I've tried reading this book a couple of times and I wanted to believe that it was me not being in the right headspace to grasp the concept of this book. However, after much effort, I did end up DNFing it. There seemed to be so much going on all at once that I was muddled in confusion. I wasn't able to distinguish the characters from one another. I think this book was just not for me/I wasn't the target audience. It ended up being that the premise was more interesting than the actual book.

This really is an astounding book. The writing, wordplay, and scope of the novel is breathtaking. It continues to grow and fold in upon itself with each new character introduced. It is also, I will admit, meandering, sometimes confusing, and perhaps too ambitious. Still I loved this book and will look for more from this author.

Long winded and honestly, very boring. The idea of a book taking place over one night - during a blizzard is creative - but...it was just so wordy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

I loved the idea of a novel taking place at a Manhattan apartment on the night of the famous blizzard of February 6, 1978. It turns out that Jack Livings, in his debut novel, has decided to go all out: spreading his story far and wide, with widely diverging storylines and meandering, wildly detailed prose.

It took me a long time to get into the book, I’ll confess. I couldn’t figure out what the book was about, who all these people were, how they connected. In the end, I’m still not sure. This is one of those books that’s more about the writing than character development or a coherent plot.

Debut authors often take a kitchen-sink approach to their novels, and Livings is no different. It’s like he’s taken every idea he ever had and crammed it into this kaleidoscopic trip of a novel. He also belongs to the school of the more description the better. He has a 65-word sentence describing one of those happy face shopping bags. It’s not really a description of the bag so much as a commentary on American communication style, but still.

I should add a Goodreads shelf called Appreciated But Didn’t Enjoy. I can understand why some readers loved this book. I’m just too conventional a reader to fall in with them.

Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook. I loved the author’s last book called The Dog, which was a book of short stories that dazzled by quickly thrusting us into different and varied worlds in modern day China. Now his first novel is even more impressive. The epic sprawl of the book starts on a huge snowstorm storm in NYC in 1978 and includes the residents of an upper west side apartment building called The Apelles, where an out of control party is taking place in a large penthouse apartment. From this apartment and this one day we meet over a dozen characters that show us not only this day, but take us back to World War II, glimpses of the Vietnam War, to 9/11 and beyond. The novel goes down a million side roads, but always comes back to Hazel Saltwater who was six years old at the night of the party. We see her life then and follow her to the woman she becomes today. I thought this novel was was equally parts intelligent, exhaustive and never less than fascinating.

This is high among my top novels of 2021 (so far). So I was happy to feature it in February’s edition of Novel Encounters, my monthly column roundup up the top new fiction titles for Zoomer magazine’s Books section.
To read the feature, click on the link.

Described as "A panoramic novel set in New York City during the catastrophic blizzard of February 1978." I knew I was all in.

I love the time period, I love the city, and I love a story built more on characters and relationships than a clear concise plot. This book didn't have a lot of action and excitement, but rather a strong dialogue and story between the characters. There are a lot of characters and causal pathways from each one's actions to the reactions and consequences that follow. I thought this was profound and well-written- similar to the way Stephen Markley did with the book "Ohio." I thought about this all night after I finished and I enjoyed the melancholy, realistic feel.

This book was not for me. I REALLY loved the description as well as the cover and it kept catching my eye on Goodreads. However, I DNF as the style just wasn't for me. I really wanted to like it! I think the idea for the book is great and I am very hopeful for the author that other readers will be able to connect to the story. (I'm only posting this review on NetGalley).

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"A panoramic novel set in New York City during the catastrophic blizzard of February 1978."

What was this book about? So very incredibly rambly, lots of dead-end rabbit trails. I know what the blurb says .. but the blizzard played an extremely small part in the story. I got through about half and skimmed the rest.

1☆

A rambling contortion of a novel. The Blizzard Party offers up a long, meandering story best read slowly. Confusing at times, but the end brings everything together in a twisty conclusion.

While certainly not uplifting, this is well written. It has a large cast, and an interesting plot that kept me mostly engaged. For readers that don't mind a pretty well written, but rather depressing tale, this may work.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

If I knew how this book was going to end, I would not have started it. If you like contemplating your own annihilation then this is the book for you. In these uncertain times I am trying to avoid media that is gratuitously bleak, as this book is. I know that considering our own mortality is commonplace once you reach middle age. A phrase used in this book is: "strong medicine." This book is all digression and is very well written and hard to follow. It is rewarding if you are in a different headspace to me perhaps.