Harlem Shuffle
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- Create Date：2021-09-09 21:21:12
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Colson Whitehead
- ISBN：B08QMZC2PM
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Summary
From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys， a gloriously entertaining novel of heists， shakedowns， and rip-offs set in Harlem in the 1960s。
“Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked…” To his customers and neighbors on 125th street， Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture， making a decent life for himself and his family。 He and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child， and if her parents on Striver’s Row don’t approve of him or their cramped apartment across from the subway tracks， it’s still home。
Few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks， and that his façade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it。 Cracks that are getting bigger all the time。
Cash is tight， especially with all those installment-plan sofas， so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace， Ray doesn’t ask where it comes from。 He knows a discreet jeweler downtown who doesn’t ask questions， either。
Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plan to rob the Hotel Theresa—the “Waldorf of Harlem”—and volunteers Ray’s services as the fence。 The heist doesn’t go as planned; they rarely do。 Now Ray has a new clientele， one made up of shady cops， vicious local gangsters， two-bit pornographers， and other assorted Harlem lowlifes。
Thus begins the internal tussle between Ray the striver and Ray the crook。 As Ray navigates this double life， he begins to see who actually pulls the strings in Harlem。 Can Ray avoid getting killed， save his cousin， and grab his share of the big score， all while maintaining his reputation as the go-to source for all your quality home furniture needs？
Harlem Shuffle’s ingenious story plays out in a beautifully recreated New York City of the early 1960s。 It’s a family saga masquerading as a crime novel， a hilarious morality play， a social novel about race and power， and ultimately a love letter to Harlem。
But mostly， it’s a joy to read， another dazzling novel from the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning Colson Whitehead。
“Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked…” To his customers and neighbors on 125th street， Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture， making a decent life for himself and his family。 He and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child， and if her parents on Striver’s Row don’t approve of him or their cramped apartment across from the subway tracks， it’s still home。
Few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks， and that his façade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it。 Cracks that are getting bigger all the time。
Cash is tight， especially with all those installment-plan sofas， so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace， Ray doesn’t ask where it comes from。 He knows a discreet jeweler downtown who doesn’t ask questions， either。
Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plan to rob the Hotel Theresa—the “Waldorf of Harlem”—and volunteers Ray’s services as the fence。 The heist doesn’t go as planned; they rarely do。 Now Ray has a new clientele， one made up of shady cops， vicious local gangsters， two-bit pornographers， and other assorted Harlem lowlifes。
Thus begins the internal tussle between Ray the striver and Ray the crook。 As Ray navigates this double life， he begins to see who actually pulls the strings in Harlem。 Can Ray avoid getting killed， save his cousin， and grab his share of the big score， all while maintaining his reputation as the go-to source for all your quality home furniture needs？
Harlem Shuffle’s ingenious story plays out in a beautifully recreated New York City of the early 1960s。 It’s a family saga masquerading as a crime novel， a hilarious morality play， a social novel about race and power， and ultimately a love letter to Harlem。
But mostly， it’s a joy to read， another dazzling novel from the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning Colson Whitehead。
Reviews
Mary
，
Review to follow
Benedikt
，
Anderer Whitehead-Roman， gleiche ProblemeWhitehead hat seinen Platz in der Literaturwelt und auf dem Schriftstellerolymp längst gefunden。 Nachdem ich mit Begeisterung „Underground Railroad“ las （zumindest beim ersten Mal lesen） und mich „Die Nickel Boys“ emotional unberührt zurück ließ， wagte ich einen weiteren Versuch und las „Harlem Shuffle“。 In diesem Roman stellt der Autor die Rolle der Schwarzen in den USA， vor allem in Harlem， diesmal subtil und verwebter dar。 Im Voraus ist die Gesellschaf Anderer Whitehead-Roman， gleiche ProblemeWhitehead hat seinen Platz in der Literaturwelt und auf dem Schriftstellerolymp längst gefunden。 Nachdem ich mit Begeisterung „Underground Railroad“ las （zumindest beim ersten Mal lesen） und mich „Die Nickel Boys“ emotional unberührt zurück ließ， wagte ich einen weiteren Versuch und las „Harlem Shuffle“。 In diesem Roman stellt der Autor die Rolle der Schwarzen in den USA， vor allem in Harlem， diesmal subtil und verwebter dar。 Im Voraus ist die Gesellschaftskritik natürlich nicht sofort augenscheinlich， „Harlem Shuffle“ ist vielmehr ein Gangster- und Krimiroman mit versteckter Sozialkritik。 In seinen Büchern gibt es immer eine Ebene zu entschlüsseln， die in diesem Roman lange verschlossen bleibt。 Zahlreichen Charakteren will er Leben einhauchen， erzwingt ihnen eine Persönlichkeit， aber in Wirklichkeit vergisst man einige von ihnen im nächsten Moment wieder。 Sein roter Faden ist verknotet und zerschnitten， ich konnte der Handlung selten folgen。 Whiteheads Erzählstil hat sein Übriges getan， flüssig und angenehm lesbar ist dieser leider nicht。 。。。more
