City on Fire is a mammoth, sprawling doorstop of a novel that first-time novelist Garth Risk Hallberg dropped like an expansive missive in 2015, justifiably earning comparisons to Tom Wolfe, John Irving, and even Charles Dickens—all in this reviewer's opinion. New York in the 1970s has always been a fascinating era to read about, maybe not to live through, but definitely to explore from a safe distance. Hallberg’s 900+ page epic follows an intricate web of characters, centering on Regan and her brother William Hamilton-Sweeney, heirs to one of New York’s great fortunes, whose lives intersect with a diverse, sharply drawn cast of family, friends, lovers, and adversaries.
The novel moves from the idyllic suburban 1950s forward like an MTA train at midnight, at times slow and reflective, at times careening into chaos, pulling readers into a city teetering on the edge of collapse. Hallberg entwines the privileged Hamilton-Sweeneys with two Long Island teenagers, Samantha Cicciaro and Charlie Weisbarger, music-obsessed misfits drawn to the grit and allure of the Lower East Side. Their paths unexpectedly collide with William, a former punk rocker turned heroin-addicted artist, and his boyfriend Mercer, a reserved private school teacher from Georgia. Regan, meanwhile, is ensnared in the corporate world of midtown, juggling the expectations of family, an unraveling marriage, and a shadowy past that colors every decision she makes.
What makes City on Fire remarkable isn’t just its scope but its ability to give each character space to breathe. A lesser writer might struggle to balance such an expansive ensemble, but Hallberg’s confidence—bolstered by 900+ pages—ensures that every storyline is richly textured and deeply felt. More than just an ambitious plot, the novel dazzles with prose that captures a city famous for its grime and glamour, finding poetry in greasy paper plates, the scent of poppers, and the ever-present symphony of jackhammers.
Fittingly, the novel culminates during the infamous 1977 blackout, as Hallberg’s characters navigate a city plunged into literal and figurative darkness. Since its high-profile sale to Hollywood, the novel has faced backlash, with some critics finding its ambition outsized or its sprawl unwieldy. But for those willing to wade through its dense, immersive world, City on Fire reveals the emergence of a prominent new literary voice, one unafraid to capture the raw, electric pulse of a bygone New York.
