Harlem Shuffle
- Downloads：9978
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-12 10:51:08
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Colson Whitehead
- ISBN：0385693990
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
From two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead， 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 neighbours on 125th street， Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture， making a 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 fa�ade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it。 Cracks that are getting bigger and bigger all the time。 See， cash is tight， especially with all those installment-plan sofas， so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace at the furniture store， Ray doesn't see the need to ask where it comes from。 He knows a discreet jeweller downtown who also doesn't ask questions。 Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plans 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， after all。 Now Ray has to cater to a new clientele， one made up of shady cops on the take， vicious minions of the local crime lord and numerous other Harlem lowlifes。
Thus begins the internal tussle between Ray the striver and Ray the crook。 As Ray navigates this double life， he starts to see the truth about 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 is driven by an ingeniously intricate plot that plays out in a beautifully recreated Harlem 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 neighbours on 125th street， Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture， making a 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 fa�ade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it。 Cracks that are getting bigger and bigger all the time。 See， cash is tight， especially with all those installment-plan sofas， so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace at the furniture store， Ray doesn't see the need to ask where it comes from。 He knows a discreet jeweller downtown who also doesn't ask questions。 Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plans 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， after all。 Now Ray has to cater to a new clientele， one made up of shady cops on the take， vicious minions of the local crime lord and numerous other Harlem lowlifes。
Thus begins the internal tussle between Ray the striver and Ray the crook。 As Ray navigates this double life， he starts to see the truth about 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 is driven by an ingeniously intricate plot that plays out in a beautifully recreated Harlem 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
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
，
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead is a very highly recommended historical fiction novel set in Harlem during the early 1960's。Ray Carney makes a living for his family selling furniture， some gently used。 It is 1959 and he and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child。 They hope to be able to move into a bigger apartment someday。 Despite his background he strives to generally live an upstanding life - with a few exceptions when his cousin Freddy gives him some random stolen item to sel Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead is a very highly recommended historical fiction novel set in Harlem during the early 1960's。Ray Carney makes a living for his family selling furniture， some gently used。 It is 1959 and he and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child。 They hope to be able to move into a bigger apartment someday。 Despite his background he strives to generally live an upstanding life - with a few exceptions when his cousin Freddy gives him some random stolen item to sell。 Then his life begins to change when Freddy tells a group planning to rob the Hotel Theresa， the "Waldorf of Harlem，" that Ray can act as a fence for the stolen items。 Once Ray's name is out there， the struggle begins as a group of several different underworld figures enter his life， including the mobster Chink Montague， WWII veteran Pepper， the purple-suited Miami Joe， among others and he begins leading a double life。 Suddenly Ray needs to decide how much loyalty he owes to Freddy versus his care for his family and business。Whitehead shows amazing skill and care in creating his characters and setting them into a specific time and place in history， from 1959 to the Harlem riots of 1964。 The atmosphere and setting makes you feel as if you were there， in 1960's Harlem and experiencing everything along with Ray。 The compelling plot follows Ray's dilemmas in this family and crime novel that can be funny， serious， and somber， but is engaging from start to finish。 It is an entertaining novel that captures the time period and lovingly tells the story of one man and his family。 The writing is sumptuous and memorable。Ray is an appealing protagonist and you will like him， always hoping he finds a way through the dilemmas placed in his path。 The tests of his character are numerous and what Ray learns along the way is just as important as what he learned in the past。 In a real sense Harlem is another character in the story as Whitehead lovingly captures it during this period in time。Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2021/0。。。 。。。more
