One Fifth Avenue [マスマーケット]

I had never read a Candace Bushnell novel before this and never seen a complete episode of Sex and the City, though I had heard of it. I've been disappointed by most of the recent (and ballyhooed) novels I've read. But on previewing an excerpt of One Fifth in Vogue, I was intrigued by the profoundly shallow character of Lola Fabrikant, a fabricated girl with a name to match. Now on reading the book, I am genuinely impressed. Candace Bushnell is a true storyteller, and that's no small praise. She's written a pageturner, crafted memorable characters, imbued them with individuality and personality, and given them the most luscious lines to speak. Her subject is not sex despite what you may think, and though there is considerably more explicitness than in Edith Wharton or Jane Austen (you may skip, as I did, the overly anatomical descriptions), Bushnell's real subject is the pursuit of status and success in New York City at the present moment. Many have tried this subject before, but the Jayne Krentzes and Rona Jaffes of the past were hacks compared to Bushnell. She's not an artist, but she is very clever and even wise. And she spins a darn good story, which is what a novel, to me, should be about. Almost every character in One Fifth Avenue is lacking his heart's desire, is deeply dissatisfied, and these frustrated desires, which conflict with those of their neighbors, drive the plot lines of the novel. The greatest desire of all is not for love, but for real estate, in the form of a penthouse triplex at One Fifth Avenue, up for sale after the death of its centenarian socialite owner, felled on her own terrace in a driving rainstorm. A crowning irony is that this aged doyenne who possesses the acme of desire, the immense apartment atop Manhattan's coveted address, dies of pneumonia because her servants can't locate her in time in the 7,000 square foot apartment. Such is the futility of possession.

I am a huge fan of Candace's previous work, addicted to Sex In the City, watch Lipstick Jungle faithfully - so I was excited to see this come out and grabbed it immediately. I have struggled repeatedly to get through this book, and force myself to keep coming back to finish as I keep hoping something better will happen. Almost too many character storylines fighting for attention, hard to keep track! Not only does it also seem overdone, some even seems like "I've read it before" in her other books. I too think the characters are shallow and not even quite sure of the point of some of them - even for the staunchest of fans, I wouldn't recommend it.

Candace Bushnell is a genius in this medium. She is a wonderful literary talent who mixes comedy with dark drama in the most interesting of New York settings. ONE FIFTH is a comedy that both New Yorkers and Americans alike can relate to as the tenants of this grand building trample over each other when some try to reach their way to the top of the social scale and buy what is certainly one of the best penthouses in NYC's famous Greenwhich village. Where the fervent Bushnell fans will be delighted to see familar-type faces; the young Lola Fabrikant, the gorgeous actress Schiffer Diamond, that everyone wishes they were. New readers will maybe find a bit of themselves in the reserved but intelligent character of Annalisa or the overachiever, Mindy Gooch, who just never finds happiness, no matter how much she has accomomplished. ONE FIFTH is surely one of the most revelent books on the shelves right now and the best thing about it is, it's a damn good read. TS

If you haven't heard of One Fifth Avenue, chances are that you've been living under a rock somewhere in the middle of the desert, for everyone has heard of New York City's One Fifth Avenue. It is the singular address on the East Coast, where only the true crème de la crème of society hang their hat. A building which people stop in their tracks to admire, hoping that they'll catch a mere glimpse of a celebrated actresses gloved hand as she scurries through the oversized doors dividing those who belong from those who do not; or expecting a chance encounter with a screenwriter who holds the power to launch their career. There is one resident, however, who will never allow this to happen; and that is Mindy Gooch - head of the board.

Mindy Gooch and her journalist husband James are not of the same type of breeding as the rest of the One Fifth Avenue residents; thus the reason Mindy spends so much time trying to stop each and every idea they try to implement. And as the head of the board, Mindy has the ability to put up a good fight; but not good enough.

When Louise Houghton, a true Queen of New York Society passes on, leaving a vacant apartment within One Fifth, Mindy wants nothing more than to scoop it up; but alas, she lacks the funds. Hedge-funder Paul Rice and his beautiful, if not slightly plain, attorney wife Annalisa, on the other hand, are quite well-endowed. For them, $15 million dollars is pocket change; and so, they invest in the swankiest apartment in the building. Mindy could not be more pleased; after all, if she can't have it, the highest bidder should. But when Paul attempts to install a wall-unit air conditioner in his new abode, Mindy doesn't let it fly, and Paul, unused to being told no, wages a war that slowly but surely drags each and every One Fifth resident into battle. Something that aging actress Schiffer Diamond wants absolutely no part of.

Schiffer Diamond was all the rage years ago, but she fled New York City for the bright lights of Los Angeles under the guise of furthering her career. In all actuality, her goal was to escape from the up and down relationship she shared with screenwriter Philip Oakland - a man whom she still carries a torch for. When the opportunity to work on a new TV show presents itself, Schiffer leaves her LA life behind to head back to the Big Apple, One Fifth, and...old flame Philip.

Philip Oakland has never gotten over Schiffer Diamond. Women have come and gone from his life over the years, but it is Schiffer who has forever stayed on his mind. When he learns that she's returning to New York - specifically, One Fifth - there's a small flicker of hope that the two of them may have the chance to rekindle their romance; until twenty-something Lola Fabrikant enters the picture.

Lola is a gold-digger of the worst possible kind. A supposed Southern Belle from Atlanta, Lola is a cunning girl who will do anything and everything to claw her way to the top and claim her title as the next Carrie Bradshaw; and if she happens to snag herself a billionaire during her climb...even better. When she begins successfully seducing Philip, Lola believes that she is on the road to accomplishing her goal. But there's someone who won't let that happen...

...gossip columnist Enid Merle, Philip's Aunt and fellow One Fifth resident can see right through Lola Fabrikant. As a wealthy individual who built herself up from scratch, she has no respect for a girl who uses her body to get what she wants, and refuses to give the budding relationship between Philip and Lola her blessing. Rather, she is determined to push Lola as far out of the picture as possible; and, while she's at it, bring Schiffer and Philip together once and for all.

One thing that I have come to associate with Candace Bushnell during the course of the years that I have been reading her work is that she never ceases to amaze you. While the characters who star within the pages of Sex and the City, Lipstick Jungle, Trading Up, and 4 Blondes all share common traits and characteristics; not a single one of them has mimicked another, where you feel as if their persona has been done before. Each and every one of them has a uniqueness about their personality, even if it's just a single trait, that sets them apart from one another, and keeps the storyline fresh, fun, and fabulous - as visible within One Fifth Avenue.

As per usual, Bushnell has crafted a story not unlike a soap opera, with an eclectic cast, all of whom draw out such powerful emotions in the reader, making you feel as if you are a part of the story; something that doesn't happen everyday. You love them, you loathe them, you want to see them fail, you want to see them succeed. Bushnell brings these people to life in a way that makes them seem real. As if you'll pass them in the hallway on your way to the office or the corner store. They are not simply characters, they are true individuals; and it is that quality that keeps you turning the pages. Stock up on supplies; you won't be leaving the house until you've read every last word!

Erika Sorocco
Café Fashionista

I must say, I was extremely disappointed with Bushnell's latest novel. I had to fight with myself to finish it. I was more than halfway through the book before anything even remotely exciting happened, and then when it did, it wasn't developed very well. I am an avid reader and I always read books until the end, but this one I actually dreaded picking back up again. Lola's character is annoying and James and Mindy Gooch are so bland that it makes my head hurt. Too many characters and not enough substance make this a book I wish I would have left on the shelf. If there was a half star rating I would have given it!