You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3rian 's review for:
Crook Manifesto
by Colson Whitehead
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.