Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, a gloriously entertaining novel of heists, shakedowns, and rip-offs set in Harlem in the 1960s.

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336 pages

Average rating: 6.53

197 RATINGS

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11 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Anonymous
Jan 09, 2024
6/10 stars
I wanted to like this book so badly. I enjoyed Nickel Boys and Underground Railroad has been on my TBR for a while. I heard a piece on NPR about how groundbreaking this book would be and it just didn’t meet expectations for me. I dredged through it, confused by the time changes and rotating cast of characters. The main character was written well, but the story was hard to follow. I listened to the audio, so that could have something to do with it...read more
margardenlady
Dec 27, 2023
8/10 stars
This newest slice of life centers around Harlem in the early 1960s. An era i am definitely not familiar with. We witness the world through the eyes of a man who aspires to be a successful business man, but whose father was a petty criminal so…family business is tempting. I appreciate whitehead’s ability to frame characters i care about in situations I can’t imagine on my own.
richardbakare
Dec 25, 2023
8/10 stars
With “Harlem Shuffle”, Colson Whitehead flexes his range as an author. Placing us in a 1960’s Harlem crime and social drama that shows the beautiful and at the same time gritty sides of the city. Even in this moment in time, Whitehead does not forget the themes that have made his writing so wonderful. Moral inconsistencies and redemption arcs feature throughout the book. What makes this one even more compelling is the role of family dynamics in...read more
Charmed Cat
Nov 22, 2023
2/10 stars
I appreciated the way it highlighted the differences in what life is like for blacks versus nonblacks and how 70 years ago still echos into the present as far as police murdering people and our very slow profession on dismantling the systemic racism.
gins
Jun 02, 2023
Superb style, descriptions and characters. Takes you into Carney's life and Harlem experience. Learned a lot about history: Seneca Village, Dumas Club, Black Star Travel Agency.

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