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.
Goodreads Review of Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
2 stars
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.
After such punches to the gut as The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, Harlem Shuffle feels a lot more "a few years in the life of Ray Carney". It's enjoyable and a great read, as always, but not as impactful the ones previously mentioned.
This is a historical fiction novel which is part family saga, part gangster story, taking place in the early 1960s. The protagonist is Ray Carney, a man who is smart in every sense of the word. He's got common sense, street smarts, and a business degree. He's a man who is struggling to make a life for himself and for his family, and does not want to follow in his father's footsteps. Big Mike, as they called him, was part of Harlem's criminal underworld. And yet, this world has its hooks in Ray. He pays both a cop and a gangster protection money, and this is a dance that many step to, and keeps a part of the city's hierarchy intact.
Sure, Ray Carney is a bit crooked. He was raised on ill-gotten money and goods, and the seed money for his furniture business came from his father. And he …
This is a historical fiction novel which is part family saga, part gangster story, taking place in the early 1960s. The protagonist is Ray Carney, a man who is smart in every sense of the word. He's got common sense, street smarts, and a business degree. He's a man who is struggling to make a life for himself and for his family, and does not want to follow in his father's footsteps. Big Mike, as they called him, was part of Harlem's criminal underworld. And yet, this world has its hooks in Ray. He pays both a cop and a gangster protection money, and this is a dance that many step to, and keeps a part of the city's hierarchy intact.
Sure, Ray Carney is a bit crooked. He was raised on ill-gotten money and goods, and the seed money for his furniture business came from his father. And he does some fencing, as in not checking the provenance of certain items that he sells. But, he's keeping a low profile, just staying on the outskirts of all the craziness. Until, that is, his cousin Freddie gets in on a dangerous scheme, and drops Ray's name. Whether Ray likes it or not, he's involved in a certain heist.
As children, Freddie and Ray were very close, growing up like brothers, and Freddie always had a knack for getting them both in trouble. Unfortunately, he's at it again, but this time, it's serious, life-threatening trouble.
Part of the historical backdrop of this story was the Harlem race riots of 1964, when a black teenager was senselessly shot and killed by an off-duty police officer. The adults in Ray Carney's world are older, and have different viewpoints and attitudes about what is going on around them. The protesting is mostly younger people, believing in and fighting for change. During these years, a lot of change takes place in Ray's life and in the city's life, too.
The different sides of New York City in this novel were intriguing. One person's Harlem is not another person's, like one of those optical illusion pictures that can be viewed as different objects, depending on how one looks. Also, the characters that populate these different worlds are colorful and interesting. There was also the humor! Even when Ray is in a deadly situation, he might have home furnishings on his mind, for example, noticing that these crooks are standing on a certain brand of carpet that will prevent stains. Convenient.
I thoroughly enjoyed this latest novel by Colson Whitehead, and many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday books for this wonderful opportunity.
