? Such a shame. I'm sometimes baffled by today's standard 😬 7y

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Eggs Love Michael and Kiefer♥️♥️ 7y

Cinfhen It‘s sad Michael J Fox has Parkinson‘s @Eggs @batsy (edited) 7y

emilyhaldi Good choice!! 👍🏻 7y

L_auren ♥️ MJF and this is on my tbr 7y

GripLitGrl Good one 💕 7y

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ValerieAndBooks

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

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You are not really a fan of second-person narratives, but you find yourself engrossed in this debut novel by Jay McInerney. You keep reading and reading about the escapades of the unnamed 24-year old narrator (so young!) who is a cokehead and is a fact checker for a NYC magazine. You wonder why you didn‘t read this back in the 80s, and also you found this novel amusing at times.

saresmoore 👏😄 7y

TobeyTheScavengerMonk Well done! 7y

Lindy Has this book changed your mind about 2nd-person narratives? 7y

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erinreads Love this review! 👍🏻 7y

Bloomingjen I had this version back in the 80s 7y

Eggs I watched this movie with Michael J Fox 7y

Billypar Love the review! I didn't know this was a second person narrative. I'm definitely a fan - really enjoyed The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty

The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty: A Novel

Pamwurtzler You wish you had read this in the ‘80‘s when it was current? 7y

AlaMich I read that a bajillion years ago. Was that the Bolivian marching powder book? 7y

ValerieAndBooks @saresmoore @TobeyTheScavengerMonk @erinreads thanks 😄! I couldn‘t resist imitating the writing style!! 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Lindy good question! Still not my preference; it gets grating at times, but now I‘ll try not to automatically reject. 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Bloomingjen I was surprised to find the first edition came out in this paperback version, not a hardcover! 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Eggs I‘m trying to remember if I saw the movie! I know for sure I saw this adaptation of this book, which I still need to read

Less Than Zero

ValerieAndBooks @Billypar I‘ve felt that the “you” can feel very repetitive if the book isn‘t written well but the tagged book‘s premise looks really interesting— I‘ll have to stack it! 7y

Bloomingjen @ValerieAndBooks that is surprising! i didn't know 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Pamwurtzler yes, because I wonder what I would have thought of it back then. I was 19 and a California girl when it first came out and I remember the hype — I think NYC probably seemed like another planet then 😊! 7y

Bloomingjen Less Than Zero was my favorite book at the time. "People are afraid to merge on freeways in Los Angeles" 7y

ValerieAndBooks @AlaMich haha yes! I had never heard of that term until now 😂! 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Bloomingjen same here, until @Leftcoastzen informed me! 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Bloomingjen ha, that‘s probably true of Northern Cal (where I‘m from) too; had never thought of it that way 😂 7y

Bloomingjen @ValerieAndBooks it is the first line of Less Than Zero. funny if it is actually true. 7y

Leftcoastzen @ValerieAndBooks I loved Less than Zero too.I think that was vintage contemporaries noble experiment.Some not all were true first editions of up and coming authors. You gotta check out the woman in the pack Tama Janowitz

Slaves of New York

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ValerieAndBooks

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

Started this last night 🏙🌃, just noticed the twin towers are included in the cover illustration. This is a first edition (1984) after all.

Bookcation74 I have this version too! 7y

Leftcoastzen @ValerieAndBooks Definitely stands out and when I see them in old movies,stunning, there are no words ,you know the Odeon is still there , in NYC restaurant culture , that‘s something. 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Bookcation74 cool! These older Vintage contemporaries covers definitely do the 80s vibes right. 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen yes definitely! Like powerful ghosts. I did not know that about the Odeon — must be very good if still in business! Trying to remember if I‘ve come across it in my visits to the city. 7y

Leftcoastzen @ValerieAndBooks Odeon is in TriBeCa. I guess it‘s had some good times and bad . I ate there twice, both good . French and American bistro food. 7y

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ValerieAndBooks

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

This is what happens when you go to a used bookstore looking for a specific title and they don‘t have it. You come home with other books anyway.

