Vivian Morris is a free-spirited 19 year old who flees the confines of her small-town childhood to move in with her Aunt, Peg in Manhattan. Peg owns and runs a theatre and as Vivian becomes involved in the life of the theatre she discovers a whole new way of life. Later on, older, calmer and wiser she rekindles two major friendships from her younger years, and lives happily for many years, independently, on her own terms.

I came to this with interest as I have had a mixed experience with Elizabeth Gilbert. I loved The Signature of all Things particularly, and enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love, but I didn't get on with Big Magic. The tone of this novel is totally different again from each of those and shows that Gilbert has a very creative capacity to reinvent herself. I think my favourite writers are always those that are recognisably themselves, but I still admire her ability to write in so many different styles and genres.

So the novel begins in a relentlessly jaunty, frothy style which I think is meant to evoke the spirit of the flighty and narcissistic young Vivian - and which I found as wearying as the character herself. However the older Vivian, looking back, is a very likeable narrator and she recaptures her younger self with honesty. The notions of freedom and independence for women, including sexual freedom are really important to the novel and I loved the way that Vivian comes to embrace and celebrate this part of herself. The final chapters with Frank had a nice circularity and were really moving aswell.

Nevertheless, I found it an uneven novel as a whole. Although the scene is set in detail, I felt that not enough happens until the character Edna arrives. Once Edna does arrive, the rehearsals and performances of 'City of Girls' are depicted in great detail and are quite gripping, but the way different events were depicted didn't always fit with the narrative frame of the letter. The war years were skipped over in a rush and I didn't feel that the transition from younger Vivian to older Vivian was very smooth. I would have really enjoyed a more evenly paced version of this novel but as a celebration of an independent woman, it's enjoyable.

I found this book very slow paced. I did read it to the end. But I struggled. Well written but I didn’t enjoy reading it.

I found this book to be quite slow moving and self-indulgent. I did read to the end but I found that it was difficult to relate to the main character (or any of the characters to be honest). Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an egally.

Wow I enjoyed this book, I found the storyline fresh and exciting. Ideas the book over the course as I honestly couldn't put the book dpwn. It has easily been one of my favourite books of the year.

This book was an absolute delight from beginning to end!

Our narrator is Vivian Morris. Recently kicked out of Vassar, Vivian goes to live with her aunt Peg who owns and runs a theatre in New York. The theatre is all small reviews, showgirls, dancers and music and Vivian is in love with it all from the very beginning until she makes one big mistake and everything starts to fall apart and she is banished, left to lick her wounds and find out what it is she really wants from her life.

That's a really short summary, but really, you need to read it yourself and get caught up in the joy of it all. Vivian is writing about her life in a letter to the daughter of a man who played a huge part in her life and her voice is just a delight. I was in love with her from about page ... one! She was selfish, witty, vain, vivacious and so very young and just learning to live life to the full, enjoy sex, drink far too much and not worry at all about what tomorrow brings. You think you'd find her utterly vapid and not worth knowing about her, but there is just something about her honesty in writing about her foolish youth decades later that makes her loveable and brings back some memories of your own youth - although most of us haven't lived the youth she did!

Long story short. I adored this book and would happily recommend it to all comers!

I found this very much a book of two halves. I initially thought I would hate it, as Vivian seemed to be a very unappealing character. However the first part of the book dealing with Vivian's time in New York working in the theatre was quite an engaging story, although I could have done without the details of her sex life, which didn't add anything to the story. The second part of the book was much less interesting, and much less engaging. It seemed to drag, and the writing seemed much more wooden. All in all I think that some people would really enjoy this book, but I wouldn't recommend it.

A sharp, witty and insightful tale of a young girl in New York, and the collision between her restricted upbringing and the bright lights of the city.

A magical historical fiction, so different from anything I've ever read by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I throughly enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction!

This was my Second Book by the author.. being Eat Pray Love the other one in rad by her long time ago.

The book is completely different.

historical fiction, told in the way of a narration by the protagonist.

This book has a good character development. has joy, heartbreak..
And the representation of love.

Also the descriptions were so nicely written I can tell the author made a wonderful research job.

Oh wow, City of Girls was just what was needed during this chaotic and crazy times! It transports you to 1940s New York where we meet Vivian, the main character of the book. This is definitely a coming of age novel and we follow Vivian on her journey through her life, the ups and the downs.

Vibrant and full of life, Vivian moves to live with her aunt who runs a theatre in New York. We see firsthand the young, naive woman that Vivian is but we soon become embroiled in her shenanigans and adventures and read as she develops and grows as a character.

The story is told from Vivian’s point of view and the writing is almost conversational, learning about all her innermost secrets and sharing of her feelings. Elizabeth Gilbert really makes you envision New York during those times and Vivian’s story feels so real and true, almost as if it was based on someone’s own life story.

Despite the mistakes Vivian makes along the way, you really can’t help but like her and as she grows older, you love her that little bit more. This book really is a story of acceptance and showing that being who you are truly matters. It’s embracing the hurdles and mistakes along the way and loving those people for being them, flaws and all!

It's 1940, twenty year old Vivian has dropped out of school and been sent to live with her somewhat eccentric Aunt Peg, who just so happens to run a New York theatre. What should be disgrace for Vivian becomes a rip-roaring ride through New York nightlife, a coming of age and a behind the scenes of a golden age in American Theatre.

