Member Review
Review by
Tammy C, Reviewer
Thank you, Knopf Doubleday, for this review copy on NetGalley! Also, check out the reading guide here: https://tinyurl.com/r7nfspdd.
Harlem Shuffle is unlike Colson Whitehead's previous books. He takes a lyrical approach to describe a historical period that witnessed the simultaneous unity and division of a famous black neighborhood. Harlem is portrayed as a place with optimism and despair but without agency. It hums along as undercurrents of power are apportioned to black people by a network of rich white people. Families try to balance loyalties and obligations, and they are always one breath away from a collapse.
It was initially difficult for me to get into this book due to the fast-paced lyrical nature of it. Thankfully, it wasn't long before became immersed in a fascinating culture that was as exhilarating as it was exhausting. This is more than a simple crime story; it is a story of survival. The hardened criminal trope unravels into a transactional series of business dealings as robberies are perpetrated by the haves as well as the have-nots.
The language, particularly the use of the "n-word," is sure to be a contentious topic of discussion. This book will be banned in schools but secretly checked out or read inside of public libraries. It is a vital piece of literary fiction that demands attention - one that will be dissected and debated until it is read and understood by all.
Harlem Shuffle is unlike Colson Whitehead's previous books. He takes a lyrical approach to describe a historical period that witnessed the simultaneous unity and division of a famous black neighborhood. Harlem is portrayed as a place with optimism and despair but without agency. It hums along as undercurrents of power are apportioned to black people by a network of rich white people. Families try to balance loyalties and obligations, and they are always one breath away from a collapse.
It was initially difficult for me to get into this book due to the fast-paced lyrical nature of it. Thankfully, it wasn't long before became immersed in a fascinating culture that was as exhilarating as it was exhausting. This is more than a simple crime story; it is a story of survival. The hardened criminal trope unravels into a transactional series of business dealings as robberies are perpetrated by the haves as well as the have-nots.
The language, particularly the use of the "n-word," is sure to be a contentious topic of discussion. This book will be banned in schools but secretly checked out or read inside of public libraries. It is a vital piece of literary fiction that demands attention - one that will be dissected and debated until it is read and understood by all.
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