Why We Came To The City is a much more straight forward novel than The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards, and for that reason I think it will enjoy more widespread appeal. It’s about four friends living their post-university lives in New York City. It’s about youthful optimism slowly melting away under the hardships of the 2008 financial meltdown. George and Sarah represent the stability of the group and are on the road to marriage. Jacob and Irene, a poet and an artist, are of more artistic temperaments and leave chaos in their wake. My description does not do the novel justice, but i don’t want to give too much away. The characters are wonderfully wrought and I was brought to tears reading the book.
I read Why We Came to The City shortly after reading Purity by Jonathan Franzen (review). Though both novels are by white guys from Brooklyn, they couldn’t be more different. Jansma shows that a white guy can write about women, minorities and LGBT characters that aren’t cardboard cutouts. Jansma has the sensitive eye, pen and voice that Franzen patently ignores. And that is just one of the things that distinguishes Jansma as a great writer.
Who would like this book? You loved The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (review), I know you did. I loved it too, but Why We Came To The City is even better. Jansma’s rendering of the group dynamics of young friends going through a tough time is spot on. To speak like oh so many millennials, it gave me all the feels.
52 books or bust 
OK – I really have to give this a shot now. I sampled it awhile back, but didn’t buy the book for some reason, but have now seen a couple reviews and they were all glowing. And, I did love The Interestings…and also lived in NYC in the finance world during the 2008 crisis.
It sounds perfect for you. The preface is written in first person plural and it kind of put me off. Perhaps that’s what you read?
okay! excellent to hear Tanya! I have this one and it is the one I want to pitch to our book club next month. We need to break out of our “regular” and choose something that we wouldn’t normally choose. I have the Unchangeable one too, but haven’t read that one yet.
Oh – that’s a weird persona — it’s Penny/LH BTW…:-)
I remembered that you had read his first book, and I was going to ask you which you liked better, but you’ve already answered my question! Now I want to read them both!
Excellent! I have both Leopards and this one sitting in my TBR stack (just have to quickly get through the Stella Prize and Baileys Prize shortlist reading and I’ll be onto it!).
AHHHH you’re making me want to read this RIGHT NOW. I really liked his debut, but for some reason I’ve been putting this off (despite owning it). Like the groups of friends going through things plot is so not me. But, in that sense, his debut so wasn’t me either. And yet. I’m excited to see what Jansma’s been up to!
Read it – I’d love to know what you think. It is so different from Leopards.
Yesss! I honestly loved this book enough that I was nervous to read your review. There are few books I’d say that about. I particularly agree with your comments about the author’s ability to sensitively portray all of his characters and the appeal his work have for millennials I’ve been recommending it to everyone 🙂
Oh great! I want to read this one and so I’m very glad for your positive review. I hope to read it soon.
It was great. Read it soon.
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