Harlem Shuffle

Nyt on kunnollista! 1950–60-luvun Harlemissa ei ole helppoa elättää perhettä rehellisenä mustana miehenä, ja jos kohtalo sitten määrää, että ruumiista pitää päästä eroon, niin sitten siitä hankkiudutaan eroon. Kaikki ovat joka tapauksessa osana samaa ketkuilujen verkostoa, joka yltää ties minne. Näin vetävää juonenkuljetusta ja värikästä ympäristön kuvausta lukee mielellään.

After the grimness of Underground Railroad and Nickel Boys, I had said that I would not read anymore Colson Whitehead, however I was persuaded to give Harlem Shuffle a go on the promise that it was nowhere near as dark. And that is certainly the case. The novel is split into three sections, each a story set at a different time within the life of Ray Carney, a furniture seller with a couple of dodgy side hustles. Ray makes for an intriguing central character and I loved seeing Harlem flow around him. Perhaps Harlem Shuffle wasn't always quite as gripping as I had hoped, but it was still a good book for me and I was glad to have been able to borrow a cooy.

I mean it was fine. What's there to say. Quite well written, don't get me wrong. But I found the three acts all lacking action, intrigue, and a consistent through line. None of the characters were memorable or distinct in a way that impacted the story, including the main character. They all seemed to serve as a backdrop for a story that was was not interesting enough to stand up on its own. It wasn't a bad read at all, just wholly unmemorable.