Manhattan Transfer

Dos Passos employs a mix of newsreels, biographies, and fictional scenes to depict New York City. Did this approach deepen the realism or make the story harder to follow?

The book jumps between different lives and social classes, which can be a lot to keep track of. Did this enhance the sense of city life or dilute the main themes for others?

The city feels so alive and almost like a protagonist. I wonder if Dos Passos drew from personal experience or aimed to make a broader statement about urban America.