Carole
，
I thoroughly enjoyed Whitehead's newest novel。 Set in Harlem in the 1960s， it's full of drama and crime， interesting characters， and a plot that keeps the whole thing moving forward in a brisk fashion。 I've read some reviews that call this lighthearted， but I didn't find that to be the case， as it covers a lot of heavy topics， including racism and riots， police brutality， poverty， and moral dilemmas。 Highly recommended。 I was given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an hones I thoroughly enjoyed Whitehead's newest novel。 Set in Harlem in the 1960s， it's full of drama and crime， interesting characters， and a plot that keeps the whole thing moving forward in a brisk fashion。 I've read some reviews that call this lighthearted， but I didn't find that to be the case， as it covers a lot of heavy topics， including racism and riots， police brutality， poverty， and moral dilemmas。 Highly recommended。 I was given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Maria Zakruchenko
，
Only if you really love NY。
Molly O'Connor
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for giving me access to an ARC of this book。 I was excited to get this ARC because I really enjoyed Whitehead’s earlier novel The Underground Railroad。 However， that book was so singular in the way that it merged historical fiction with more speculative elements to put a new spin on narratives of slavery and the more horrifying chapters of America’s history， I was struggling to imagine where he would go next。 At first glance， Harlem Shuffle seem Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for giving me access to an ARC of this book。 I was excited to get this ARC because I really enjoyed Whitehead’s earlier novel The Underground Railroad。 However， that book was so singular in the way that it merged historical fiction with more speculative elements to put a new spin on narratives of slavery and the more horrifying chapters of America’s history， I was struggling to imagine where he would go next。 At first glance， Harlem Shuffle seems like a very different sort of book to The Underground Railroad。 It is set it Harlem in the 1950s and 60s and centres around a man named Ray Carney， who is trapped between two personas。 ‘Straight Ray’ is an upstanding small business owner and dedicated husband and father who wants to climb the ladder of respectability and move his family into a better neighbourhood。 ‘Crooked Ray’ is the son of a small-time Harlem criminal who has never fully been able to outrun his father’s reputation and who is happy to look the other way when goods of questionable provenance move through his store。 However， Ray’s careful balancing act starts to wobble dangerously when his cousin Freddie brings him in as the fence on a high-profile robbery of the Hotel Theresa， ‘The Waldorf of Harlem’。 A high stakes caper ensues that expertly blends the comic and the dramatic into a multi-layered piece of historical fiction where you can never quite predict what will happen next。 What The Underground Railroad and Harlem Shuffle have in common is their sweeping examination of Black history in America that fixes an unflinching eye on the prejudice of the era。 Ray’s relentless striving in the face of seemingly insurmountable barriers and setbacks， in both the straight and crooked halves of his life， creates a twisted sort of hero’s journey that you won’t be able to look away from。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
Ray Carney is working as hard as he can to make a better life- and get an apartment on Riverside Drive- for himself， his wife Elizabeth， and their daughter May。 He has a furniture store and a small side line as a fence。 His cousin Freddie， oh Freddie， can't stay away from trouble and he gets involved with a robbery， he sucks Ray into a problem that will haunt and hover over him throughout the rest of this wonderful novel。 Ray， while a generous man in some ways， is also vindictive and when he is Ray Carney is working as hard as he can to make a better life- and get an apartment on Riverside Drive- for himself， his wife Elizabeth， and their daughter May。 He has a furniture store and a small side line as a fence。 His cousin Freddie， oh Freddie， can't stay away from trouble and he gets involved with a robbery， he sucks Ray into a problem that will haunt and hover over him throughout the rest of this wonderful novel。 