I was looking for Hawksmoor, the out-of-print book for Duncan Jones‘ Bowie Book Club. I‘m fourth in line for it at the library.

I‘ve wanted to read the bottom two 1980s books for a long time — finally found copies!

I‘m currently in love with Europa editions, hence “Falling to Earth”. And 💖 Spark!

Leftcoastzen Wow ,someone held on to “bright lights” and “slaves” for a long time, you know ,” bright lights “ was originally published as a vintage contemporary, is it a first edition? 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen I had to look. Yes, it looks like it (Bright Lights) is the first edition! Cool! These two books are a bit more worn than I‘d like, but I was/am willing to overlook that 😊. 7y

Leftcoastzen @ValerieAndBooks I have a thing for reading the original edition of a book even if it‘s not a first, I guess it‘s a connection to the time it came out ,hard to explain.The look , the feel,etc. 7y

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DivineDiana I‘m second in line at my library! 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen you make perfect sense! Each decade seems to have certain design elements to book covers. Also for example, when I wanted to re-read 1984 a while back, i wanted it to be the same cover that I read in HS even if it wasn‘t the original version. So I totally get what you‘re saying 😊! 7y

ValerieAndBooks @DivineDiana Good thing we‘re not in the same county or I‘d feel like you beat me to it 😂! 7y

Leftcoastzen @ValerieAndBooks ahhh compadre! 7y

DivineDiana @ValerieAndBooks 😂 7y

Billypar Read the Spark story collection last year- fantastic: her creativity, wit, and sense of humor make it really fun to see each story unfold. 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Billypar I‘m a relatively new fan of Spark, so I look forward to dipping into this collection. Her mind definitely works in interesting ways! 7y

Leftcoastzen @ValerieAndBooks Oh yeah , Tama was in this post.😂 7y

ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen 😊. I definitely think this may be the year that I get to all the books of the 80s that I never got to.. . Plus I‘ve had this book in my TBR for a while that I should get back to

Soho Press Book of '80s Short Fiction

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HannaPolkadots

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

#bookhaul. Yes, I went berserk. First on #thebookdepository, but then that felt unfair to #betterworldbooks so I had to get five books from there too. That's how my mind works.

RealBooks4ever 🤣🤣🤣Perfectly logical to me!! 💜 7y

Cinfhen Loved

Cutting for Stone: A Novel

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Leftcoastzen

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

#junebookbugs #publishedinthe1980s There was that John Hughes brat pack, here's the literary one.When Jay McInerney (Bright Lights,Big City) Tama Janowitz (Slaves of New York)and Bret Easton Ellis (Less than Zero) published in the 80's they were cast as voices of a generation.True or not , they went to a ton of parties.Look , no microbrews!

RealLifeReading

ValerieAndBooks It's so odd that I haven't read anything by these three (I was a young adult most of the 80s so they were definitely on my radar) except for one book by McInerney (tagged) I keep telling myself I should 🤷‍♀️!

Bacchus & Me: Adventures in the Wine Cellar

Leftcoastzen @ValerieAndBooks I haven't read Bacchus.I think if you feel you can tap into that 80s girl may be worth reading.Maybe worth a re-read,I remember liking " Bright lights" the best. I read them when they came out. 7y

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Allietaylor16

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

So I do social media for my company, and I love when things like this happen!

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HardcoverHarlot

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

Haha, yes, I know this feeling well.

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Heatheringheights

Bright Lights, Big City | Jay McInerney

so-so

This book has been on my #tbr since I was born. #highexpectations The introduction delivers: it's amazing. Then the "Bolivian marching powder" wears off, as does one's awe of the writer. What follows is disappointingly ordinary, hollowly naive, and oh so quaint--a print fiction magazine employing a fleet of full-time writers, HA! If you love #NYC it's still a must-read. Just be aware that the most sympathetic character is a ferret.

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