Rating: 
Summary: City of darkness would have been the more appropriate title
Review: From the prologue, which is written several years after the events the rest of the book will chronicle, you are warned that 700 pages hence, you will not be arriving at a happy ending, although you may still be surprised at how dismal it all turns out. This slow moving story tracks the unlikely adventures of a turn of the century spinster who is head of a prestigious girl's preparatory school in Buffalo. The general form of the book is to present an interesting bit of plot at the tale end of a chapter and then proceed to spend pages on dry historical information which bares little on the story before she manages to work in the next plot point. Examples of this are noting every single person and what they are wearing wherever she goes and it doesn't help that it seems she runs into every character in the book at each social function she attends. She also likes to explain the family relationships of characters who are never directly met by the heroine and have nothing to do with the story and endlessly detail the workings of power plants, which should have been interesting, but yet somehow she manages to drain all interest from the subject matter. About half way through the book the pace picks up although the author still can't restrain herself from such things as having her heroine pronounce right in the middle of suspenseful section that she needs a dark chocolate covered marshmallow bar and then has her head straight to the candy shop where she can spend several pages describing the shop and its contents. You get the distinct impression that the author had just read about candy at the turn of the century and had made a note to work it in. But remove all of the unneeded dull description and you are left with an interesting plot that is marred only by its strange and non-historical underpinnings. For some strange reason she presents a world in which power is supposed to be only for the factories and for the most wealthy and her main character actually believes will never be for the common people. What history books the author read, I have not a clue. Thomas Edison, the father of electricity stated as his public goal in the 1880s "to make electric light so cheap that only the rich will be able to burn candles." By 1900 about the time this book takes place there were already 25 million electric incandescent lamps in use and homeowners had been introduced to electric stoves, sewing machines, curling irons, and vacuum cleaners. While it would another 28 years before the nationwide powergrid was set up and a bit longer before electricity reached all of the rural communities, to suggest that turn of the century business men had an interest in withholding power form the masses is ludicrous. And to have the stories hero threatened because he proposed giving electricity away because it was the only way for the poor to ever get is totally outlandish and in fact has no basis in history. But this isn't the only unlikely plot points underpinning this book. One of the heroines suitors and the father of her god-child is so wealthy that he can afford to donate a million dollars and yet he is the employee of other men? Any man with that kind of money in those days would have been involved in his own ventures. And even worse to build a plot around such a wealthy man being threatened strains credibility. America was not Europe. If you had enough money, you were part of society. Most of the great wealth in America was new money and humble upbringing were the norm, not something to be whispered about once you had arrived. Beyond that she portrayed President Cleveland as a rapist and several other historical figures as the kind of monsters who would willing ruin a respectable young lady in order to secure the favor of a powerful man and then neglects to mention in her afterward what sources she used to arrive at these unflattering portrayals. Thankfully for the author, the dead can not sue her for libel .Leaving aside the dubious history you have a portrait of an unsympathetic women who gave up all of her dreams and goals due to circumstances arranged for her and in the end when she realizes it, she doesn't even care. Oddly satisfying but thoroughly depressing.
Rating: 
Summary: A Book in Search of a Plot
Review: I found this book a very frustrating and ultimately disappointing read. Within the first few chapters there is a death that is suspected of being a murder. A reasonable person might think the solving of the mystery surrounding this character's demise might be a central plot element. Wrong. The novel also covers social mores and class structure - i.e. one's "place" in Victorian society as determined by sex, race and relative wealth, conditions for blacks and especially black women in turn of the century America, development of electric power and the ramifications of its development for society and industry, the Buffalo Pan-American exhibition, the assassination of President McKinley. You name it, it's in there. A smorgasbord that somehow misses being a feast. Potential plot elements are picked up and just as quickly dropped like so many hot potatos. Characters do illogical and improbable things - our heroine, the self-possessed headmistress of a girl's school, bearing Grover Cleveland's love child? Since we meet her as a savvy and mature woman it's hard to conceive of her as that young and dumb. Characters romantically involved one minute who hadn't previously so much as held hands then acting like virtual strangers upon the rising of the sun. I found myself soldiering on to the bitter end just to see how Ms. Belfer was going to wrap it all up. When I read the last word I pitched the book across the room glad to be able to get on with my life. Advice to Ms. Belfer: Try again but next time don't be so ambitious. Advice to potential readers: If you really want to read this get it at the library.