Ray， while a generous man in some ways， is also vindictive and when he is ripped off by a man who appears to the world to be an upstanding citizen， he contrives to bring him down。 The world， and Harlem， is changing and Ray works hard to keep what he's got。 He's an amazing character but so are all the others， especially Pepper， a hard man who has a soft side for children and Ray。 Freddie's relationship with Linus， a Park Avenue heir， has a spiraling impact on everyone。 There is wonderful imagery。 Whitehead's storytelling pulled me in immediately and kept me reading past when I should have put it down。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 A terrific read that I can't recommend more highly。 。。。more
Lyndi
，
Ray Carney， wanting to get away from his family history of crime， opens a gently used furniture store in Harlem。 He sees himself as a middleman to the to and from of objects， a churn of property， and he was just the facilitator of that churn。。。and if some of those objects come from nefarious means， how is he to blame？But when his cousin names him to a shady new group of friends who plan to run the Hotel Theresa， all of a sudden， Ray's shop is frequented by assorted lowlifes and shady cops。 He lo Ray Carney， wanting to get away from his family history of crime， opens a gently used furniture store in Harlem。 He sees himself as a middleman to the to and from of objects， a churn of property， and he was just the facilitator of that churn。。。and if some of those objects come from nefarious means， how is he to blame？But when his cousin names him to a shady new group of friends who plan to run the Hotel Theresa， all of a sudden， Ray's shop is frequented by assorted lowlifes and shady cops。 He looks for a better life， a better home， but this is no way to get it。 He has to work hard to get himself， his cousin， and his shop back out of trouble。 I loved the descriptions of different areas and neighborhoods in Harlem in the 60s from Ray's perspective。 I like how he'd choose a house or apartment and imagine his family living there。 I really respected Ray for trying to provide for his family in the mostly legal way and get away from his father's criminal ways。 I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley。 The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily。 。。。more
Sarah Smith
，
Ray Carney is a furniture salesman in Harlem in 1959。 He seems like a decent guy， as he says “I may be broke， but I ain’t crooked。” But he isn’t really straight either。 I don’t know what I expected， but it in a very good way。 This book was gritty and bare。 The story didn’t try to pretty Harlem up， I can only imagine how roughy it was in the 60’s for the black community。 I like Ray， I liked his demeanor and his outlook on life。 He was in a rough time in history， they were rocky waters to navigate Ray Carney is a furniture salesman in Harlem in 1959。 He seems like a decent guy， as he says “I may be broke， but I ain’t crooked。” But he isn’t really straight either。 I don’t know what I expected， but it in a very good way。 This book was gritty and bare。 The story didn’t try to pretty Harlem up， I can only imagine how roughy it was in the 60’s for the black community。 I like Ray， I liked his demeanor and his outlook on life。 He was in a rough time in history， they were rocky waters to navigate。*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy （ARC） through NetGalley。 I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review。* 。。。more
Ben
，
Thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for an ARC。This didn't floor me in the same way that The Underground Railroad or The Nickel Boys did， but I don't think that's its aim。 This is a heist novel， but it's less about the heists （which I would have read so much more about than what's given） and more about the way these characters change over time and deal with the gray areas they find themselves in。 This has some legitimately hilarious moments， some tension， and a few recurring motifs I really loved Thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for an ARC。This didn't floor me in the same way that The Underground Railroad or The Nickel Boys did， but I don't think that's its aim。 This is a heist novel， but it's less about the heists （which I would have read so much more about than what's given） and more about the way these characters change over time and deal with the gray areas they find themselves in。 This has some legitimately hilarious moments， some tension， and a few recurring motifs I really loved whenever they popped up。 One of the pieces rolling out this week mentioned Colson Whitehead's already writing what these characters are up to in the 1970s， and I'm absolutely picking that up day one if it comes to fruition。 。。。more