Gedankenlabor
，
>>Was krumme Dinger anging，war Carney eher ein kleines Licht。。。<>Was krumme Dinger anging，war Carney eher ein kleines Licht。。。<
Kristy Hidalgo
，
This story was so amazingly written and quick moving。 From heists to shady deals to revenge plots， Colson Whitehead makes the setting of this story come alive。 I am walking down the streets of Harlem with the main character and huddled in the back room for a meeting of criminal minds。 The story follows Carney as he balances his two lives: an upstanding business owner by day and a man familiar with crooks and thieves at night。 While telling Carney's story through the years， Whitehead is able to h This story was so amazingly written and quick moving。 From heists to shady deals to revenge plots， Colson Whitehead makes the setting of this story come alive。 I am walking down the streets of Harlem with the main character and huddled in the back room for a meeting of criminal minds。 The story follows Carney as he balances his two lives: an upstanding business owner by day and a man familiar with crooks and thieves at night。 While telling Carney's story through the years， Whitehead is able to highlight racial issues that played out in 1960's Harlem and continue to this day。 Overall， my opinion is this is Colson Whitehead's best book yet。Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book I'm exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Mark
，
Ron Carney is just trying to get by in the （sometimes） mean streets of 1960s Harlem。 His father was a crook， but he owns a furniture store and is， by his own estimation， "only slightly bent。" His close cousin Freddy is pretty sketchy， though， and keeps pulling Carney into illegal activities。 The first section takes place in 1959。 Freddie gets involved in a robbery， and pulls Carney in to fence jewelry from it。 The results are unexpected （as usually happens）， and additionally make Carney into a s Ron Carney is just trying to get by in the （sometimes） mean streets of 1960s Harlem。 His father was a crook， but he owns a furniture store and is， by his own estimation， "only slightly bent。" His close cousin Freddy is pretty sketchy， though， and keeps pulling Carney into illegal activities。 The first section takes place in 1959。 Freddie gets involved in a robbery， and pulls Carney in to fence jewelry from it。 The results are unexpected （as usually happens）， and additionally make Carney into a serious fence， as well as giving him the opportunity of disposing of a corpse。The 1961 section finds Carney expanding his business， while also attempting to join an elite social club。 His rejection includes the extra sting of having paid a bribe that should have guaranteed acceptance。 Like his father he holds a grudge， which he gradually builds to payoff。 The 1964 section takes place against the background of the World's Fair and race riots。 Freddy pulls Carney into a huge job， which Carney tries to resolve while protecting both of them。 In the end he comes out all right， but Freddy does not。 And so it goes。 Ever striving， ever upward。 Carney is a truly colorful character， but the novel also includes several others。 The main one is Pepper， a crook who had been an associate of his father's who also appears throughout in a supporting role。 The novel starts out looking like one thing， but expands beyond that into a broader social history。 。。。more
Ashlee Bree
，
Harlem Shuffle isn't the type of book I'd gravitate toward naturally on my own， but I'm glad to have read it。 Whitehead sucked me into the changing cultural landscape of 1950-60's Harlem with his vignette-style structure and atmospheric depictions of the neighborhood and its residents。Though this was， in part， a crime drama which featured its share of shady characters， heists， fences， and underworld criminality， it didn't have quite the same high-climbing pulse -the same kick - as your typical t Harlem Shuffle isn't the type of book I'd gravitate toward naturally on my own， but I'm glad to have read it。 Whitehead sucked me into the changing cultural landscape of 1950-60's Harlem with his vignette-style structure and atmospheric depictions of the neighborhood and its residents。Though this was， in part， a crime drama which featured its share of shady characters， heists， fences， and underworld criminality， it didn't have quite the same high-climbing pulse -the same kick - as your typical thriller。 That's not a criticism， though。 The prose was restrained for good reason。 It was intricate， measured， layered。 The three sections of the narrative， each of which show the main character， Ray Carney， being dragged into another seedy problem （thanks in large part to his cousin， Freddie） where he must straddle the line between upstanding furniture-seller and "only slightly bent" crook， pull him into an increasingly graying labyrinth。 Morality， propriety--they bend as a result。 Carney， well-meaning and level-headed man though he is， becomes more and more entrenched in Harlem's underworld the further the story unfolds。 However， his slide is subtle。 It's justifiable。 The changeability that unfolds in him ripples outward into the streets， into the atmosphere of the city itself。 As a reader， I couldn't help but empathize。One of the things I thought the author did exceptionally well was pivot genre and expectation to shuffle in themes about family， opportunity， class struggle， racism， upward mobility， and sociopolitical change that were relevant to this era in Harlem。 A lot of what occurred still felt timely， too。 Even for today。 It made me wonder how much has really changed。Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC in exchange for my review。BOOK BLOG 。。。more
