A cannibal in Manhattan
by Tama Janowitz
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Description
Mgungu Yabba Mgungu is living happily on the South Sea Island of New Burnt Norton with his three wives, one hundred pigs and assorted children, the last remaining members of the tribe of the Lesser Pimbas. Into this uncivilised land comes Maria Fishburn, strange and beautiful heiress, who decides to marry Mgungu and drag him back to New York City. From his first encounter with airline food and rock star Kent Gable, who declares he was recently abducted by aliens, Mgungu is plunged into a show more world much more predatory than anything in the South Seas. Soon Mgungu is the toast of all Manhattan, meeting Parker Junius, unctous curator of the Museum of Primitive Arts, talking philosophy with Sophie Tuckerman, deli owner, and meeting the illustrious Joey, of pizza parlour fame. It is swathed in a huge fur coat and with his new gold pen through his nose that Mgungu finally marries Maria. But then he falls in with a motley crew who come to threaten them both. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
I LOVE TAMA! Let me put that in bold letters so that can't be missed!
I don't understand all the harsh criticism. But I also realize, if you aren't quirky or eccentric, you simply wouldn't get it. Only quirky and eccentric people need apply here! Non quirky and eccentric people, stick to her novel Slaves of New York and then move onto another author to get your fix, instead of giving something that will not be your cup of tea an unnecessary low review!
This was HILARIOUS, and adorable, original and fresh. I will never get enough of this author, I find her extremely adorable and brilliant and hilarious.
The dark satire here is STRONG, might I also warn, there is a nauseating scene (AT THE BBQ ugh!)
But there is a style here that I simply show more adore, and wish more authors had a style akin to Tama.
I hope she never stops writing! show less
I don't understand all the harsh criticism. But I also realize, if you aren't quirky or eccentric, you simply wouldn't get it. Only quirky and eccentric people need apply here! Non quirky and eccentric people, stick to her novel Slaves of New York and then move onto another author to get your fix, instead of giving something that will not be your cup of tea an unnecessary low review!
This was HILARIOUS, and adorable, original and fresh. I will never get enough of this author, I find her extremely adorable and brilliant and hilarious.
The dark satire here is STRONG, might I also warn, there is a nauseating scene (AT THE BBQ ugh!)
But there is a style here that I simply show more adore, and wish more authors had a style akin to Tama.
I hope she never stops writing! show less
I LOVE TAMA! Let me put that in bold letters so that can't be missed!
I don't understand all the harsh criticism. But I also realize, if you aren't quirky or eccentric, you simply wouldn't get it. Only quirky and eccentric people need apply here! Non quirky and eccentric people, stick to her novel Slaves of New York and then move onto another author to get your fix, instead of giving something that will not be your cup of tea an unnecessary low review!
This was HILARIOUS, and adorable, original and fresh. I will never get enough of this author, I find her extremely adorable and brilliant and hilarious.
The dark satire here is STRONG, might I also warn, there is a nauseating scene (AT THE BBQ ugh!)
But there is a style here that I simply show more adore, and wish more authors had a style akin to Tama.
I hope she never stops writing! show less
I don't understand all the harsh criticism. But I also realize, if you aren't quirky or eccentric, you simply wouldn't get it. Only quirky and eccentric people need apply here! Non quirky and eccentric people, stick to her novel Slaves of New York and then move onto another author to get your fix, instead of giving something that will not be your cup of tea an unnecessary low review!
This was HILARIOUS, and adorable, original and fresh. I will never get enough of this author, I find her extremely adorable and brilliant and hilarious.
The dark satire here is STRONG, might I also warn, there is a nauseating scene (AT THE BBQ ugh!)
But there is a style here that I simply show more adore, and wish more authors had a style akin to Tama.
I hope she never stops writing! show less
Although I was highly motivated to read this, I just could not get through it. Pretentious gibberish. I bought it (in expensive hardcover, no less) when it was first published and Janowitz was the media's literary darling. Twenty-something years later, it's "Janowitz who?". This book should be rereleased with the title "How to Kill your Literary Career". Possibly the worst book published in the 80s, or perhaps even the entire 20th century.
Edited to add: the second review of this completely ignored book suggested that this book is only for Eccentric! Quirky! Lovers of dark satire. Yeah, I read and love lots of eccentric, quirky and dark. Check out my library. This book still failed. How's Ms Janowitz's writing career going since this was show more published? show less
Edited to add: the second review of this completely ignored book suggested that this book is only for Eccentric! Quirky! Lovers of dark satire. Yeah, I read and love lots of eccentric, quirky and dark. Check out my library. This book still failed. How's Ms Janowitz's writing career going since this was show more published? show less
A terrible book. A waste of time to read. Stupid premise and even worse execution. Even as satire it sucks.
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Books Set in New York City
127 works; 21 members
Gen X Library
245 works; 4 members
Author Information
17+ Works 1,939 Members
Tama Janowitz exploded onto the literary scene in 1986 with her bestselling book, Slaves of New York. Her most recent novel is Peyton Amberg. Janowitz's work has appeared in many publications, including The New Yorker, Vogue, the New York Times Op-Ed page, and elsewhere. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter
Some Editions
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- A cannibal in Manhattan
- Original title
- A cannibal in Manhattan
- Original publication date
- 1987
- People/Characters*
- Mgungu Yabba Mgungu; Maria Fisburn
- Important places
- New York, New York, USA; New Burnt Norton
- Original language
- English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 226
- Popularity
- 143,624
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (2.71)
- Languages
- 8 — Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 4