Annarella
，
I could read Colson Whitehead's shopping list and review as "a fantastic read， master storytelling and character development"。That said I had high expectations for Harlem Shuffle and I wasn't disappointed。it's a mix of genres but also a reflection on racism， fighting for your right and a love letter to Harlem and New York。It's a slow burning novel， sometimes you have the impression that nothing is happening but at the same time you know the something will happen。Carney is a man with a double lif I could read Colson Whitehead's shopping list and review as "a fantastic read， master storytelling and character development"。That said I had high expectations for Harlem Shuffle and I wasn't disappointed。it's a mix of genres but also a reflection on racism， fighting for your right and a love letter to Harlem and New York。It's a slow burning novel， sometimes you have the impression that nothing is happening but at the same time you know the something will happen。Carney is a man with a double life but he's also a man trying his best to give a decent life to his wife and children。 He's got to face what it meant to be a black man in the 50s/60s but he have also to face the disapproval of his wife family。 Even if it's not tense as the previous books there's plenty of food for thought。 It talks about 50s/60s but he also talks about the world we live in。Colson Whitehead is a master storyteller， his style of writing is apparently plain but his descriptions and characters made me think even when I wasn't reading。If you are expecting The Nickel Boy pt 2 this isn't the right book， if you want to read a fast paced/action packed story this isn't the book for you。 But if you want to read a well written story that will make you think and enjoy what you're reading this is the right book。I loved it and it's strongly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Sandra The Old Woman in a Van
，
Colson Whitehead hits another one out of the ballpark。 It amazes me how a single author can write such distinct novels。 Whitehead's newest book is to Harlem what Deacon King Kong is to Brooklyn。 I felt transported to mid-century Harlem's streets through Whitehead's writing - and that's why I read。 I want to see a bit of the world from someone else's perspective。 This novel delivers。The characters， plot， and descriptive prose kept me fully absorbed in this novel。 I read it with a Kindle which was Colson Whitehead hits another one out of the ballpark。 It amazes me how a single author can write such distinct novels。 Whitehead's newest book is to Harlem what Deacon King Kong is to Brooklyn。 I felt transported to mid-century Harlem's streets through Whitehead's writing - and that's why I read。 I want to see a bit of the world from someone else's perspective。 This novel delivers。The characters， plot， and descriptive prose kept me fully absorbed in this novel。 I read it with a Kindle which was very helpful as there is a large cast of characters。 The "search this book" feature came in handy。 I read many audiobooks， but this one would have been difficult to follow in that format。 I also appreciated the juxtaposition of the Harlem hustles against the big-wig hustles in Manhatten。 It makes one think about the parallels as well as the frustration of living in communities that are hustle-driven。 Readers looking for an original take on NYC culture and history must add this book to their reading list。 I think it pairs well with The Autobiography of Malcolm X。 I am waiting for the movie。 This book will be fantastic as a film。 NetGalley provided me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Aoife McMenamin
，
DNF。 I got to 50% and just couldn’t summon up the enthusiasm to continue with this book。 It’s a heist/crime caper set in 1950s/60s Harlem but despite some nice prose and the author evoking a strong sense of time and place， the story was sending me to sleep。 Too many bit part characters and side stories that went nowhere。 I say this as someone who read and really enjoyed The Nickel Boys。 Many thanks to @netgalley， the author and Doubleday Books for the ARC。 I really admire Whitehead’s range and d DNF。 I got to 50% and just couldn’t summon up the enthusiasm to continue with this book。 It’s a heist/crime caper set in 1950s/60s Harlem but despite some nice prose and the author evoking a strong sense of time and place， the story was sending me to sleep。 Too many bit part characters and side stories that went nowhere。 I say this as someone who read and really enjoyed The Nickel Boys。 Many thanks to @netgalley， the author and Doubleday Books for the ARC。 I really admire Whitehead’s range and depth as an author， this one just wasn’t for me but I’m sure many others have enjoyed or will enjoy it。 。。。more
James Costa
，