Kristin Redburn
，
If you asked his neighbors and businessmen in Harlem， he was an upstanding furniture salesman。 But “Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked…”。In Harlem Shuffle we follow Carney as he establishes and grows a hometown furniture store in Harlem。 The only problem seems to be his cousin， who delivers a few pieces of jewelry or some TVs of dubious origins for Carney to fence。 As Carney’s legitimate business grows， so does the side business。 The only question is: Will he be able If you asked his neighbors and businessmen in Harlem， he was an upstanding furniture salesman。 But “Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked…”。In Harlem Shuffle we follow Carney as he establishes and grows a hometown furniture store in Harlem。 The only problem seems to be his cousin， who delivers a few pieces of jewelry or some TVs of dubious origins for Carney to fence。 As Carney’s legitimate business grows， so does the side business。 The only question is: Will he be able to outwit and outlive the shady underworld in which he lives？ The latest book from two time Pulitzer Prize winner， Colton Whitehead， does not disappoint。 。。。more
miss。mesmerized mesmerized
，
Ray Carney just wants to lead decent life as a black furniture salesman at the beginning of the 1960s in Harlem。 His wife Elizabeth is expecting their second child and even if his in-laws are not happy with him， his life is quite ok。 His cousin Freddie shows up from time to time with some bargains and Ray does not ask too many questions about the origins of the odd sofa or necklace。 But when Freddie and a bunch of crooks plan to rob the Hotel Theresa – something like Harlem’s Waldorf – and as fo Ray Carney just wants to lead decent life as a black furniture salesman at the beginning of the 1960s in Harlem。 His wife Elizabeth is expecting their second child and even if his in-laws are not happy with him， his life is quite ok。 His cousin Freddie shows up from time to time with some bargains and Ray does not ask too many questions about the origins of the odd sofa or necklace。 But when Freddie and a bunch of crooks plan to rob the Hotel Theresa – something like Harlem’s Waldorf – and as for his help to get rid of the loot， his life becomes a lot more complicated especially since Ray quickly understands that there is not much room for negotiation。 With “The Underground Railroad” and “The Nickel Boys” Colson Whitehead has catapulted himself at the top of the list of contemporary writers。 Just as in his former works， “Harlem Shuffle” brilliantly captures the mood and the atmosphere of the time it is set in。 It only takes a couple of pages to get a feeling of 125th street of the time and first and foremost， how people experienced the riots after the shooting of an unarmed black boy by a policeman。 Thus， even though the plot is set sixty years in the past， he succeeds in connecting it to present day events and issues。 “The way he saw it， living taught you that you didn’t have to live the way you’d been taught to live- You came from one place but more important was where you decided to go。”Ray has decided for a decent life with his furniture store， he keeps to himself and his family and does not want to get involved too much in any criminal doings。 He has grown up with broken glass on the playground， killings where just a side note of everyday life。 Yet， Freddie is his cousin and blood ultimately is thicker than water。 They have grown up like brothers and the bond cannot easily be cut even though this time， it means serious consequences。 The novel develops slowly but it is those seemingly unrelated marginalia that provide the depth of the story and create the atmosphere on which the story lives。 A great novel vividly written and definitely worth reading， however， I am not as enthusiastic as I was after reading his former novels。 。。。more
Helena
，
3。5
Anu
，
Thanks to DoubleDay Books and Netgalley for the eARC。 Colson Whitehead really proves that he can do it all。 I don't think a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner， "America's storyteller"， and arguably one of the greatest writers of our generation needs my approval， but here it is anyway。Full review to come。 Thanks to DoubleDay Books and Netgalley for the eARC。 Colson Whitehead really proves that he can do it all。 I don't think a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner， "America's storyteller"， and arguably one of the greatest writers of our generation needs my approval， but here it is anyway。Full review to come。 。。。more
Gail
，
