Review: City Living by Jimmy James Scott is a unique satire about life, learning, conformity, friendship, and most of all, growing up.
Review: City Living by Jimmy James Scott
Title: City Living
Author: Jimmy James Scott
Publisher: Independently published
Genres: Satire, Fiction
Print Length: 297 pages
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click on any picture, highlighted title, or shop now button to open the Amazon page.
There are affiliate links in this post. If you click through and make a qualified purchase, at no additional cost to you, I may receive a small referral fee.
Synopsis and edition information is from Goodreads and Amazon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review: City Living by Jimmy James Scott
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Synopsis from Goodreads:
This story follows three days in the life of two young men who force themselves into homelessness. Join a somewhat arrogant and entitled millennial, and follow him on his journey of self-discovery as he learns humility. He soon understands that his privileged life and higher needs are little compared to the necessity of food and shelter. Discover unique characters, including Alfie, the habitual liar, the holier-than-thou bartender, and the sensitive new aged barflies.
Throughout the story, the characters challenge conformity, consumerism, and the day-to-day drudgery that modern humans put themselves through. The characters experience a journey of taste and self-indulgence, experiencing the finer, more luxurious opportunities of life in the city as well as the more realistic features of being homeless. This is a tale of false perceptions, romantic notions, and raw emotions.
It should be noted that this story features some substance abuse as well as physical violence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Review of City Living by Jimmy James Scott
I have a feeling I’ll be processing my thoughts from City Living for quite some time. This fictional satire book has superb character studies. What makes these city dwellers tick? Author Jimmy James Scott provides thoughtful dialogue from the homeless to the wealthy.
Friendships are formed, tested, and ended all in the span of 200+ pages. The author has the gift to make us love & hate his characters without even revealing many of their names.
City Living is a tribute to human nature. It’s a quick read that should not be missed!
Minor note: The cover is perfect for this book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
City LivingShop on Amazon Kindle USA 
City LivingShop on Amazon Paperback USA
City LivingShop on Amazon Amazon-Canada City LivingShop on Amazon Amazon-UK
City Living
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Comments are greatly appreciated. Please scroll to the bottom to find the comment section!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An interview with Jimmy James Scott, author of City Living
How long have you been writing?
In a way, I always have. I went through a tough time when I was a late teen. I started writing a diary that was “Letters to Bob”. Before I knew it, I had typed 100 A4 pages of thoughts and feelings to Bob, who wasn’t a person at all but an imagined faceless entity. After I was satisfied with all that I had written, I deleted the file similar to the cathartic burning of physical letters. It was satisfying. I studied creative writing as part of my degree in English. I made a few attempts at novels before finally writing City Living.
What inspired you to write in this genre?
I have always been what Albert Camus would identify as an absurdist. I would love to write a dystopian novel, and I may still try. Satire comes much easier for me though. I naturally try to take a light-hearted and comical approach to my everyday life, so this continues in my writing.
Which genre would your story belong in if your life was fictionalized?
Comedy-Drama I suppose, a little like Orange Is the New Black. There would be a fair bit of laughter that is occasionally interrupted by a serious event.
“A satire about conformity and consumerism.”
Do you have a set writing schedule?
My only rule is to write when I feel like it. If I have to force myself then it turns into work and I will cease to enjoy it. I also have to cram it in while I am studying. I really need to get around to editing my second novel. Thank you for reminding me.
Do you need silence to write, or can you work in any environment?
Silence helps. I often play some classical or some jazz. I prefer to write in the comfort of my own home, with a bottle of red wine.
If you could set up your perfect writing scenario, what would it involve?
As in environment, it would be in a humble cottage high in the hills of Pokolbin in the Hunter region of New South Wales, overlooking the vineyards of the Hunter region. I am assuming that the bulk of those reading this are from the United States. Look up Hunter Region Shiraz for an earthy and peppery new-world red. Hunter Semillon will give you a lovely crisp white but go for a younger Semillon, in my opinion. I’m not fond of the aged ones.
What is your most unusual writing quirk?
I generally imbibe wine while writing, although not in high volumes, however sometimes this has proven to be effective. I edit as I write. I’m also not happy with adhering to conventional norms. I usually try to play with the form and leave something for the reader to imagine. SPOILER ALERT: in City Living, this was manifest in not giving the main character or city a name. In my next novel, I have assigned no genders to the characters.
“City Living” is a novel about friendship, indulgence, and understanding life’s priorities.
Were you an avid reader growing up?
I was to a certain extent. I went full literature nerd in my late teens, eventually studying English in my early-mid twenties. Now, as a family man with two children, full-time employee, and part-time student; I struggle to find time to write let alone read. I managed to get some reading in back at Christmas. It was very enjoyable.
If you could form the ultimate writers’ group, which authors past or present would you invite to join you?
Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac (with whom I share my birthday), and Hunter S Thompson; it would be a very messy group, and I just realised that two out of the three committed suicide both by gun. That is morbid. For this reason, I am going to add Oscar Wilde, mainly because of his wit. I’ll also add James Joyce and Annie Proulx.
Do you snack while writing, and if so, what is your favorite snack?
Mainly more wine. I might have a sandwich if I get hungry, but nothing that will make my fingers dirty.
Who has influenced your writing the most?
It’s very cliché, but my mum. My mum has always nurtured my creative side and shown a great interest in my writing and expressing myself. Other than that, it would be the authors above that have given me great entertainment. I fell in love with the idea of taking a thought and narrative from decades or centuries ago and being able to communicate it throughout the ages. The satire of George Orwell and Joseph Heller is still as relevant today as when it was written. Come to think of it, both Orwell and Heller probably belong in my group of writers, as does the French poet Charles Baudelaire. This is developing into a massive crew.
Review: City Living by Jimmy James Scott
Must you wear shoes to write?
Hahahahaha, that’s a very obscure question. I like it. I have never thought about it. If I am home, I am naturally more comfortable without shoes on. It probably depends on whether my feet are cold.
Is there anything you would like my readers to know about you and your book?
I’m just a boy, standing in front of a readership, asking them to love my writing. I studied English and Linguistics in my twenties, but in my thirties, I’m currently studying a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). I do not look at my writing as my profession, but my creative outlet. It is an outlet through which I can channel my perceptions of the world, highlighting the absurdity in society and everyday life. I’m not trying to gain wealth. I just want to get my stuff out there. I would love to be a critical success instead of a commercial success.
Author’s contact info:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No matter where you acquire the books you read, please leave a review. Amazon and Goodreads are the most popular places, and you don’t have to own the book to review it. A review doesn’t have to be fancy or in-depth, a simple “Thumbs up. I liked this book.” will help the author immensely.
City LivingShop on Amazon City LivingShop on Amazon
At the time this post was published, City living was available on Kindle Unlimited!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More reviews by Gina
From my must-read list:
The After Days by Amy Ginsburg
The Good Kill by Kurt Brindley
Solomon’s Dreams by Eric Suddoth
The Sinking of Bethany Ann Crane by K. Kris Loomis
Each Friday, I send out my Friday Finds Newsletter sharing links to books, recipes, and various craft projects. You may find just what you need to make your weekend more enjoyable. Sign up from the website sidebar or bottom of this post. I never send spam and always respect your inbox!
Leave a comment