Free Lunch in New York City by Matthias Drawe

Free Lunch in New York City Reviews

• 
  Evan Bai

  In Free Lunch in New York City, author Matthias Drawe paints a marginalized New York backdrop on the story of Hardy von Hachenstein, a disgruntled and down-to-earth immigrant filmmaker with dreams of making it big after finding initial success in his first film. The story has little depth or character development, but in doing so captures the absurdist mindset that Hardy possesses as he trudges on through life, confronting the very real demons of survival jobs, companionship, addiction, and more importantly, the meaning of it all. The simple wording and short bursts of thoughts made for great pacing, and though the bland narrative could be stronger, the effect of Drawe’s writing style shows similarities to that of Charles Bukowski’s Factotum or Anonymous’ Diary of an Oxygen Thief, which makes it easily recommendable to those who find meaning in the chaos of a contemporary lifestyle.
• 
  Dinesh Raghavendra

  Free Lunch in New York City is at its heart about a raconteur who is drifting through life and trying to solve the jigsaw puzzle of an increasingly fragmented modern day existence. The protagonist Hardy von Hachenstein is likeable enough but is also disconcertingly close to being an asshole especially in a sequence where he sleeps with Kristen. Hardy walks and talks like an existentialist wrangling with the big questions of life but I have encountered far too many wiseacres like him. He does grow on you eventually and he is a breath of fresh air because his concerns are sincere and his idiosyncrasies are genuine and not just tacked on for the sake of quirkiness.
  
  I haven’t read anything else by Matthias Drawe. I can intuit that the writer is still in search of his voice and is yet to hit his stride thematically. Bits of his writing work wonderfully and I love certain phrases he uses which are strikingly vividly in contrast to most of the “literary” novels coming out of the New York intelligentsia. I have rolled my eyes enough times at MFA fueled writing especially when they are set in New York. Drawe is humane and we can sense his empathy for the characters and I dislike writers who portray their characters in a coldly clinical manner. His vision is bounded though but even when he fails at certain sections of the book, his failures are interesting in their own right. For example, in the aforementioned sequence with Kristen, one can simplistically read it as a portrayal of casual misogyny although the scene is far more complex and has all sorts of social dynamics compressed in a few minutes of intimacy. Whether Drawe can sustain this sense of subtlety through longer narratives is what remains to be seen.
  
  The book reminded me a lot of the work of the Swiss stylist Peter Stamm especially the novel “On a day like this”. A lot of the story’s strengths lies in the choices the author makes about his characters. Instead of a Houllebecqian misanthropy we get characters who are more Flaubertian. Towards the end I was a bit tired of the modern day flaneur act and wished the editing had been a bit crisper in the second half. In conclusion, a book that has moments of illumination but lacks direction with a protagonist who keeps the readers engaged. I am interested to read more from Matthias Drawe.
• 
  Laura Phillips

  Laura Phillips 8/13/17
  
  Free Lunch in New York City by Mathias Drawe
  Ratings:
  • 31/2-4 stars: Very entertaining, doesn't necessarily offer anything new but it's well crafted and generally enjoyable.
  Pros:
  The story piqued my interest enough to want to read the whole story from front to end.
  Very descriptive and we’ll executed.
  Cons:
  The story ends abruptly and disjointedly, leaving one feeling like they missed something in the story.
  Often plot was very noticeably contrived.
  Story needs to be developed further.
  Author needs to develop reason for title, Free Lunch in New York City Further.
  Over sexed, turn off, better to give hints, leave something to imagination.
  
  Structurally I would change how the table of contents was laid out. To run on garbled together.
• 
  Bryan Spellman

  Not the kind of book I normally enjoy reading, but I stuck it out. Not a single character I found attractive, and certainly not the kind of people I would hang out with, but while it quickly became apparent that "this cannot end well," somehow the author pulled things together in the end. The protagonist, a German film-maker wannabe, or rather a script writer, had one award winning short in Europe and now finds himself in New York City, past the expiration of his visa and dependent on his alcoholic girl friend. Will he avoid deportation or prison? Will he survive his girl friend's self-destructive actions? Will he get his screen play written and accepted? Guess you'll have to read the book to find out.
• 
  Gwen Schwartz

  Rough, tough and I loved it!
  