Harlem Shuffle is a book about about many things， but it really isn't just a "crime caper" as some call it。 Colson Whitehead gives us a story about the real people living in the main street area of Harlem in the late 1950's to the mid 1960's。 It's about the personal struggles within these black neighborhoods and the people who negotiate with each other & with themselves to survive & move along。 The novel puts great emphasis on family ties & our narrator， Ray Carney， feels those ties strongly， bo Harlem Shuffle is a book about about many things， but it really isn't just a "crime caper" as some call it。 Colson Whitehead gives us a story about the real people living in the main street area of Harlem in the late 1950's to the mid 1960's。 It's about the personal struggles within these black neighborhoods and the people who negotiate with each other & with themselves to survive & move along。 The novel puts great emphasis on family ties & our narrator， Ray Carney， feels those ties strongly， both negative & positive。 He was partially raised by his Aunt Millie along with his cousin， Freddy， after being abandoned by his widowed father， Big Mike， a hustler & small time criminal。 Ray grew up in the shadow of his father but with the stern yet loving care of his aunt。 His father's good friend， Pepper， continues to be a strong influence in his life throughout the novel。 Freddy was always a different type of influence & while he loves Ray & sees him as a true brother，， he can't help drawing Ray into increasingly dangerous capers。 Ray is a complicated man。 He married Elizabeth， whose parents never approved of Ray， even though he worked hard to support her & their growing family with his furniture store。 Ray always is looking to "move up" whether it is to move the family to Riverside Drive or to join the prestigious black businessmen's group his father-in-law belonged to but silently refused to support Ray's admission。 On the other hand， Ray frequently looks the other way to acquire "softly used" goods from dubious sources to sell in his furniture store。 The stakes become much higher when Freddy involves Ray in a robbery of the famous Hotel Theresa， thrusting Ray into an entirely different world of criminals， fences & crooked cops。 Ray is certainly part of the Harlem Shuffle in that he is constantly fighting the duality of his escalating involvement with dangerous criminals & his intense desire to move on up & be respected as well as to provide a better life for his family。 Ray is crafty & carefully hides his dealings from Elizabeth as "she would leave his ass in a second when she found out about his crooked side。"Whitehead shows us Harlem in the late 1950's & creates a vibrant， alive scene populated by a large cast of unique & well drawn characters。 The fact that racism was a fact of life in those times is well known & documented with very on-target examples throughout the story， especially as the novel moves to Parts 2 & 3。 The addition of Ray's wife， Elizabeth， who works for a travel agency catering to the safety of black travelers is well placed & especially significant of the times。 It's a nice touch by Whitehead to juxtapose black citizens negotiating domestic & foreign travel arranged by Elizabeth vs。 Ray & all the locals negotiating "shuffling" within the confines of Harlem itself。 The Harlem Shuffle becomes ever more complicated for Ray as the years progress as the old neighborhood changes in a major way & more truths are exposed about the white citizens with their own "shuffle。"Harlem Shuffle is very well written， very readable & an admirable addition to Colson Whitehead's ever expanding chronicling of the Black experience in various eras of American life。Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the Arc of this wonderful novel。 。。。more
Maryann
，
Colson Whitehead has done it again。 He takes you to a time in history that fills your senses in its surroundings。 The late 50s and early 60s in Harlem。 A young black man trying to provide for his family。 Educated and driven he has to fight his past and present to provide a future。 He can't do it without going to the wrong side of the law to fulfill his goals。He paints such a clear picture: the stars arriving by bus， the World's Fair， the riots， the burden of family， past and present。 New York un Colson Whitehead has done it again。 He takes you to a time in history that fills your senses in its surroundings。 The late 50s and early 60s in Harlem。 A young black man trying to provide for his family。 Educated and driven he has to fight his past and present to provide a future。 He can't do it without going to the wrong side of the law to fulfill his goals。He paints such a clear picture: the stars arriving by bus， the World's Fair， the riots， the burden of family， past and present。 New York undergoing a rebuild， the World Trade going up。I had the pleasure of attending a book talk by Colson。 He is as interesting as his books。Thank you， NetGalley！ 。。。more
V
，
I have never read any of Colson Whitehead's works， but was familiar with his reputation。 The Harlem Shuffle sounded like a historical criminal caper I would enjoy and I was excited to receive an advance copy from Netgalley。 I began reading this almost a month ago and I 'm only half way done。 On average I read a book every 3 days。 I struggled wading through recollections and side antics that were unrelated。 While the neighborhood and 60's vibe is vividly described， I cannot keep awake or stay eng I have never read any of Colson Whitehead's works， but was familiar with his reputation。 The Harlem Shuffle sounded like a historical criminal caper I would enjoy and I was excited to receive an advance copy from Netgalley。 I began reading this almost a month ago and I 'm only half way done。 On average I read a book every 3 days。 I struggled wading through recollections and side antics that were unrelated。 While the neighborhood and 60's vibe is vividly described， I cannot keep awake or stay engaged。 Carney's cousin Freddiie is more thrilling than the rest。 In fact the book description is better than the book itself。 It is rare for me to give up， but I just don't care what transpires next。Thanks to Netgalley， Colson Whitehead， and Doubleday for the advance digital copy。 These opinions are mine alone， given voluntarily。 。。。more
Kyra Leseberg （Roots & Reads）
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3。5 starsReview to follow