When I heard this was more in the thriller/heist genre for Colson I was super excited。 I love a good thriller and this one does not disappoint （I mean literally Colson can do no wrong！！） From the first page you csare about all the characters whether they are good bad。 You can literally feel the time and place as he describes them Almost like being a fly on the wall in a time machine in Harlem。 The novel centers around Ray Carney a furniture store owner。 It's a novel about being African American When I heard this was more in the thriller/heist genre for Colson I was super excited。 I love a good thriller and this one does not disappoint （I mean literally Colson can do no wrong！！） From the first page you csare about all the characters whether they are good bad。 You can literally feel the time and place as he describes them Almost like being a fly on the wall in a time machine in Harlem。 The novel centers around Ray Carney a furniture store owner。 It's a novel about being African American in the 60's and what is considered good and bad in a wolrd where you have to what you need to do to survive in an unfair world。 Truly a novel for our times。 I highly recommend for book clubs that are interested in issues of race。 Shufffle to your bookstore now and get this book！！！ Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for the read。 It was truly a gift and a pleasure to read！ 。。。more
Doreen
，
3。5 StarsThis crime caper novel full of heists， shakedowns and rip-offs is set in Harlem。 Its three sections， set in 1959， 1961 and 1964， have the protagonist becoming more and more involved in the criminal underworld。 Ray Carney， a self-made man who owns a furniture store in Harlem， “was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked。” Though he wants the reputation of an honest purveyor of home furnishings， he does accept goods and jewelry of unknown provenance from his hapless cousin Freddi 3。5 StarsThis crime caper novel full of heists， shakedowns and rip-offs is set in Harlem。 Its three sections， set in 1959， 1961 and 1964， have the protagonist becoming more and more involved in the criminal underworld。 Ray Carney， a self-made man who owns a furniture store in Harlem， “was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked。” Though he wants the reputation of an honest purveyor of home furnishings， he does accept goods and jewelry of unknown provenance from his hapless cousin Freddie， a small-time crook。 Though Freddie’s repeated refrain is “’I didn’t mean to get you in trouble，’” he pulls Ray further into criminal activities which bring him into contact with corrupt cops and local crime lords and place him in dangerous situations。 Ray’s father was a hoodlum and， though Ray wants to escape the criminal legacy of his father， “to disavow the crooked inclinations of his nature，” he seems unable to wrest himself from his roots because “the original foundation held him up， unseen in the dirt。”Initially， it was difficult for me to become interested。 Heist novels are not a favourite genre。 Because I had accepted a galley in return for a review， I persisted and gradually I did become more interested in Ray’s attempts to balance his crooked and straight lives。 His inner conflict is clearly developed: he wants to have a legitimate， honest business which will allow him to support his family， but financial security evades him despite his education and hard work。 His ambition means the temptation of quick money is difficult to resist。 His love for and loyalty to Freddie who is like a brother to him also makes it difficult to refuse his cousin when he comes pleading for help。 Ray is a complex character who arouses complicated emotions。 I found myself rooting for him because he wants to better himself and provide for his wife and children whom he loves。 His dreams are thwarted by circumstances; certainly racism challenges his efforts to be an upstanding citizen。 For instance， when he wants to be licensed to sell a particular line of furniture， he is told， “’We don’t cater to Negro gentlemen。’” When he wants to join a Black social club to make contacts， he knows he will not be accepted because he is too dark。 Civil rights protests and riots endanger his business: “Carney knew firsthand how hard it was for a Negro shopkeeper to persuade an insurance company to write a policy。 The vandalism and looting had wiped out a lot of people。 Whole livelihoods gone， like that。” Ray has so much stacked against him。On the other hand， I found myself becoming impatient and frustrated with Ray。 His brotherly loyalty to Freddie is admirable at first， and I feel sorry for his being dragged into Freddie’s schemes。 However， when Freddie’s escapades endanger Ray’s family， it’s time for Ray to stop “plotting a safe route of travel for his cousin” and bailing him out。 