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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It took me way too long to read this book. And that is not Colson Whitehead’s fault in the slightest. That man can do no wrong in my eyes. I however can do a lot wrong, such as spending too much time thinking about the Jets or Martin Scorsese, and not even close to enough time reading (hopefully this slump subsided soon).
I liked this book a lot despite the overly long gestation period. There’s so many great characters, and I love the sections where Whitehead just spends a few paragraphs giving detailed explanations of different aspects of New York in the 60’s. I feel like I learned a lot about the city from this book (but I forgot most of it). For instance, until I read about it in this book, I had no idea about Seneca Village, the African American community that was displaced from their homes in the 1800s when construction began on Central Park. Supremely fucked up shit right there. This book was divided into three novellas, each one focused on a different heist of sorts that the main character performed. I really liked the first section and the third section, but I didn’t find the second one very interesting. The characters seemed to get a bit stagnant for me in that one and I’m struggling to remember much of what happened. But overall this was still a really good book and I’m glad I read it. I will definitely read the sequel sometime in the near future, hopefully when I’m not in a reading slump and I can finish it in a more timely fashion.
I’ve never written a review for a book before so I’m just kinda winging it with this. Ignore the star rating it means nothing. I do not like mixing math with art. Not a numbers guy. Not even a little bit.
I liked this book a lot despite the overly long gestation period. There’s so many great characters, and I love the sections where Whitehead just spends a few paragraphs giving detailed explanations of different aspects of New York in the 60’s. I feel like I learned a lot about the city from this book (but I forgot most of it). For instance, until I read about it in this book, I had no idea about Seneca Village, the African American community that was displaced from their homes in the 1800s when construction began on Central Park. Supremely fucked up shit right there. This book was divided into three novellas, each one focused on a different heist of sorts that the main character performed. I really liked the first section and the third section, but I didn’t find the second one very interesting. The characters seemed to get a bit stagnant for me in that one and I’m struggling to remember much of what happened. But overall this was still a really good book and I’m glad I read it. I will definitely read the sequel sometime in the near future, hopefully when I’m not in a reading slump and I can finish it in a more timely fashion.
I’ve never written a review for a book before so I’m just kinda winging it with this. Ignore the star rating it means nothing. I do not like mixing math with art. Not a numbers guy. Not even a little bit.
@35%
Unfortunately, this story just did not capture my attention. The writing is great, and the audiobook narration is great as well, but this story just wasn't for me.
Unfortunately, this story just did not capture my attention. The writing is great, and the audiobook narration is great as well, but this story just wasn't for me.
In a departure from the gravitas of his previous novels, Colson Whitehead delivers an entertaining crime caper.
Ray Carney thinks of himself as "bent, but not crooked." Growing up in Harlem in the early 1960, the son of a lifelong crook, Ray manages to pull himself up by the bootstraps and graduate from college and become a respected furniture store owner. Money is tight and with a wife and his second baby on the way, Ray constantly feels the pressure to have enough to cover monthly expenses. On occasion, he has been a small time fence for his petty criminal cousin Freddie. Then Ray gets involved in a major robbery scheme via Freddie, setting in motion both external and internal threats to the life Ray has worked and struggled so hard to achieve.
Throughout the narrative, the historical locale and time period of Harlem is conveyed in lively and exuberant detail (easy to imagine this as a film). The people in Ray's life -- his family, in-laws, co workers, big and petty criminals, police officers -- are portrayed with nuance and give further depth to the entire novel. The dialogue is often hilarious and richly adds to the story's ambience.
On one level, though this book fits easily into the crime caper genre, Whitehead's writing elevates his story into an indictment against racism and political corruption, a funny and often heartbreaking family story, and mostly, a vibrant and loving portrayal of the New York neighborhood of Harlem.
Ray Carney thinks of himself as "bent, but not crooked." Growing up in Harlem in the early 1960, the son of a lifelong crook, Ray manages to pull himself up by the bootstraps and graduate from college and become a respected furniture store owner. Money is tight and with a wife and his second baby on the way, Ray constantly feels the pressure to have enough to cover monthly expenses. On occasion, he has been a small time fence for his petty criminal cousin Freddie. Then Ray gets involved in a major robbery scheme via Freddie, setting in motion both external and internal threats to the life Ray has worked and struggled so hard to achieve.
Throughout the narrative, the historical locale and time period of Harlem is conveyed in lively and exuberant detail (easy to imagine this as a film). The people in Ray's life -- his family, in-laws, co workers, big and petty criminals, police officers -- are portrayed with nuance and give further depth to the entire novel. The dialogue is often hilarious and richly adds to the story's ambience.
On one level, though this book fits easily into the crime caper genre, Whitehead's writing elevates his story into an indictment against racism and political corruption, a funny and often heartbreaking family story, and mostly, a vibrant and loving portrayal of the New York neighborhood of Harlem.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
3.5
I wish half stars were a thing and I wish I could vibe with mysteries and thrillers but regardless they always end up middle of the road for me. That said I'm glad I gave this one a try regarless, even it's not my usual jam.
I wish half stars were a thing and I wish I could vibe with mysteries and thrillers but regardless they always end up middle of the road for me. That said I'm glad I gave this one a try regarless, even it's not my usual jam.
DNF @ 20%, no engaging characters or plot to speak of for me, unfortunately
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
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
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes