I never paid much attention to Boston until I moved here.
Of course, I learned about it in school, and I knew it as a city up north, where they had a tea party a long time ago, where history and baseball and clam chowdah (and ridiculous Northeastern accents) abounded. I thought of it as far away, perhaps a place I’d visit someday. I wondered if any traces of its Puritan history still lingered. And I shivered at the thought of how much it usually snowed there in the winter. (Still do.)
And then I moved here. And slowly, it became my city – my beloved green Common, my stops along the Freedom Trail, my bookshops and cafes and general haunts. I learned the layout and the frustrating ways of the public transit system; I began to piece together mental maps of central Boston and its concentric rings of suburbs. And I acquired a brand-new radar for Boston and the towns around it. They’re no longer abstract words on a map – they are living, breathing places, attached to images and memories. Now, when I see Boston or Cambridge, Wellesley or Salem or especially Quincy, in a book, I sit up and pay attention, because they’re writing about a place I know.
It won’t surprise you to learn I’ve consequently been seeking out books – fiction and nonfiction – set in New England. I’ve started a Boston shelf on Goodreads (though I’m also reading books set in other New England states). And when these names crop up in what I’m reading, I match my perceptions against the author’s or narrator’s. There’s nearly always a flash of recognition, and I usually learn something new.
I wonder if it’s like that with anywhere you live. (New Yorkers, is it true for you, since New York appears in SO many books and movies)? This happens so rarely with my West Texas hometown (unless you’re talking about George W. Bush or high school football) that I wasn’t used to it. But now, whenever I see a reference to Boston in a book or magazine or film, I stop and scrutinize it. Are they talking about a place I know? A street I’ve walked down? A campus or store or park I’ve visited?
Does this happen to other folks, with your cities? Do you find your city is usually portrayed accurately in books or film? Or the opposite? Or somewhere in between?
cakes, tea and dreams 
I definitely take note when D.C. is mentioned in a book or movie, and one of my pet peeves is when authors or scriptwriters get the geography wrong. (The only thing I didn’t like about “The American President” was when they implied that you have to go through Dupont Circle to get to Capitol Hill – totally incorrect!) I wouldn’t say I seek out books about D.C. or northern Virginia, but when a reference pops up I definitely sit up and pay attention.
I, too, like books that mention places where I’ve traveled, both locally and abroad. One book I read was responsible for a visit to Cape Ann, Rockport and Gloucester; I just had to go after reading that particular book. But I also
I wish I could find a book that is set in the country of Luxembourg — it’s a wonderful fairytale-like country and doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
Whoops, sorry about the goof above. Didn’t have enough caffeine in my system at the time. I intended to delete “But I also”.
Definitely true! I always specifically notice references to places I stayed in England and France, or any southwestern/Arizona references. Funny how often they don’t get Tucson/Phoenix right. 🙂
I’m always interested in the way Chicago is portrayed. There’s so much to do and love about the city. It’s very telling to see what aspects an author focuses on. And of course, I always pay attention to which baseball team is mentioned. I teem with disdain if the character is a Cubs fan. Which, naturally, is why the character in my novel is a White Sox fan!
I don’t think I’ve read as many books that take place in Nashville but I have been more drawn to books that take place in the South since moving here. It’s a way of absorbing the culture, I suppose.
Books seem to do a better job than movies in getting the true feel for a city.
There’s not a ton out there for the South Bay, but I’ve read my share of books set in San Francisco, and I do seek them out. Many are historical, so other than landmarks and streets there’s not a lot of recognition. As far as more contemporary books, it’s hit or miss as far as accuracy. If you haven’t lived there, everyone seems to think San Francisco is warm and sunny. Makes sense, it is in California, right? Wrong! It’s cold and foggy, often rainy, and windy if you’re down town as Market street around the Civic Center tends to make a wind tunnel in incliment weather.I can count the weeks we had great weather on one hand. But as much of a sun girl as I am, I love it, it’s my city.
I live in a town called Whanganui [or Wanganui] on the west coast of New Zealand. I know of ONE book that is set here, and it was such a big deal when it came out that the local media gave it a lot of coverage. Books set in New Zealand are not common. Even many New Zealand authors seem to want to place their stories elsewhere.
What a lovely post! I feel the same way about books about Edinburgh. It’s so interesting to see your own city through someone else’s eyes….
I’ve only flown into and then straight out of Boston, but I’d love to visit and explore it more.
What a fascinating question you pose, Katie! I thought about it a lot when I was living in Washington, DC, since so many non-fiction and fiction books are concerned with the portrayal of that city. I particularly enjoyed “Woman at the Washington Zoo”, a memoir-esque collection of essays, interviews and profiles by the late Marjory Williams. I will need to start revisiting Boston books as my own anticipation of return builds up…