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thechanelmuse's review against another edition
4.0
"He hit the books. Not schoolbooks but dime novels: Strange Sisters, Violent Saturday, Her Name—Jezebel. Stories where no one was saved, not the guilty (killers and crooks) and not the innocent (orphans scooped up at bus stations, librarians inducted into worlds of vice). Each time he thought things would work out for them. They never did and he forgot that lesson each time he closed the covers."
From the moment I cracked Harlem Shuffle open, I was sucked into the bustling world of crime and grit set in 1960s Harlem. I almost felt like I was supposed to smoke a cigarette and position myself in a dimly lit sequestered corner with jazz tunes of the era filling the space.
Colson Whitehead splits this book into three parts: 1959, 1961, and 1964. Our main character, Ray Carney, tries to protect his family and balance his used furniture business on 125th Street that dips into the crooked side of things where fencing (knowingly buying stolen goods later to resell for profit) binds him to a number of figures, all while he aims to survive the underbelly and keep his cousin's head above water against the shaping of society (racism, classism, and colorism, as well as riots and civil rights protests).
Whitehead's writing is delightful; it's gritty, atmospheric, polished, clever, and even witty. The amount of research he poured into to tie in the vivid imagery of cultural references, notable people and places paid off. Harlem Shuffle is much more than just a historical fiction-crime novel; it's a character study.
From the moment I cracked Harlem Shuffle open, I was sucked into the bustling world of crime and grit set in 1960s Harlem. I almost felt like I was supposed to smoke a cigarette and position myself in a dimly lit sequestered corner with jazz tunes of the era filling the space.
Colson Whitehead splits this book into three parts: 1959, 1961, and 1964. Our main character, Ray Carney, tries to protect his family and balance his used furniture business on 125th Street that dips into the crooked side of things where fencing (knowingly buying stolen goods later to resell for profit) binds him to a number of figures, all while he aims to survive the underbelly and keep his cousin's head above water against the shaping of society (racism, classism, and colorism, as well as riots and civil rights protests).
Whitehead's writing is delightful; it's gritty, atmospheric, polished, clever, and even witty. The amount of research he poured into to tie in the vivid imagery of cultural references, notable people and places paid off. Harlem Shuffle is much more than just a historical fiction-crime novel; it's a character study.
kylemurphy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
liesbethvv's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
What an interesting and challenging read! It’s the first novel of Colson Whitehead I read and I totally get why his writing style and imaginative plots are so beloved. It took me quite a while to really get into the characters and the moody descriptions of a New York enveloped in spiralling crime, but once I got there, I couldn’t wait to get to the point where the plot reaches its climax. Very riveting and I highlighted a lot of interesting lines and observations.
geerthy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
haleywathen96's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
kyra_c_c's review against another edition
4.0
Started with a bang and I loved it instantly. Whitehead's style really grabs you, with acute observations one minute and a wry chuckle the next. I expected the heist to be the whole novel so I was surprised when it was over quite quickly, but it was a catalyst for the rest of the events in the book. Definitely as reviews have said, "a love letter to Harlem" - a place I know nothing about now or in the 60s: it was very enjoyable to read the rich descriptions of the city and its people. I love Ray and his attempts to walk a line between straight and crooked and all the interweaving of his childhood without flashbacks- great solid writing. I felt it lost some momentum towards the end and it took me a while to finish, hence 4 stars.
sanfordc11's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nichughes's review against another edition
4.0
Different than any story I’ve read. I loved the tension between good and bad, plus how Whitehead highlighted the degrees of “bad” and developed Ray and the other supporting characters. It feels slow and overly descriptive at times, especially in the beginning, but I felt I was in Ray’s head by the end. I can still picture the furniture store and other spots that used throughout… it feels like I was watching a TV show! The descriptive parts about Harlem, gentrification, activism, socioeconomic differences, etc. all layered onto what would have been a good crime/suspense story on its own. I especially liked the way three points in time were used as jumping off points for Ray’s trajectory and how the previous part fed into his current dealings. I’ll be stewing on this book for a while. The narrator for this was top notch, def recommend the audio version.