55 pages 1 hour read

Melanie Benjamin

The Swans of Fifth Avenue

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016

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Important Quotes

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“And luncheon was the highlight of the day, the reason for getting up in the morning and going to the hairdresser, buying the latest Givenchy or Balenciaga; the reward for managing the perfect house, the perfect children, the perfect husband. And for maintaining the perfect body.”


(Chapter 1, Page 28)

Babe’s inner reflection lays out the terms on which she and her friends live their life. Everything can be reduced to a transaction or an exchange; no one gets anything for free.

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“But Truman wasn’t a man. He wasn’t a woman. He was an unearthly creature, a genius.”


(Chapter 2, Page 41)

Truman’s unique identity transcends common human labels. He’s a brilliant mind beyond gender. The beyond-human diction alludes to the preface and epilogue, where Benjamin presents Truman as the otherworldly creature surrounded by swans.

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“[H]ow can we be friends if we don’t gossip together?”


(Chapter 3, Page 46)

Truman poses this question to Babe, turning gossip into a symbol of bonding. Truman, Babe, and the rest of the swans grow their friendships through their conversation, and the conversation is frequently about other people.

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By Melanie Benjamin