What happens to Freddie is inevitable， and Ray should have stepped away sooner: “How long do you keep trying to save something that has been lost？” The novel’s second section focuses on Ray’s desire for revenge and that certainly stripped away my sympathy for him。 When Ray’s financial situation improves， especially after Elizabeth returns to work， so that he doesn’t really need to continue his crooked dealings， he persists， admitting “He was no longer a mere errand boy for uptown crooks but a proper middleman。” Ray’s relationship with Elizabeth left me puzzled。 We are not given her perspective， but Ray seems to believe that his wife knows nothing about his underworld activities。 For instance， he thinks， “Elizabeth would leave his ass in a second when she found out about his crooked side。 Call the cops herself if thugs came knocking。” He often leaves the house in the middle of the night， “keeping crooked hours，” and she suspects nothing？The book has a very strong sense of place。 Harlem with its culture and politics comes alive。 Whitehead describes “The black city and the white city: overlapping， ignorant of each other， separate and connected by tracks。” Certainly the criminal underworld and the legitimate world intersect。I have read Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys。 Though I preferred them to Harlem Shuffle， that is not to say that this latest novel is not worth reading。 Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley。Please check out my reader's blog （https://schatjesshelves。blogspot。com/） and follow me on Twitter （@DCYakabuski）。 。。。more
Larry
，
One of the most anticipated releases for 2021， Harlem Shuffle portrays Ray Carney’s life as a respectable furniture salesman inevitably clashing with some of the unsavoury activities he ends up getting involved in following in his father’s footsteps。Part noir novel and part social reflection of the United States of the time （and of today， to some extent）， Whitehead masterful writing gives an incredibly vivid depiction of 1960 Harlem with a ton of cultural references from the era。However that is One of the most anticipated releases for 2021， Harlem Shuffle portrays Ray Carney’s life as a respectable furniture salesman inevitably clashing with some of the unsavoury activities he ends up getting involved in following in his father’s footsteps。Part noir novel and part social reflection of the United States of the time （and of today， to some extent）， Whitehead masterful writing gives an incredibly vivid depiction of 1960 Harlem with a ton of cultural references from the era。However that is unfortunately where the enjoyment of the book ended for me。 I never felt remotely invested in the characters or the story and I quite struggled to finish the book。It didn’t really work as a crime novel as it was plagued by a directionless plot with very little tension building up in the story， and it didn’t work as a more theme-driven novel either since the socio-economic aspects of the story remain firmly in the background。I had high expectations given the pedigree of the author， and I’m afraid these were not really met。 5/10I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Eva
，
Ray Carney is trying to take the mostly straight and narrow path to running a business and raising a family in 1950’s Harlem。 His father was a well known criminal who was involved in robberies and in the numbers game。 With a troubled cousin named Freddie who Ray lived with as a child for a while， Ray does his best to help him out when he can。 But in Freddie’s latest hi jinx， he wants to bring Ray in on a job to rob a fine hotel in the area。 Ray tells him he doesn’t want to get involved but Fredd Ray Carney is trying to take the mostly straight and narrow path to running a business and raising a family in 1950’s Harlem。 His father was a well known criminal who was involved in robberies and in the numbers game。 With a troubled cousin named Freddie who Ray lived with as a child for a while， Ray does his best to help him out when he can。 But in Freddie’s latest hi jinx， he wants to bring Ray in on a job to rob a fine hotel in the area。 Ray tells him he doesn’t want to get involved but Freddie fails to inform the rest of the crew of this and soon Ray is finding buyers for some precious jewels。 Ray is taught how to recognize quality and change his business model and is drawn to the benefits that come with more income。It is a meeting he has with the distinguished Dumas club of which he wants to be a part of， that results in Ray adjusting his mindset and vowing avengment。 Ray Carney tries his best to look out for Freddie as they are cousins but Freddie is a slippery fish。I had some mixed feelings while reading this book。 Firstly it took me many days to read it。 It didn’t hold by interest for long enough periods of my time。 The characters also seemed a bit flat for me。 What this novel did have though were some strong commentary on racism， policing， white privilege。 