Suzette
，
A well written narrative that walks you through several years of Ray’s life as he struggles to live up to the expectations he has for himself。 He is also trying to fit his life to what he believes he should give his wife， be for his family， in-laws and community。 It is also a discourse on the social and economic changes that take place throughout New York City during that period。 It shaped the lives of the characters and generations that followed。
Jackie
，
This is not usually the type of book that I read， but it's worth paying attention when Colson Whitehead publishes a new book。 I am finding this review a bit difficult to compose。 There is no question that Mr。 Whitehead is an accomplished writer who tells interesting and important stories with beautiful prose。 This was just not my story。 It did not reliably hold my interest and at times I was forcing myself to read。 Ray Carney's father was a crook and he prides himself on being mostly different。 This is not usually the type of book that I read， but it's worth paying attention when Colson Whitehead publishes a new book。 I am finding this review a bit difficult to compose。 There is no question that Mr。 Whitehead is an accomplished writer who tells interesting and important stories with beautiful prose。 This was just not my story。 It did not reliably hold my interest and at times I was forcing myself to read。 Ray Carney's father was a crook and he prides himself on being mostly different。 He runs a legitimate and increasingly successful furniture store， selling both new and used items。 On occasion he will be the middleman for his cousin Freddie， who has more shady dealings。 Against his better judgement， Ray takes part in a robbery of the finest hotel in Harlem。 Of course that goes sideways and Ray is in deeper than he ever expected。 He also feels responsible for his cousin， though looking after Freddie is a fulltime and challenging job。 Ray has to juggle his legitimate business， protect his wife and children while keeping them ignorant of his crooked side， and also not anger any of the less than honest characters who are now a part of this life。 The best part of the book for me was the historical information and details about Harlem in the 1960's。 I enjoy historical fiction but have not read much from that era。 Mr。 Whitehead does a great job of describing the physical place and the social climate。 I would argue that Harlem is also a character in this book。 Given the recent state of our country， it was sobering to read about police action and riots， including the shooting of a black child by police。 Sixty years later our world is so different but also the same。I struggled with keeping some of the minor characters straight in my head。 I also did not enjoy some of the chapters that were devoted to some of those character's backstory。 In my opinion， it didn't add anything。 Descriptions of the book bill it as a crime novel/heist story; a social commentary， and a "hilarious morality play。" I'm not sure how I would describe it， other than to say that it wasn't hilarious。 Unlike The Underground Railroad and Nickel Boys， this is not a story that I will remember reading。 。。。more
Al Lloyd
，
Walter Mosley has been writing this for years and usually better
Allison
，
An engrossing New York novel set in 1960s Black Harlem， this crime fiction tale is also a family drama and a window into mid-century Harlem。 It follows Ray Carney， a striving furniture store owner， husband and father， exploring the choices he makes and the things he lets happen。 The fascination I felt while reading quickly became tinged with unease， as pragmatic-seeming Ray gets deeper into crime and can’t bring himself to opt out of that way of life。 There is much explored here about coming to An engrossing New York novel set in 1960s Black Harlem， this crime fiction tale is also a family drama and a window into mid-century Harlem。 It follows Ray Carney， a striving furniture store owner， husband and father， exploring the choices he makes and the things he lets happen。 The fascination I felt while reading quickly became tinged with unease， as pragmatic-seeming Ray gets deeper into crime and can’t bring himself to opt out of that way of life。 There is much explored here about coming to a life of crime and how it becomes justifiable to criminals， plus how wealth and influence are undeniable influences on who makes out and who doesn’t。Colson Whitehead has pivoted genres yet again， and crafted another immensely readable novel， entertaining yet steeped in unease。 I loved the sense of place， how Whitehead thoroughly lays out the where of each scene。 Too， Ray’s story being set amid the cultural movements and riots of the ‘60s illuminates the Harlem of that time even further。 Highly recommended for fans of another love story to a ‘60s Black New York neighborhood， Deacon King Kong， or anyone who couldn’t look away from season 4 of FX’s Fargo。 My thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for this ARC。 。。。more
OutlawPoet
，
