It Was Gonna Be Like Paris

by Emily Listfield

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New York's East Village: a vibrant, decadent scene of young artists who emulate bohemian Paris of the 1920s. In this landscape populated by aspiring rock stars, addicts, Hell's Angels and misfits, eccentric spontaneity is a way of life. This is where Sara, a struggling painter, works, lives and loves. She hasn't made it yet, but she's confident that her talent will carry her through. Sometimes. Sometimes she thinks she's only fooling herself. Her ally is sardonic, witty Carrie, whose look is show more part Vogue model, part bag lady. Her undoing may be Brett, an irresistibly charming, fitfully romantic "trouble boy." A musician, he is by turns boyishly playful, surly, impetuous and thoroughly unreliable. Sara finds her love for him as addictive as the habit into which he slips more irrevocably every day. But release from her obsession is as elusive as art itself. show less

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Sara is a young artist living in New York's East Village one summer. She's busy with her friends, parties, clubs and especially her unreliable boyfriend, Brett. Brett's nominally a musician, singing in a band, but mostly he's getting high, which doesn't leave a lot of room for Sara in his life. Sara knows this, but she can't help opening her door every time he knocks.

This novel is very much a product of the 1980s, in both the setting and in the way the book is structured. Written in brief segments, some only a sentence long, the novel presents itself as a series of snapshots, all from Sara's point of view. She ruminates over her life choices and her relationship with Brett, but never for long. She and her friends are reaching an age show more where their bohemian hand-to-mouth existence is losing its allure and they're losing faith that their art will propel them to fame. show less

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9+ Works 442 Members

Common Knowledge

Original publication date
1984
People/Characters
Sara; Brett; Carrie; Gary
Important places
East Village, Manhattan, New York, New York, USA
Dedication
For my parents
First words
The hot club in New York that summer had a huge graffiti-like sign painted on one of its walls.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Well, we almost made it, Carrie says, as we climb down the fire escape.

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Romance
DDC/MDS
813.54Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English1900-19991945-1999
LCC
PS3562 .I7822 .I8Language and LiteratureAmerican literatureAmerican literatureIndividual authors1961-
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Statistics

Members
38
Popularity
766,173
Reviews
1
Rating
(3.00)
Languages
English
Media
Paper
ISBNs
2