The imagery of the 1950’s and 60s were vivid and clearly well researched。 The underlying themes and background story were what drew my attention。 While I understand that the author was proposing this story to be part of the greater climate， I would have enjoyed seeing more crossover。 This crime heist novel is a departure from the author’s previous works and I did appreciate this foray into a new sub genre。 Overall I did enjoy this book but not as much as I enjoyed The Nickel Boys or The Underground Railroad。 Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomca for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions。 I am looking forward to reading more of Colson Whitehead’s work。 Harlem Shuffle publishes September 14， 2021。 。。。more
Vincent Sylvestre
，
“One day they’ll fill in the rivers altogether and everything will be just more Manhattan。”4。5。 Loved this！ It was a drastic change of tone from Underground Railroad and Nickel Boys， and Whitehead absolutely pulled it off。This isn’t the kind of story I would usually go for， but I gave it a shot because it’s Whitehead， and I’m glad I did。 I really enjoyed it。 If you’re in the same boat， I say give it a try。One thing that’s a constant with his books， though， is my reading experience: I feel like y “One day they’ll fill in the rivers altogether and everything will be just more Manhattan。”4。5。 Loved this！ It was a drastic change of tone from Underground Railroad and Nickel Boys， and Whitehead absolutely pulled it off。This isn’t the kind of story I would usually go for， but I gave it a shot because it’s Whitehead， and I’m glad I did。 I really enjoyed it。 If you’re in the same boat， I say give it a try。One thing that’s a constant with his books， though， is my reading experience: I feel like you must be extremely attentive at all times， and you don’t have the luxury to zone out for a second or two。 In Harlem Shuffle in particular， there are so many characters and places to remember， it’s easy to get lost。 Some of those names you’re tempted to gloss over and forget， but trust me， they will come back later， and you’ll want to remember them。The story did lose some steam in the third part， in my opinion， hence the rounding down。Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advance copy of this book。 Harlem Shuffle will be published on September 14， 2021。 。。。more
Susie
，
Harlem Shuffle by Colton Whitehead provides a social and historical glimpse into life in 1960s Harlem。 Told from the perspective of Ray Carney whose married to Elizabeth， now expecting their second child， it focuses on Ray’s goal of upward social mobility。 Elizabeth’s parents look down on Ray whose father was a crook， but Ray has ambitions; he attended college， owns a furniture store， and plans to move into a better neighborhood。 It all looks good， but Ray also dabbles in small time crime， accep Harlem Shuffle by Colton Whitehead provides a social and historical glimpse into life in 1960s Harlem。 Told from the perspective of Ray Carney whose married to Elizabeth， now expecting their second child， it focuses on Ray’s goal of upward social mobility。 Elizabeth’s parents look down on Ray whose father was a crook， but Ray has ambitions; he attended college， owns a furniture store， and plans to move into a better neighborhood。 It all looks good， but Ray also dabbles in small time crime， accepting questionable products， fencing a few pieces to get ahead，。 When his cousin Freddie involves him in some big time crime， Ray must find a way to navigate the dangers that come with mobsters， corrupt cops， and corrupt politicians。 Unique writing with unusual descriptive phases makes this a pleasure to read， but following the plot proves challenging at times。 The pace picks up towards the end as Ray tries to survive all the forces that seem to conspire against a man trying to succeed in a white privileged world。 。。。more
Bam cooks the books ;-）
，
1959 Harlem， NYC: Ray Carney is a solid-citizen family man and entrepreneur with a furniture store he is pretty proud of。。。but occasionally he gets drawn into 'crooked complexities' by his cousin Freddie。 'I may be broke， but I ain't crooked，' he likes to believe， but then he admits perhaps he is。 This is an amusing crime novel on one level but also a look at how things really work behind the scenes。 Ray learns many lessons and sees there are 'different entrances into one vast， secret city。 Ever 1959 Harlem， NYC: Ray Carney is a solid-citizen family man and entrepreneur with a furniture store he is pretty proud of。。。but occasionally he gets drawn into 'crooked complexities' by his cousin Freddie。 'I may be broke， but I ain't crooked，' he likes to believe， but then he admits perhaps he is。 This is an amusing crime novel on one level but also a look at how things really work behind the scenes。 Ray learns many lessons and sees there are 'different entrances into one vast， secret city。 Ever close， adjacent to all you know， just underneath if you know where to look。' We may like to think that race relations have vastly improved over the past 60 years but sadly Whitehead shows the more things change， the more they stay the same。 Many thanks for the opportunity to read this new novel from a favorite author。 I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Brandi