Rating: 
Summary: Lousy Ending Ruins this Book
Review: I loved this book until the very end. Then, boom, the narrative unraveled completely. The revelations of the last few pages of this book are forced, do not flow from what went before and turn the heroine from a strong, intelligent woman into a self-deceiving victim. One wants to ask the author what happened? It's as if one person wrote 99 percent of the book and somebody else took over and finished it up (with no concern for continuity of character or events).
Rating: 
Summary: Softspoken but Shocking
Review: I loved this book! Lauren Belfer's novel, City of Light, is a beautiful work of literature. I had looked at this book on the store shelves for months now, and just now picked it up. I wish I hadn't waited so long! If you are doing the same thing, picking it up and putting it back on the shelf, STOP! BUY THIS BOOK! I was amazed at how quickly I was pulled into this amazing book. The story is told through the eyes of a young headmistress, Louisa Barret. She is softspoken, ladylike, and reserved, but her closet is overflowing with skeletons. She soon becomes involved in a series of murder investigations and learns that all is not as it seems in Buffalo New York. The story is amazing with twist and turns around every corner, all told in the quiet, softspoken voice of a turn of the century woman. GET THIS BOOK! IT IS AMAZING!! The last few pages alone are worth the cover price!
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent and thoughtful
Review: I read this book in two days and wasn't disappointed with a single word. Louisa Barrett is the headmistress of a private school for girls in 1901 Buffalo, NY. She runs with an elite crowd of millionaires who have socially accepted her despite her rather humble origins. Louisa becomes involved in intrigue surrounding the death of a man involved in the construction of a controversial electrical power plant which would be powered by the waters of the beautiful Niagra Falls. Her involvement endangers everything she has worked carefully to achieve in both social and professional realms. Another thread in the plot is Louisa's concern for Grace, the daughter of Louisa's deceased best friend -- concern for Grace's safety and concern that Grace's true identity will be exposed. The early push for Civil Rights, labor unions and social reform is addressed, as is political corruption on the federal level. Many suspense novels today are mind candy. City of Light offers much more. Belfer provides detailed historical information regarding the early development and practicality of electricity and the environmental issues surrounding use of natural resources -- an issue of tremendous relevance still today. Louisa is an intelligent woman in a time when women were more valued for their weaknesses than their strengths. Belfer's prose is very comfortable and readable. This book will keep you guessing and thinking.
Rating: 
Summary: GENERALLY COMPELLING, WITH A SUSTAINED "FLOW":
Review: I really enjoyed the narrative style of this book, which albeit somewhat overly-descriptive at times, nonetheless succeeded in sustaining my interest throughout. I do believe a few of the many "players" could have been eliminated without detracting from either the essence of this story or its "flow." Keeping up with SO MANY characters as they materialized, "faded to black," and then reappeared some pages "down the road" became both confusing and challenging, particularly when coupled with the myriad sub-plots -- perhaps I SHOULD HAVE jotted down some names and brief descriptions of them as they were introduced. In terms of the depiction of the times and locale, Ms. Belfer did a comprehensive, effective job. Her main character, while generally interesting and introspective, is by turns equally naive and "weak" as concern mustering up the courage of her convictions in nearly each instance where such opportunity presents itself. However -- one must visualize the era, the "place" of women during same, and hence the inordinately high standard mandated by "society-at-large" for being deemed "socially acceptable" (eg., as a woman). Operating within such parameters, it seems quite plausible that the main character -- (given her station)-- would function precisely as she did. My PRIMARY quibble lies with the wrap-up of issues in general, and subsequently WHY the author opted to go that route. While I have to admit that her scenario "makes sense," yielding a logical finale, I PERSONALLY would have enjoyed something more satisfying here. I now apply the brakes for the sake of those who may be interested in reading this book, or haven't yet completed it.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating recreation of turn of the century politics
Review: In this novel, set in Buffalo as Niagra's power plant is going online and the Pan American Exposition commences, themes that plague us even today are played out against the backdrop of Louisa Barrett's personal crises. We have tainted politicians, environmentalists, bribes and the entire gamut that dominates headlines still today. Louisa Barrett is the headmistress of MacAuley Girl's School, the school for the children of the rich and powerful. Her position in the city allows her to be privy to many of the secrets and machinations of the power brokers of 1900 Buffalo. She gets drawn into these plots in a many-layered storyline, having to confront her past and make peace with it. What I found so interesting was the blending of historical fact with fiction. The book is rich with real characters and events, and they come to life in the context of the tale. I found the ending to be unsatisfactory, wanting less drama and more tying up of loose ends. Perhaps that is what makes the book somewhat more true-to-life; the endings aren't always clean and tidy. Nonetheless, I did little else until I had reached that ending.
