Saturday, May 1, 2021

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead



Retro Harlem springs to vivid cinematographic life in this delicious romp. Family man Ray Carney is trying to be an upstanding citizen but his cousin Freddie and his gangster dealings won’t leave Carney alone. Generous helpings of heists and shady conmen make this a fun narrative even if sometimes there’s more flash than substance. Worth reading for Whitehead’s exquisitely crafted sentences alone: “You want to know what’s going on, you ask the block wino. They see everything and then the booze pickles it, keeps it all fresh for later.” Whiteheads fans will love it, newbies should read Underground Railroad first.


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