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Sylvia

By Leonard Michaels
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3.78 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 2,669 ratings, 347 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Sylvia by Leonard Michaels is an evocative narrative set in 1960s New York, exploring the tumultuous relationship between a young writer and his enigmatic partner, Sylvia. As they navigate the complexities of love, art, and personal identity, the story delves into the emotional intensity and introspective nature of their bond, offering a vivid portrait of a passionate but troubled romance.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might like this book if you enjoy poignant and reflective narratives capturing the complexities of love and human relationships set in the vibrant backdrop of Greenwich Village in the 1960s. Leonard Michaels weaves a tale that delves into the raw and passionate encounters of a couple, presenting honesty about obsession and attraction with rich, vivid prose.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A compelling portrait of the mad intensity, exquisite pain and destructive power of young love.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

When Leonard meets Sylvia by chance at a friend's shabby Greenwich Village apartment, he's instantly besotted with her striking beauty and quiet disdain. For the young aspiring writer, drifting through the city, the question of what to do with his life was resolved for the next four years.

In this remarkable semi-autobiographical novel, we are drawn into the world of a young beatnik couple living in Manhattan in the early 1960s, and their demi-monde of jazz, poetry, late nights and early mornings. But when Sylvia's depression and disturbances begin to emerge and take hold, their fights become increasingly violent and abusive, and their relationship drifts towards self-destruction.

Written with extraordinary clarity and precision, this is a compelling portrait of the mad intensity, exquisite pain and destructive power of young love.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Sylvia by Leonard Michaels is often praised for its raw and evocative portrayal of a tumultuous relationship in 1960s Greenwich Village. Reviewers highlight Michaels' elegant prose and ability to capture intense emotional experiences, although some readers find the narrative a bit disjointed due to its stream-of-consciousness style. Overall, the book is celebrated for its candid and intimate exploration of love and heartbreak.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781907970559

Publisher: Daunt Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 18 June 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Daunt Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 13.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 188g

Pages: 192

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Leonard Michaels Literary Fiction

About the Author

Leonard Michaels (1933-2003) was one of the most admired and influential American writers of the last half century. He was the author of five collections of short stories, and two novels: Sylvia (1993), and The Men's Club (1981), as well as numerous essays and screenplays.

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