Rating:
Summary: intertwined Fiction -logic, Non-Fiction -historical reality
Review: The setting for CITY OF LIGHT is the early 1900's, burgeoning Buffalo, New York, the hometown of the author Lauren Belfer. Infused with the excitement of the development of Niagara Falls, one of the greatest hydropower projects in the USA, there are factions that desire to control the distribution of electrical power.... i.e. industrial vs. public usage. Rights activists attempt to protect the amount of water that the upper echelon may use for power purposes vs. for the natural beauty of the area and the public good. The elite use money, power and position to control the cast of characters represented in this historical novel. The activists use public rallies as well as secretive physicallly destructive means to gain attention to their cause.
The Pan-Am Exposition is a primary historical event revolving around glory, greed, recognition, partnerships, and the future of Buffalo NY, Niagara Falls, and surrounding locations. Narrating character, Ms. Louisa Barrett is elected to the position of headmistress to the prestigious Macauley School for Girls, reporting to a powerful board of elite men, who back Louisa in her goals for the School, however control with money & societal position, assumed,assigned & unassigned. Proud of her proteges, Louisa represents a forward-looking woman, who is highly supportive of education for women, instilling high values in Macauley students and its graduates and the paths they choose for their future in the world. Amid suspicious 'accidental deaths' of a mysterious nature, abduction of a McCauley school girl,leaden hands of control over Thomas Sinclair, head of the hydropower project, secrets of Ms. Louisa Barrett and her connections with Gloria Sinclair and Gloria's deceased mother Margaret Sinclair, racial prejudices combined with political plays and maneuvers for power are inherent and rampant. CITY OF LIGHTS contains moments of joy & triumph with much despair, sadness and tragedy. The author's talent of elegance in writing with finesse touches the emotions, with eloquence and historical knowledge, and is the prime positive factor of this novel. Author Belfer's ability to vividly describe the locations, scenes, scenery and resolve of the cast of characters persuades the reader to complete this tome to its ending, discovering justice unabated throughout the story. The author provides intelligent, informative facts of research representing events & the non-fictional personages who played a part in the role of rights, politics, progress, and power. Among the historical cast, the least of which are... journalist Nellie Bly; President (Stephen) Grover Cleveland; Thomas Edison; President William McKinley; Vice President then President Theodore Roosevelt; the famous Frederick Law Olmstead (landscaper-designer of Buffalo NY Parks; the well-known Manhattan NYC Central Park, plus other sites); rich & powerful magnates such as J.P. Morgan; and Mary Talbert (Afro-American rights activist). The Macauley School for Girls is a fictional name for the still existent Buffalo Seminary, Buffalo, NY. The attempted assassination of President McKinley and his subsequent death is dutifully recorded. This reader is proud to have absorbed this novel, only regretting that it took so long to pull the 1999 publication off the shelf from within a plethora of tomes beckoning to be read. It is truly a writing that embraces the senses, and emotions of the cast members finding their demeanor truly human.
