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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
“It was 1971 and the man and his city were versions of themselves, embers burying themselves in layers of their own ash.” —p89
It’s possible I liked this book even more than Harlem Shuffle, which I loved and read twice in a four-month span. For Crook Manifesto I did the immersive thing— listened on audio (narrator Dion Graham is superb) while reading the hardcover (signed by the author from the author event!) and that was my happy place in November. It was so good to be back in this world with Carney and Pepper and the fam and the store crew. I love how the author makes the city and places and people’s routines come alive. The rhythm, the story-on-a-story narrative style, all of it. Vibrant with culture, especially the second caper. I’m ready for book three—I hope there’s a book three. There’d better be a book three.
It’s possible I liked this book even more than Harlem Shuffle, which I loved and read twice in a four-month span. For Crook Manifesto I did the immersive thing— listened on audio (narrator Dion Graham is superb) while reading the hardcover (signed by the author from the author event!) and that was my happy place in November. It was so good to be back in this world with Carney and Pepper and the fam and the store crew. I love how the author makes the city and places and people’s routines come alive. The rhythm, the story-on-a-story narrative style, all of it. Vibrant with culture, especially the second caper. I’m ready for book three—I hope there’s a book three. There’d better be a book three.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Yeah so my only complaint was that the three stories could have been split into three novels and expanded to give me more time with Pepper and Carney but then I learned it's a trilogy so complaint redacted.
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a book loaded with cameo characters all ricocheting in some direct or indirect way off the main character. There are too many characters for most of them to be memorable, but the overall effect is to deliver a picture of functioning, whole community.
It had been a while since I’d read and enjoyed [b:Harlem Shuffle|54626223|Harlem Shuffle (Ray Carney, #1)|Colson Whitehead|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612449660l/54626223._SY75_.jpg|85227984], so I wasn’t sure if I’d need a refresher before catching up with crook-gone-legit (or least trying) Ray Carney. I decided to jump in anyway and discovered that not only did the book do an excellent job of reintroducing the main character, it didn’t rely too heavily on previous plot points and instead focused on moving things forward. You could easily start with this volume.
This is another collection of three “novellas”, this time set in the early to mid-1970s, and once again, Harlem is depicted in a visceral and compelling fashion. The city is reinventing itself (as it does), with the backdrop of the bicentennial highlighting the ideas of success and survival in America. The scope of the novel is intriguing as well: A deal that gets dangerously out of hand, the lead of a Blaxploitation film disappearing during production (easily my favorite of the three), and politicians who aren’t (or perhaps exactly) what they project themselves to be.
As the city is changing, each story explores the theme of a generation of criminals operating within an established and now fading code of conduct. Things aren’t the way they used to be. There’s violence and wrongdoing, but there’s also humor and heart to maintain a sense of balance. The first section might have been the weakest for me personally, but overall this was a pleasurable read.
3.5, rounding up to 4.
This is another collection of three “novellas”, this time set in the early to mid-1970s, and once again, Harlem is depicted in a visceral and compelling fashion. The city is reinventing itself (as it does), with the backdrop of the bicentennial highlighting the ideas of success and survival in America. The scope of the novel is intriguing as well: A deal that gets dangerously out of hand, the lead of a Blaxploitation film disappearing during production (easily my favorite of the three), and politicians who aren’t (or perhaps exactly) what they project themselves to be.
As the city is changing, each story explores the theme of a generation of criminals operating within an established and now fading code of conduct. Things aren’t the way they used to be. There’s violence and wrongdoing, but there’s also humor and heart to maintain a sense of balance. The first section might have been the weakest for me personally, but overall this was a pleasurable read.
3.5, rounding up to 4.
Although I preferred "Harlem Shuffle," Ray Carney is a character I'd follow anywhere. All three of the linked stories (novellas?) here are gripping and vivid as the '70s cop shows I grew up loving, but I may have been too absorbed in the action to have grasped the ultimate arc. Pepper is an unforgettable character.