Oh boy。 Am I allowed to like a book by Colson Whitehead but not love it？Because I did like it。 This is a crime novel with depth， pathos， and even bits of hope。 It’s almost， though the main character is not a teen， a criminal coming of age story。 The writing is lovely， bringing imagery and meaning that transcends pulp。 The problem？ I wanted pulp。 I wanted the edge that comes with hard crime fiction。 This is…pretty。The prettiness brought a softness to the story that I didn’t expect。 I think it wil Oh boy。 Am I allowed to like a book by Colson Whitehead but not love it？Because I did like it。 This is a crime novel with depth， pathos， and even bits of hope。 It’s almost， though the main character is not a teen， a criminal coming of age story。 The writing is lovely， bringing imagery and meaning that transcends pulp。 The problem？ I wanted pulp。 I wanted the edge that comes with hard crime fiction。 This is…pretty。The prettiness brought a softness to the story that I didn’t expect。 I think it will definitely suit some – and plays true to the authors very literary form。 I just wanted grit。My favorite character was Pepper。 I could read scores of books featuring Pepper。 I also loved the very Godfather-esque rise and fall of certain characters。 I liked it。 I just wanted more…not-so-pretty parts。*ARC via Publisher 。。。more
MandM
，
3。5 rounded up。 Fascinating description of Harlem at times seems to ramble on a bit， however writing is great as usual。
Letterrausch
，
Colson Whiteheads neuer Roman “Harlem Shuffle” ist ein Ganovenstück aus dem New York der 60er Jahre， das ganz Vieles ist: fragwürdige Aufsteigergeschichte， eine Liebeserklärung an Harlem und ein Eintauchen in die （klein）kriminellen Strukturen einer amerikanischen Großstadt。 Der Leser lernt Raymond Carver kennen， einen Geschäftsinhaber， der sich vom Verkauf von Radios fragwürdigen Ursprungs zu luxuriösen Sitzgruppen hochgearbeitet hat。 Trotzdem ist das Geld anfangs immer knapp - seine Wohnung jed Colson Whiteheads neuer Roman “Harlem Shuffle” ist ein Ganovenstück aus dem New York der 60er Jahre， das ganz Vieles ist: fragwürdige Aufsteigergeschichte， eine Liebeserklärung an Harlem und ein Eintauchen in die （klein）kriminellen Strukturen einer amerikanischen Großstadt。 Der Leser lernt Raymond Carver kennen， einen Geschäftsinhaber， der sich vom Verkauf von Radios fragwürdigen Ursprungs zu luxuriösen Sitzgruppen hochgearbeitet hat。 Trotzdem ist das Geld anfangs immer knapp - seine Wohnung jedoch schäbig und seine Frau mit dem zweiten Kind schwanger。 Was also tun？Carver， der es eigentlich als ehrliche Haut schaffen will， hat trotzdem immer einen Fuß in der Tür zur New Yorker Unterwelt。 Ob er als Zwischenhändler für gestohlene Diamanten agiert oder Ganoven sein Geschäft als Informationszentrum und zur Weitergabe von Nachrichten zur Verfügung stellt。 Einerlei。 Carver ist immer gleichzeitig legale Fassade und illegaler Nutznießer。 Oft droht dieser Balanceakt， schiefzugehen。 Doch Ray ist gewitzt und das Glück ist ihm hold。“Harlem Shuffle” ist ein nahezu perfekter Roman。 Whitehead kennt sein Sujet （man erfährt mehr über amerikanische Möbel als man je wissen wollte）， hat das Harlem der 60er bis in den letzten Straßenzug recherchiert und schildert sein Personal so lebensecht und schillernd， dass man sich mittendrin wähnt in all diesen fehlgeleiteten Coups und Jobs。Whitehead wäre nicht Whitehead， wenn “Harlem Shuffle” nicht auch ein Roman über （amerikanischen） Rassismus wäre。 Schmiergelder wandern hin und her， Bürgerrechtsgruppen bilden sich， ein schwarzer Schüler wird von einem weißen Cop erschossen - und als Leser muss man leider konstatieren: Seit den 60er Jahren scheint sich in den USA nicht viel verändert zu haben。 Und doch wirkt Whitehead nie pädagogisch oder belehrend。 Ja， seine Geschichte transportiert auch eine Botschaft。 Aber sie ist trotzdem in erster Linie das: eine gute Geschichte。 。。。more
Brittney Allen
，
Fans of Colson Whitehead will love this one！ It’s a slow burn， meandering through the lives of residents of Harlem in the 50’s and 60’s。 The characters and their stories are portrayed with such a loving honesty that shows their goodness and humor as well as the darker parts。 Well worth a read。 This novel will be released on 14th September。 Thank you to netgalley and Little Brown Book group for an advance copy。
Barbara
，
I loved The Nickel Boys by Whitehead and was eager to read this new book， with hopes that it would be just as compelling of a read。 However， I was very disappointed。 The three parts of the story are three different “problems” that the character gets pulled into。 There are no tricks or twists to how each situation is solved; each one ends in a sort of ho-hum fashion， but still includes LOTS of characters。 I also had trouble with a lot of the vocabulary。 So much was written in a Harlem vernacular， I loved The Nickel Boys by Whitehead and was eager to read this new book， with hopes that it would be just as compelling of a read。 However， I was very disappointed。 The three parts of the story are three different “problems” that the character gets pulled into。 There are no tricks or twists to how each situation is solved; each one ends in a sort of ho-hum fashion， but still includes LOTS of characters。 I also had trouble with a lot of the vocabulary。 So much was written in a Harlem vernacular， and I would have to plow through it to figure out what was going on。 The book was a great reflection of Harlem in the early 1960s， but again， without being familiar with the area， I didn’t have enough background knowledge to understand or appreciate it。 My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC - I’m sure that Harlem Shuffle will be perfect for some readers。 Just not for me。 。。。more
Sarah