Yet this is a book very much of two halves, split by the war. While the first half focuses on the wild nights of Vivian's youth, scandal and shame, the second half is a much truer 'coming of age' in which Vivian grows up sharply. The opulent cityscape we saw previously has become practical, industrial, the frivolity replaced with economy. Vivian's life through the story is a striking portrayal of how one woman experiences history. Vivian is shaped by her time, and forges her life despite it.

This novel is as rich and vibrant as they come with a cast of characters who are larger than life. Elaborate details are the making of this story, right down to the show they stage itself, it's costumes and lyrics. The wider story is framed by this letter to an unknown reader, which gives Vivian a wonderful knowing, often witty and cynical voice in the narrative, and one that you won't forget any time soon. When you eventually circle back to this framing, so much has changed - Vivian, New York City and you as a reader.

Vivian's story is the perfect accompaniment and antidote to the heady, overwhelming sense of opportunity and sheer anxiety that comes with your twenties, and is probably full of nostalgia for that late 'coming of age' for anyone who is older. If you aren't sure where your life is going or what you want to do with it, City of Girls might help ground you, or provide the perfect escapism into someone else life for a while.

I loved this book. I was drawn into the life of Vivian who was living it up in NY in the 1940s...even though there were times when I found her self centred and selfish, I blamed it on her youth and immaturity. She had a great role model in her aunt and it was great to see the bond between them develop. Highly recommended.

I have ambivalent feelings about this book. I'm a big fan of the author and love her writing style but I disliked the main character and this tainted the story for me. It's 1940, Vivian is nineteen years old, vain and spoilt, when her parents send her to her aunt in New York after dropping out from university. Her aunt runs a theatre of show girls, providing affordable entertainment to the masses and only just manages to cover her costs. She welcomes her niece and offers her all the excitement and adventure of New York. In turn, Vivian reciprocates by living a life of either sexual liberation or debauchery, depending on your level of generosity, with serious consequences to those that care for her or offer friendship.
At all times I was interested where the story would lead and 1940's New York came alive for me. There were lots of fascinating characters and I particularly loved the veteran English stage actress who embodies all that is powerful in a woman. However, the character development of Vivian came too slowly for me. Beautiful, young, vain and entitled, she has a selfish, disregard for her actions and their impact on anybody else. Her narcissistic pursuit of hedonism, nurtured such strong dislike for Vivian that I was unable to identify or empathise with her character or situation. I understand what the author wanted to achieve, and the book demonstrates that not everyone is born for a conventional life, but I had trouble connecting with this story.

Really enjoyable read ! The book is a letter from Vivian to someone called Angela and is all about Vivians life from a 19 year old in the 1940's who started college but left after a year and went to live with her Aunt in New York. Here she discovered a bohemian lifestyle that she loved! She made lots of friends and partyied hard ! I loved the style and pace of this book and I couldn't put it down I wanted to hear all about her life, the last few chapters were really poignant . This is a lovely book about friendships .

This book is beautifully written and brings to life New York in the 1940s and onwards as Vivienne tells her life story.

A new author to me and quite an interesting book. I don’t usually read books that are not set in this age but was surprised about how the lives of women in New York lived in the 1940’s onwards especially in the theatre world. The story is narrated by Vivian who is telling Angela (did not know what the relationship was in the beginning) of her life through decades of her life. Vivian is sent to her Aunt in New York who runs a theatre because she did not want to be at school or college and her family did not know what to do with her so she shipped off to New York. This opened Vivian’s eyes and she was swept away in the New York life style and seemed to love being around the people in this world. She was very handy with a sewing machine and this helped her bond with the others who lived a chaotic life in a chaotic household. The story travels along in a lovely way and I found that I wanted to get to the end of the story to see what happened especially to Vivian. The story went along well but I do feel it was not my sort of book even though I did feel it was well written and interesting to learn about 1940’s plus New York

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, a 1940s set novel about the life of a Vassar dropout who moves to New York should charm from the outset. Unfortunately, the writing felt clunky to me and I neither liked nor believed in Vivian as a character. I know I’m in the minority here, but I found this overlong and unengaging.

Absolutely loved it! Such escapism was so welcome during this dreadful Covid-19 time we are in. I enjoyed the setting of New York - I haven't read many books set in the city and enjoyed all the wonderful descriptions of how the city functioned over the decades. Wonderful, full of life characters that you just fell in love with. I was transfixed by Vivian's story and was with her 100% of the way, I felt every moment that was wonderfully described to us. I have already recommended this to all my book club girls- i am so hoping they read it so I have someone to discuss and bring the book to life with.

A tale of city girls on new York in the 1940’s when they felt life was too short to not enjoy everything that came their way. This involved many sexual encounters and a lot of booze. Sorry to say I didn’t really enjoy it- it just seemed drawn out.

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Glorious and uplifting, what a fabulous read this is! Vivian Morris is a girl before her time, full of adventure, seeking thrills and enjoying sex with many men. Life with aunt Peg and the Lily theatre is wonderfully described, New York in 1940 is a ball and Vivian enjoys every minute. However, reality seeps into the bubble and she makes some wrong decisions, takes a wrong turn. How her life develops after this is almost a different book but just as readable and enjoyable. Vivian knows what she wants and how to get it but she also gives back many times over. Full of characters that jump off the page, full of wisdom and joy, I loved this.