Book Review: "Tuesday Nights in 1980" by Molly Prentiss
“Tuesday Nights in 1980” by Molly Prentiss
Bookshop | Kindle
Publisher Synopsis: A transcendent debut novel that follows a critic, an artist, and a desirous, determined young woman as they find their way--and ultimately collide--amid the ever-evolving New York City art scene of the 1980s.
Welcome to SoHo at the onset of the eighties: a gritty, not-yet-gentrified playground for artists and writers looking to make it in the big city. Among them: James Bennett, a synesthetic art critic for the New York Times whose unlikely condition enables him to describe art in profound, magical ways, and Raul Engales, an exiled Argentinian painter running from his past and the Dirty War that has enveloped his country. As the two men ascend in the downtown arts scene, dual tragedies strike, and each is faced with a loss that acutely affects his relationship to life and to art. It is not until they are inadvertently brought together by Lucy Olliason--a small town beauty and Raul's muse--and a young orphan boy sent mysteriously from Buenos Aires, that James and Raul are able to rediscover some semblance of what they've lost.
As inventive as Jennifer Egan's A Visit From The Goon Squad and as sweeping as Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings, Tuesday Nights in 1980 boldly renders a complex moment when the meaning and nature of art is being all but upended, and New York City as a whole is reinventing itself. In risk-taking prose that is as powerful as it is playful, Molly Prentiss deftly explores the need for beauty, community, creation, and love in an ever-changing urban landscape.
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Review: I adored this novel. Adored. Set in 1980 (…obviously)—before downtown Manhattan was gentrified, before the AIDS crisis decimated communities—this novel is a gorgeous artistic piece centered on the New York City art scene.
Although I don’t know a ton about modern art, I would say my own artistic interests have definitely developed a bit more over the past few years. When traveling (…remember traveling?), I made it a point to pick up a piece of art in whatever city or country I was visiting. I have loved browsing galleries in Paris, art markets in Bali, and glassware shops in Venice. So reading about art critic James Bennett’s collection was practically mouth-watering. James has synesthesia, so while he’s not an incredibly talented artist himself (which became clear during college), he has impeccable taste in art because he’s able to discern the true “essence” of pieces.
The novel bounced back and forth between the POVs of James; artist Raul, who emigrated to the U.S. from a tumultuous Argentina; and Lucy, a recent NYC transplant by way of Idaho. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear how their stories are interwoven, and there are plenty of finely drawn supporting characters that really capture the essence of New York—the eccentric artist Fran, the outgoing gallerist Winona, and the wannabe artist, sort of slutty (I say that with no slut-shaming) Jamie.
The novel’s catalyst is, of course, New Year’s Eve. After Raul crashes Winona’s party (at which James is in attendance), he meets Lucy and they fall in love. At the party, James’ wife Marge suffers a miscarriage and his synesthesia suddenly disappears—he’s unable to write anything of substance about art—even further straining his marriage to Marge.
During Raul’s fast-track to fame (courtesy of Winona), he suffers a devastating accident (which I will not spoil). Things begin to further unravel and the lives of our three main characters become even more intertwined.
I found Prentiss’ writing beautiful—at times overwrought, but I tend to like overwrought prose and unexpected metaphors. The garbage trucks are “nocturnal, mechanical armadillos,” and Winona “had the kind of hair that was popular that year, a curtain revealing only the first act of her face” (so late ’70s!).
Admittedly, I use the phrase “love letter to New York” way too often, but this novel is just that—a love letter to a bygone era in New York, and one that ties together some ambitious themes quite beautifully. The cliche of moving from a small town to New York, love, creativity, loss, loss of innocence—it’s ambitious and I loved it.
TL;DR: Three characters’ stories come to life in this beautiful novel set in downtown New York in 1980. The art scene comes alive through at-times exaggerated prose (which, to be clear, I loved). This novel is about the art scene and is, quite literally, a work of art itself.
If you liked this, try:
“Save Me the Plums” by Ruth Reichl (Bookshop | Kindle) (my review here)
“Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul” by Jeremiah Moss (Bookshop | Kindle)
If you click on one of the links in this article and make a purchase, She’s Full of Lit may receive a small commission. It doesn’t add anything to your price — we promise! Thanks so much for your support.