  This book is so well written, that when I finished, I wanted to call the characters so we could go hang out. Yes, most of them are living in squalor conditions and just a breath away from being homeless. The characters are so well defined and so fully developed you could almost tell who was talking, without the authors prompting. The characters are raw, gritty and offer no apologies for their, at times, loathsome behaviour. The extreme poverty and events that shaped them, never seemed to shake their unwavering faith and hope. This book took me by surprise by how much I liked it.
• 
  Rebekah

  Interesting
  
  This was an interesting quick read. I’m not too sure what I think about it honestly. It was very weird.
• 
  Greg Stewart

  Free Lunch in New York City presents a delightfully gritty pulp fiction story of a screenwriter who is trying to make it big in the modern world of film. Our protagonist, Hardy, is an illegal immigrant from Germany who delves into the world of identity theft in order to make ends meet while editing and presenting a screenplay to the market in New York. The dark and comedic realism of his sexual relationships provide the reader with wonderfully awkward situations, which the author weaves between scenes of tense moments where it seems like Hardy is about to lose it all. The aura of cold-water flats and urban streets filled with somber characters who abuse each other and themselves immerses the reader in a life not lived by many. The story of European illegal immigrants is often lost on the 21st century audience, but Matthias Drawe vivifies the reality of making the scene. This story shows the true struggle of both the affluent acquaintances Hardy stumbles into, and the impoverished black family that he is intertwined with through his lover. All of the relationships explicate the true meaning of the phrase “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” Every time someone thinks they have gotten a break in life, another tragedy occurs, whether it be death, blackmail, or heartbreak, there never seems to be consistent happiness in this bit of New York City. From the Lower East Side slums near Alphabet City to swanky Upper West Side apartments and Italian restaurants in midtown to the offices of Williamsburg and Lower Manhattan, the reader is truly transported into the motion of the city. The author keeps the story moving by changing the settings of the scenes, much like the true style of living in New York. The only drawback of this book would be the slightly disappointing conclusion, where this sorry screenwriter gets rejected after all of his efforts, but it certainly fits the theme of the novel. One obviously roots for the protagonist to achieve his dreams throughout, but as per usual in the gut of the greatest city in the world, you can’t always get what you want. In the end though, at least he manages to get by and survive through many interesting relationships, both professional and sexual.
• 
  Rodrigo Rodriguez

  If you like realistic fiction, this is a book for you. The story is as realistic as it gets, and I felt that I know some of the characters--it's a slice of life so to speak. Apart from the hero ("Hardy von Hachenstein"), it's the feisty African-American Loraine that strikes me most. She's an unemployed, single mother, and her 14-year–old son Hakeem seems mainly interested in smoking pot with his buddies. And then there's Earl, Hakeem's father, who's extremely cool but only shows up occasionally when he feels like it--and doesn't pay a single penny of alimony. Loraine has a strong presence and is (unintentionally) funny in her radical view of life. She's frustrated and at times depressed but can also be extremely caring and generous. On several occasions she saves Hardy's ass, and there's a strong erotic tension between them, waiting to be released. Only problem: Tammy, Loraine's sister, is Hardy's girlfriend. I don't want to go into detail here, since it would be a spoiler, but Hardy's appetite for sexual gratification is as big as his desire to have his movie green lighted. You could call him a dog, but hey, being a dog is part of being a guy, isn't it? The most important thing is not getting caught, and this is Hardy's attitude exactly. Like him or hate him, at least he's honest (to himself, not to the women, that would be catastrophic of course). There's a pretty crazy scene in a Times Square hotel with Hardy and the mature "grande dame" (and former exotic dancer) Jackie. At first, you think that Jackie is so crazy that nothing will happen at all, but then it does – and it is as weird as Jackie herself. And then there's the pale Kristen, an NYU student and Loraine's roommate. My god, you say to yourself, when Hardy and Kristen drink tequila at Tammy's funeral, please don't let him nail Kristen. Not her! Please, no, don't do it, it's so obvious that it's all wrong … Well, he certainly reaps the consequences later on, and it's not pretty, that's all I want to say. All in all a very entertaining read, I finished this 250 page book in no time. I am planning to set up a literary blog, and this will probably be the first book that I will discuss in detail.
• 
  Brittany Williams