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Harlem Shuffle was a tie breaker book for me with Colson Whitehead - I loved Nickel Boys and DNF-ed Underground Railroad - and I was curious to see where I'd land on the "fun:" crime book he postponed for Nickel Boys。Harlem Shuffle is 3 vignettes in the life of Ray Carney， a furniture salesman that is only slightly crooked - as compared to his deceased father and scheming cousin。 The characters were largely great， the setting was vivid， and the caper plotting was really fun。 However， it reads as Harlem Shuffle was a tie breaker book for me with Colson Whitehead - I loved Nickel Boys and DNF-ed Underground Railroad - and I was curious to see where I'd land on the "fun:" crime book he postponed for Nickel Boys。Harlem Shuffle is 3 vignettes in the life of Ray Carney， a furniture salesman that is only slightly crooked - as compared to his deceased father and scheming cousin。 The characters were largely great， the setting was vivid， and the caper plotting was really fun。 However， it reads as Ray going about his life until Freddie brings him into the land of criminality - Ray isn't a man of action， he begrudgingly helps Freddie on several occasions， but his internal struggle between good and crook （from the summary） isn't very vivid。 Separately from that， we don't spend much time with Freddie to get into his motivations， so he just crops up as a useless annoyance - he isn't clever， capable， or charismatic， he's just a suck。If only Ray's cousin had been Pepper - my god， a more fun criminal duo haven't crossed my literary fiction path。Thank you to the publisher， via NetGalley， for providing me with an arc for review， 。。。more
Catherine M。
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Upon finishing The Nickel Boys earlier this summer， I was excited to see that Colson Whitehead had a new book coming out this fall。 While I have enjoyed his other work that I have read， I was interested to see his writing go in a totally different direction。From Harlem Shuffle’s billing as “a gloriously entertaining heist novel” and Whitehead’s predilection for twist endings， I was expecting something a bit more along the lines of Ocean’s 11。 But a heist comedy this is not; Harlem Shuffle is mor Upon finishing The Nickel Boys earlier this summer， I was excited to see that Colson Whitehead had a new book coming out this fall。 While I have enjoyed his other work that I have read， I was interested to see his writing go in a totally different direction。From Harlem Shuffle’s billing as “a gloriously entertaining heist novel” and Whitehead’s predilection for twist endings， I was expecting something a bit more along the lines of Ocean’s 11。 But a heist comedy this is not; Harlem Shuffle is more of a Harlem Godfather that follows the major and minor players around New York City， letting us in on their thoughts。 The story itself did not especially draw me in， but due to the beauty of Whitehead’s writing， I was happy to follow it through to the end， even when the action got slow。 Ray Carney is a very likable and compelling main character， and you will find yourself cheering for this clever furniture salesman as he tries to get out of the increasingly crazy situations his boneheaded cousin gets him into。 。。。more
Stuart
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Thank you to Net Galley for An ARC。 Colton Whitehead can write beautifully about anything。。after the serious subject matter of his last two books， he has entered the world of Walter Mosley and Elmore Leonard and written an excellent crime novel。 Highly recommend this book for a wonderful entertainment。
Linda
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I love the way Colson Whitehead writes。 He's so descriptive in ways that you just don't get to read every day。 The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys were so good， and I really looked forward to reading this book that takes a fresh look at historical fiction both in the story being told and in the location。 Set in Harlem in the late fifties and early sixties。 we find Ray Carney as a furniture salesman just wanting to provide enough for his growing family so that he will eventually get out I love the way Colson Whitehead writes。 He's so descriptive in ways that you just don't get to read every day。 The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys were so good， and I really looked forward to reading this book that takes a fresh look at historical fiction both in the story being told and in the location。 Set in Harlem in the late fifties and early sixties。 we find Ray Carney as a furniture salesman just wanting to provide enough for his growing family so that he will eventually get out of this neighborhood that is full of crime and mischief。 Carney unwittingly finds himself on the fringe of both no matter how much he tries to avoid it。 And then there's his cousin Freddie， as close as a brother， but he sure doesn't help things。 Unfortunately， this book dragged for me。 As exciting as the premise is， it didn't keep me turning the pages as most of his books do。 I found myself bored， waiting for the next high spot that seemed to be just out of reach。 The character development was superb。 The historical aspect was interesting and gave perspective to what happened a few years later in our country's history。 The crime and unrest were rampant everywhere。 But in Harlem？ It went to different levels。 Mr。 Whitehead brought those things I had only read about in news stories to vivid life in these pages。 But those moments were few and far between for me as I read through this book。 So while I did enjoy many parts of this story， they weren't enough to keep me consistently entertained。 That doesn't mean that I won't be looking forward to other books by this author。 I know how good he is at his craft。 Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Publishing for my advance copy。 。。。more
Bob Hughes