Rating:
Summary: intertwined Fiction -logic, Non-Fiction -historical reality
Review: The setting for CITY OF LIGHT is the early 1900's, burgeoning Buffalo, New York, the hometown of the author Lauren Belfer. Infused with the excitement of the development of Niagara Falls, one of the greatest hydropower projects in the USA, there are factions that desire to control the distribution of electrical power.... i.e. industrial vs. public usage. Rights activists attempt to protect the amount of water that the upper echelon may use for power purposes vs. for the natural beauty of the area and the public good. The elite use money, power and position to control the cast of characters represented in this historical novel. The activists use public rallies as well as secretive physicallly destructive means to gain attention to their cause.
The Pan-Am Exposition is a primary historical event revolving around glory, greed, recognition, partnerships, and the future of Buffalo NY, Niagara Falls, and surrounding locations. Narrating character, Ms. Louisa Barrett is elected to the position of headmistress to the prestigious Macauley School for Girls, reporting to a powerful board of elite men, who back Louisa in her goals for the School, however control with money & societal position, assumed,assigned & unassigned. Proud of her proteges, Louisa represents a forward-looking woman, who is highly supportive of education for women, instilling high values in Macauley students and its graduates and the paths they choose for their future in the world. Amid suspicious 'accidental deaths' of a mysterious nature, abduction of a McCauley school girl,leaden hands of control over Thomas Sinclair, head of the hydropower project, secrets of Ms. Louisa Barrett and her connections with Gloria Sinclair and Gloria's deceased mother Margaret Sinclair, racial prejudices combined with political plays and maneuvers for power are inherent and rampant. CITY OF LIGHTS contains moments of joy & triumph with much despair, sadness and tragedy. The author's talent of elegance in writing with finesse touches the emotions, with eloquence and historical knowledge, and is the prime positive factor of this novel. Author Belfer's ability to vividly describe the locations, scenes, scenery and resolve of the cast of characters persuades the reader to complete this tome to its ending, discovering justice unabated throughout the story. The author provides intelligent, informative facts of research representing events & the non-fictional personages who played a part in the role of rights, politics, progress, and power. Among the historical cast, the least of which are... journalist Nellie Bly; President (Stephen) Grover Cleveland; Thomas Edison; President William McKinley; Vice President then President Theodore Roosevelt; the famous Frederick Law Olmstead (landscaper-designer of Buffalo NY Parks; the well-known Manhattan NYC Central Park, plus other sites); rich & powerful magnates such as J.P. Morgan; and Mary Talbert (Afro-American rights activist). The Macauley School for Girls is a fictional name for the still existent Buffalo Seminary, Buffalo, NY. The attempted assassination of President McKinley and his subsequent death is dutifully recorded. This reader is proud to have absorbed this novel, only regretting that it took so long to pull the 1999 publication off the shelf from within a plethora of tomes beckoning to be read. It is truly a writing that embraces the senses, and emotions of the cast members finding their demeanor truly human.
Rating:
Summary: Lousy Ending Ruins this Book
Review: What to say about the City of Light? Simply saying it was one of the best books I've read just doesn't seem emphatic enough! I had read favorable reviews of it, but it never sparked my interst. Turn of the century Buffalo, the PanAmerican Exposition, a headmistress and the Niagara Falls electric company just didn't sound like my kind of book. But then, a good friend recommended it--she has read it twice--and I thought I'd give it a try 'cause we have similar reading tastes. I read the first page, and my opinion began to change. I eagerly turned to the next page, and the next, and. . . I became obsessed with Lousia, and the world around her, with the events that began with her or ended with her or just involved her. All weekend I read until I couldn't focus, needing to read, to know, to be a part of her world. Toward the end of the book I was torn between hurrying through to see how it would end, and dallying, to make it last. I don't know how to describe this book, how to sort it neatly into a genre. There is mystery and history, inspiration and romance, fact and fiction--it's all there. But more importantly, there is life, in the plot, the characters, the conflicts and the conclusions.
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