Harlem Shuffle: A Novel (The Harlem Trilogy)

Before this, I’d read two novels by Mr. Whitehead: Nickel Boys and The Underground Railroad. Both of these are very good novels filled with great characters and powerful moments; however, I wouldn’t rank them among the great novels. My main complaint with both is weaknesses in plotting. In essence, the author gets in the way of the story. What he is trying to accomplish in these novels interferes with good storytelling.I know a number of readers who enjoyed this novel less than the other two I’ve mentioned. Perhaps they missed the excesses that make episodes of those books so memorable. I, on the other hand, find this to be the best novel Mr. Whitehead has written so far. Other than having to hear Mick Jagger’s brassy voice in my head every time I think of the title of this novel thanks to the Stones’ song of the same name, I have few complaints about this novel and much praise. It is simply a well-told story without anything getting in the way of that.The novel takes place over a handful of years in the late fifties/early sixties. Mr. Whitehead is an absolute master of character which makes it no surprise that Carney, our protagonist, is full of depths. Son of a violent crook, he makes most of his living as an honest owner of a furniture store; however, petty crime and graft is a part of his world and, as the plot develops, he gets dragged deeper into the game. His foot in the middle class gives him aspirations and access to successful people (and their pretentions and crimes) while still muddling with thieves and murderers, and the reader gets to see it all, a panorama of supporting characters who are as real and memorable as Carney himself. And all of this is set in a vividly recreated Harlem.Every time I read another of Mr. Whitehead’s novels, I become more and more impressed with his skills as a writer. This is the first time, however, that I’ve felt story and characters trumped his need to slam the reader with his prose. There are still plenty of shocks and surprises here, but it all seems to come much more realistically from the characters and the situations in which they find themselves. In my mind, this book is a real triumph.

This a novel well worth reading. It gives the reader a microscopic look into a place many know about but few have truly seen; Harlem 1957 - early 60’s. This historical view is provided mainly through the eyes Ray Carney a upstanding owner of a furniture store on 125th street. We see the life and struggles of Harlem and it’s residents. Carney is a person with with two sides to his character. There is an almost perversely forbidden hilarity in the absurdity of some of the characters and incidents. If you’ve read my reviews, you know I don’t like to give away details of the plot. The Amazon summary does a good job with that. But what can be said is that Carney takes us along through the good/ bad characteristics of his nature as he gains success in life and the furniture business. He and his cousin Freddie who grew up together like brothers in the same house are a complex relationship of both loyalty and disgust. Freddie’s refrain “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble” repeated so many times in Carney’s life should be a clue to the “situations“ Carney finds himself in. It is through these ‘Situations” and his observations of the world he lives in that are the core of this wonderfully written, compelling, and educational novel.

This is not the type of book I usually read. I read it based on reviews and articles about it and because Whitehead has won the Pulitzer twice, an amazing achievement. Although the subject matter is not my preference, the writing was wonderful. Some passages I shared with others.

Sometimes hard to follow but easier later in book to stay engaged. The overall plot was curious as I am a NYer, born of Harlemites.

I often browse for books in the stores, and when it comes to purchasing, i prefer Amazon. I like my books in perfect condition. Amazon did not disappoint. The book is high quality.I do not rate the stories themselves, that is a personal...

I like the flow of the book and the characters. However, it is a bit overly descriptive. I found myself skipping over passages to get to the meat of the story.

This novel is filled with lots of colorful and introspective characters; so many that I kept a notepad near while reading to keep up with their distinctive personalities. Whitehead’s idiosyncratic metaphors, that described eras of Harlem from 1959-1964, were so vividly chronicled that I felt mentally transported into the novel’s rich scenes and occurrences which were infused with divergent, yet kindred personalities, places, and Harlem streets, buildings and smells.The wide range of factual historically references throughout this fictional novel from corporate and social politics, crime and punishment, architecture, to fads in furniture design, was a bonus, because it’s a much more enjoyable path toward the retention of historical data as opposed to reading a nondescript history book.In synopsis, I would describe the content of this novel as an exploration of the “map of the black nation inside the white world,” and as an accurate portrayal of the dichotomous and hypocritical treatment of black vs white crime; how the same acts of criminal behavior and violence are categorized and punished indiscriminately in the black community while considered entrepreneurialism in the white community (Whitehead, 2020, p. 282).I became a fan of Whitehead’s after reading, The Nickel Boys, followed by, The Underground Railroad. Harlem Shuffle has just confirmed my admiration for his writing style, as well as marvel at Whitehead’s ability to make me ponder his words long after I finished one of his novels.

Even though the book bogged down in parts, the storyline was an interesting one. The businesses in the neighborhood. How they interacted. What you did to make ends meet while justifying what you did.

looking forward for the next installment . cheers

This brilliant episodic novel (three linked long stories covering 1959, 1961 and 1964) revolves around Ray Carney as the central character. He's a black businessman in Harlem, owning a furniture store and raising his two young children whilst happily married. Carney's late father was a notorious street criminal and his cousin Freddie's also on the fringes of criminality, so Carney's illegal sideline as a fence for stolen goods is believably incorporated into the narrative. The book acts as a kind of 'alt history' of the U.S, from the perspective of a marginalised community, in the same way that Walter Mosley's first four Easy Rawlins novels managed (before he gave up on any quality control and started churning out inferior books in that series). The book is also fluently written, literary crime fiction of the highest quality. I fully intend to read 'Crooks' Manifesto' the follow up about Carney's 1970's experiences, as well as checking out some of Whitehead's other books. Highly recommended.

didnt like it the story is so basic although the quality and every thing was good

bestens

I was drawn to read Harlem Shuffle through the title itself and the positive reviews. Undoubtedly Colin Whitehead doesn’t disappoint as a writer. The smooth streetwise style offers the company of a narrative voice somewhere between a hard boiled Chandler and a lighter more colorful modern voice. The main character Ray Carney is a furniture salesman in Harlem in the early 60s. The three loosely connected stories from Carney’s life see him walking the fine line between his progress as an entrepreneur and upright citizen, and his hidden connections with local petty criminals that drag him closer to a far more dangerous world of organized crime. It’s an enjoyable read set against the turbulent backdrop of the American history of its time, without ever overstating the author’s political position ~ not difficult to grasp as the racism and segregation of the black community of the seems unimaginable in the modern day. A good read although fairly understated, so without particular emotional involvement. Recommended!