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Harlem Shuffle toes an interesting line between being an out-and-out heist novel， and a deeper side about protest and resistance to oppression， as its characters struggle to make ends meet in an area that has been routinely ransacked for its wealth。For me， the latter theme of the novel was more effective， with some blisteringly powerful scenes and descriptions of just what rebellion and resistance can look like in a world where characters have to fight tooth and nail just to stay afloat。 Our mai Harlem Shuffle toes an interesting line between being an out-and-out heist novel， and a deeper side about protest and resistance to oppression， as its characters struggle to make ends meet in an area that has been routinely ransacked for its wealth。For me， the latter theme of the novel was more effective， with some blisteringly powerful scenes and descriptions of just what rebellion and resistance can look like in a world where characters have to fight tooth and nail just to stay afloat。 Our main characters especially are caught in this bind， and so we follow their plans to carry out various schemes。However， something about the book didn't always connect for me， and I often found myself wanting the scenes of protest and uprising more than I did the more daily lives of these characters。 That is not to say that they are badly written， but something about it meant that I never truly felt like I knew these characters or had much of a sense of their motivations beyond a surface level。 I had similar feelings with his previous novel， Nickel Boys， so it may well be a 'me' problem where I don't quite connect to his style。That aside， there are some rich and interesting moments in this book that vividly paint a very specific and often overlooked period of US history。I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Darla
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It was a racket， the whole thing。This book took me for a ride。 While I was hoping for more of an 'Oceans 11' type story， it was more of an elegy to mid-20th century Harlem。 That is all fine。 The writing was excellent， but the arc of the narrative just did not focus on the pieces I had been expecting。 Ray Carney was most definitely bent， as described in the first line。 I would have liked to get to know his wife Elizabeth better in the book。 The references to the up and coming World Trade Center It was a racket， the whole thing。This book took me for a ride。 While I was hoping for more of an 'Oceans 11' type story， it was more of an elegy to mid-20th century Harlem。 That is all fine。 The writing was excellent， but the arc of the narrative just did not focus on the pieces I had been expecting。 Ray Carney was most definitely bent， as described in the first line。 I would have liked to get to know his wife Elizabeth better in the book。 The references to the up and coming World Trade Center project also provided fascinating context to the story。Thank you to Doubleday and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Zachary Houle
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I’ve always found Colson Whitehead to be a cerebral writer， for good and for ill。 It’s good to know that there’s a smart African American man out there writing works of fiction that make you think， but at least one book of his that I read seemed to be kind of nebulous。 That book was his debut 1999 novel， The Intuitionist。 I picked that one up in a bargain bin at a chain bookstore in 2005 when I was visiting Montreal for work， and I have to say that I didn’t get it。 Maybe I was too young for it a I’ve always found Colson Whitehead to be a cerebral writer， for good and for ill。 It’s good to know that there’s a smart African American man out there writing works of fiction that make you think， but at least one book of his that I read seemed to be kind of nebulous。 That book was his debut 1999 novel， The Intuitionist。 I picked that one up in a bargain bin at a chain bookstore in 2005 when I was visiting Montreal for work， and I have to say that I didn’t get it。 Maybe I was too young for it and hadn’t read my share of difficult novels to appreciate it。 It is what it is， though。 Better was his 2011 zombie novel， Zone One， but I felt that book was marred by too much of a downbeat ending。 Now， after winning two Pulitzer Prizes for other novels since then， Whitehead is back with a book that is both a family saga and a volume of hard-nosed crime entitled Harlem Shuffle。 The novel is easy to understand but is still a bit of a hard read because its tone is a smidge pessimistic。Set against the titular Harlem backdrop of the late 1950s and early ’60s， the book concerns a Black furniture salesman named Ray Carney。 He leads a double life: few people know that he was raised by crooks and is a bit of a crook himself。 While he does sell new furniture to a Black clientele， we meet him as he’s fencing stolen goods， some of which are procured by his cousin， Freddie。 When Freddie accidentally brings Ray in on a big jewel heist on a wealthy Black Manhattan establishment， Ray finds himself dealing with more and more various lowlifes and corrupt policemen。 Can Ray keep his identities split enough to protect his young family as well as his cousin？ Will Ray be able to afford an apartment on the ritzy Riverside Drive on the straight and narrow or will he be mired in his plight and turn full-time to a life of crime just to rise above？ The answers are in the novel。Read the rest of the review here: https://zachary-houle。medium。com/a-re。。。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Harlem Shuffle
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Harlem Shuffle&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Harlem Shuffle&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0