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A review by richardbakare
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
4.0
With “Crook Manifesto” Colson Whitehead has created a top contender in the crime series genre. Crook Manifesto extends Ray Carney’s crime sage into a new decade and expands conversations on a myriad of themes. It repeats a lot of the same motifs you would expect of the genre but separates itself by taking on complex socio-economic issues head on. This time through 1970’s New York Grift
Whitehead pays particular attention to racism of every flavor. From one perspective he analyzes the obvious and ever changing oppression of Black America by others. From another he exposes the colorism and class divides coming from within the culture. Bigotry is a character of its own. Especially, in how it impacts the lives of our characters like an invisible hand from the shadows. Whitehead challenges you to think of what the fortunes of the city and characters would be if bigotry and greed were not ever present forces.
New York itself works as more than just a setting. Whitehead simultaneously is telling a story about New York as an oft neglected family member dying a slow death. Whitehead discusses its ugly underbelly, beautiful possibilities, and everything in between. Whitehead’s descriptive powers in setting the time and place of our story are best illustrated in how he talks about the furniture, clothing, and crime trends of 1970’s New York. All make the setting more tactile and serve as indicators of the progress of time and changes in cultural mores throughout the course of the story.
What also stood out to me was the way Whitehead used the theme of fire as an antagonistic element in the story. It’s deadly effects clearly and painfully on full display. The impact of fire is also expressed as a resetting agent. Burning down one legacy to make space for a different version of New York; indifferent to both the innocent and guilty it takes down in its path. It’s fitting that fire sets up the elegant cliff hanger of an ending that we get. I can’t wait to read the next entry in the series.
Whitehead pays particular attention to racism of every flavor. From one perspective he analyzes the obvious and ever changing oppression of Black America by others. From another he exposes the colorism and class divides coming from within the culture. Bigotry is a character of its own. Especially, in how it impacts the lives of our characters like an invisible hand from the shadows. Whitehead challenges you to think of what the fortunes of the city and characters would be if bigotry and greed were not ever present forces.
New York itself works as more than just a setting. Whitehead simultaneously is telling a story about New York as an oft neglected family member dying a slow death. Whitehead discusses its ugly underbelly, beautiful possibilities, and everything in between. Whitehead’s descriptive powers in setting the time and place of our story are best illustrated in how he talks about the furniture, clothing, and crime trends of 1970’s New York. All make the setting more tactile and serve as indicators of the progress of time and changes in cultural mores throughout the course of the story.
What also stood out to me was the way Whitehead used the theme of fire as an antagonistic element in the story. It’s deadly effects clearly and painfully on full display. The impact of fire is also expressed as a resetting agent. Burning down one legacy to make space for a different version of New York; indifferent to both the innocent and guilty it takes down in its path. It’s fitting that fire sets up the elegant cliff hanger of an ending that we get. I can’t wait to read the next entry in the series.