Flatiron by Michael Heslin- simple sentences for a complex story

What a lovely remembrance of what NY was and still is in a way.  The story passes over a couple of decades and the complex relationships the narrator has with the women and some men in his life.  We never learn the name of the protagonist but get to know him through his first person tales of the City, his friends and perhaps his loves. 

He meets one of the main characters in 1964 where this story begins and ends in 1989.  It follows their friendship, her successes as a photographer, his trials of surviving as a short order cook and cabbie, his friendships (and possible love) with another woman and other friends in his life.  Our protagonist tells us his tale is short, simple and less than complex ways but it is so very deep this story. 

Its a fascinating history lesson of the city as well. We see the city change, the people in it at their lowest sometimes and I as the reader, really got into it.  It's a side of NY in the 70s and 80s we have heard talk of many times but this is from a slight outsider view.  There was a lot of empathy for the narrator for me.  His life was not easy, his friendships and relationships were not easy... but he was really so very kind to everyone that he engaged with.  As a cabbie he waited in a hospital lobby to find out about the birth of a child that started in his cab after being paged for the far, just to have the fare never page him again.  It was sad.  People used him.  That was hard.  He is a very kind character in a very hard environment.  You have to have some empathy for him.  I did.

I enjoyed this story and I appreciate that in the end I was hopeful that he was able to find some payback for how people used him. 

It's not a heavy read.  It's not a difficult read.  But it is a solid read.  It did take me a few stops and starts to understand that this is completely first person, told in the way the author anticipated this character to speak.  Short and simple sentences like I said for a character that really truly is far more complex than presented.  I really appreciated this storytelling style so very much. 

Enjoyable.  That is my short and simple but complex take. 
Available from what it looks like as a Kindle published book on July 21st 2020 at $4.99.  I was provided the book to read and all opinions are mine.