Review: The Swans of Fifth Avenue

The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin

Rating: 3 Stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. Melanie Benjamin is a good writer, and the subject matter was interesting. I found that the writing made me feel what I'm sure Benjamin wanted me to feel as the reader, but I also never felt fully engaged with the characters. 

I found it hard to follow; the jumps in the timeline weren't always clear to me. I also struggled with the sheer number of characters introduced throughout the book. It felt like one giant name-drop, which was probably on purpose, I know, but still hard to follow. It didn't help that I didn't really like any of the characters, even the ones we got to know. I felt sorry for a lot of them, but they were all selfish, with very few redeeming qualities, making it difficult for me to be overly interested in anything any of them were doing. 

I believe a lot of what I didn't like about the writing; the gossipy voice, the name dropping, the jumpy narrative, was all done on purpose to emulate what it must have been like in Truman Capote's head, and in that regard, Benjamin did an excellent job. Even though I didn't enjoy it, I appreciate what she was doing, and can acknowledge the mastery of that. Overall, this was an interesting read, but not one I'd pick up again. I will be sure to try another of Benjamin's books, though, because I do believe she's an excellent writer. 

Thank you to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.