Harlem Shuffle: A Novel (The Harlem Trilogy)
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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Readers say Colson Whitehead’s *Harlem Shuffle* is beautifully written with rich, vivid descriptions of 1960s Harlem and complex characters navigating...
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What’s it about?
This story takes place in Harlem in the early 1960’s. Ray Carney owns a furniture store in Harlem and is struggling to support his wife and daughter. He has worked hard to get through college and move away from the life he was raised in- a life of crooks and thugs. However, his cousin Freddie keeps bringing him back in and he needs the money.
What did it make me think about?
” ‘Entrepreneur?’ Pepper said the last part like manure. ‘That’s just a hustler who pays taxes.’ ”
Should I read it?
Who can argue against reading a book written by Colson Whitehead? However, this was not my favorite of his novels. I just did not care enough about the characters or what was happening in the story to want to pick it up. The pages with the character of Pepper were my favorite. I am hoping sometime in the future he will write more about Pepper.
Quote-
“No one really cares about other people when you get down to it- their own struggles are too close-up.”
What’s it about?
This story takes place in Harlem in the early 1960’s. Ray Carney owns a furniture store in Harlem and is struggling to support his wife and daughter. He has worked hard to get through college and move away from the life he was raised in- a life of crooks and thugs. However, his cousin Freddie keeps bringing him back in and he needs the money.
What did it make me think about?
” ‘Entrepreneur?’ Pepper said the last part like manure. ‘That’s just a hustler who pays taxes.’ ”
Should I read it?
Who can argue against reading a book written by Colson Whitehead? However, this was not my favorite of his novels. I just did not care enough about the characters or what was happening in the story to want to pick it up. The pages with the character of Pepper were my favorite. I am hoping sometime in the future he will write more about Pepper.
Quote-
“No one really cares about other people when you get down to it- their own struggles are too close-up.”
Having loved Colton’s The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, I was disappointed not to like this book. The most interesting parts to me were about the riots in Harlem during the 60’s. Otherwise the plot dragged and I disliked the characters.
Couldn't get into the writing style, put it down and picked it back up, still couldnt get into it. DNF
It's a slow moving book but I liked it. The structure of three stories in one was cool and I enjoyed following all Carney's adventures/mishaps. I was expecting more of a heist tale than I was given but still liked the direction it went.
really well written and paints a vivid picture of harlem in the 50s-60s and it’s characters. pacing was inconsistent and i felt like I was super into it half the time and the other half waiting to see what the point was.
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