  From the first line of this book, I was drawn in. Throughout, the book is gritty, real, and unapologetic, which is due in large part to the fleshed out real and flawed characters. It starts in the gutters of the USA, where everyone says it like it is. It tells the story of a film writer in a new country after his first big break. There are so many layers found in it, but it's so personal that I felt like I was getting a little peek into a part of the author, Mr. Drawe's, own life. As we move from the downtrodden virtually homeless life of the writer into a more upper class prosperous life, we see the strong parallels between what the poor and rich do to stay sane and happy. Great command of knowledge about the world, Germany, and international affairs. I definitely recommend this book, but you might need a cigarette afterward!
• 
  Lauren Christine

  A Tale Old Tribute to the Struggle
  
  Free Lunch in New York City perfectly portrays the nitty gritty reality of being a nobody transplant to NYC.
  Unlike other stories, this one is not about how life falls perfectly in place- because let’s face it, it usually does not.
  It digs into the lives of the underprivileged which gives the reader a chance to become emotionally aware of the constant struggle it takes to survive, let a lone follow a dream.
  There are characters you will love, some you will hate, and some you cannot help but feel sorry for.
  This story is for anyone trying to make it as a small fish in a big pond, and for those who are dreamers that are all too aware about the reality of the world we are living in, and the luck it takes to get wherever it is we are going.
• 
  Nancy

  I received a free copy of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway
  
  A part of me is sad to have come to the end of this book. I felt like it really hit its stride during the last third of the story. Mostly I am glad to be through with it though. None of the characters were very fleshed out or likeable. Even the main charcter is pretty flat and someone I just ended up finding annoying. The one character I did find to be pretty great was Blanchette even just from the small glimpse I got of her. The story itself was fine even though Drawe would sometimes hint at things that did not add to the story and were just left up in the air. Overall I would not recommend this book but whatever read it if you want.
• 
  Camille

  ***I WON THIS BOOK IN A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY***
  So, I didn't hate this but it kind of just fell flat for me. This was a short and easy read but I didn't understand what the story was working toward and maybe it just wasn't working toward anything. It's just a glimpse into the life of a motley crew of characters. Everyone was a bit one dimension except for the main character but he seemed like a huge pushover. I was a bit confused about his personality, it wasn't very uniform. One minute he was a shy writer and the next minute he was running away with someone's wife. As stated, I didn't hate it but I guess I didn't get it as this is something that I wouldn't normally pick for myself.
• 
  Kimberly Vanderbloom

  I won this in a Goodreads First Read giveaway.
  
  Boy oh boy do I feel like a lucky girl being able to get my hands on a copy of this book. It broke me out of the routine of reading YA fantasy. It was refreshing to get a realistic adult fiction in my hands. I was impressed with the writing and story seemed to flow naturally. All the characters in the book were easy to relate to. I felt like a few of the characters could be my co workers or neighbors. I am going to recommend this book to my friends who need a good story that will keep them laughing and pondering life.
• 
  Elizabeth

  I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book and I was pleasantly surprised. It is the story of a struggling filmmaker with a clear vision of what he wants. You can't help but like Hardy, who as his name implies is an extremely strong character.
  
  As an illegal immigrant, he doesn't have it easy and it takes all of his wits to make it. The story depicts a lot of the hardships that come with being in a country illegally.
  
  The book is written with incredible detail which is is one of the many things I enjoyed while reading Hardy's story. Definitely recommend it
• 
  Coleen

  It was a struggle for me to get through this book, and I asked myself several times why I did not quit. But I did finish and did not feel that it was worthwhile to pass on to other reader/friends. Ironically, when I read the information about the author after I finished the book, I was surprised. His bio was quite interesting and more enjoyable than the book.
  
  I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
• 
  Heidi

  This was a Goodreads Giveaway. This story had no depth of characters and was not my cup of tea. Strange as many other reviewers seemed positive toward this book. Even my first impression of the plain cover and unsophisticated font and formatting was a turn-off.
• 
  Melinda

  Good book
• 
  Bonnie

  Interesting array of characters. An easy, quick read.