，
Ray Carney is furniture store owner and family man。 He is trying to provide a better life for his expecting wife， Elizabeth and their daughter May。 Ray wants to lead a different life from his father Mike， but occasionally his cousin Freddie shows up with some jewelry he needs to sell and Ray assists him in finding a buyer。 This arrangement works out well until Freddie ropes Ray into a deal to off load his ill gotten gains from a hotel robbery。 After being pulled into this deal Ray struggles to k Ray Carney is furniture store owner and family man。 He is trying to provide a better life for his expecting wife， Elizabeth and their daughter May。 Ray wants to lead a different life from his father Mike， but occasionally his cousin Freddie shows up with some jewelry he needs to sell and Ray assists him in finding a buyer。 This arrangement works out well until Freddie ropes Ray into a deal to off load his ill gotten gains from a hotel robbery。 After being pulled into this deal Ray struggles to keep his hands clean and provide for his family while also trying to protect his cousin from himself and the shady characters after him。 。。。more
ShanKL （ShopCoffeeKids - Instagram）
，
This historical fiction novel is one I did not know I needed in my life - crime and family drama。 Set in Harlem during the 1960's， Ray Carney is a your average everyday furniture salesman。 Happily married to the women of his dreams with one child， and another on the way。 He is a respectable man， who hides his lawlessness。 All is running smoothly until one big heist catches-up with to him， potentially bringing the bad guys to his door。 Torn between the danger that is looming and his normal everyd This historical fiction novel is one I did not know I needed in my life - crime and family drama。 Set in Harlem during the 1960's， Ray Carney is a your average everyday furniture salesman。 Happily married to the women of his dreams with one child， and another on the way。 He is a respectable man， who hides his lawlessness。 All is running smoothly until one big heist catches-up with to him， potentially bringing the bad guys to his door。 Torn between the danger that is looming and his normal everyday life， can he figure out a path to survive？ Harlem Shuffle's vibrant descriptions of the neighborhoods， the hustle， the community and the political shift during this time period are atmospheric。 The secondary cast provides added flavor to the story。 Harlem Shuffle is a book that deserves your undivided attention to every word and every sentence。 The reader can't afford to miss a thing in this novel。 This is the third book I've read by Colson Whitehead， and I have yet to be disappointed。 Thank you PRHA for the complimentary audiobook and NetGalley / DoubleDay for the advance reader copy。 。。。more
Gregandemy
，
Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exhange for my honest review。 I was drawn to this book by the cover and obviously by the author。 I expected great things。 I was unfortunately really disappointed with this title。 I felt like a good portion of the book was actually a travel guide to New York City。 SO much on the streets and where everything is located。 I get setting up your location and bringing the reader into the city with y Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exhange for my honest review。 I was drawn to this book by the cover and obviously by the author。 I expected great things。 I was unfortunately really disappointed with this title。 I felt like a good portion of the book was actually a travel guide to New York City。 SO much on the streets and where everything is located。 I get setting up your location and bringing the reader into the city with you， but this was overkill and distracted from the story。 Although maybe that was the point as this story was a problem in itself。 I couldn't care about any of the characters。 He works so hard to overcome his bad upbringing only to throw it all away by making the same choices。 It seemed like we were supposed to have sympathy for the character for being judged as a criminal low-life， but he WAS a criminal。 It wasn't misjudgments based on the color of his skin。 Everything about this was a miss for me and just didn't connect in anyway。 。。。more
Mimi
，
With colorful characters and a fast moving pace， Harlem Shuffle is a multi-tiered novel that centers around Ray Carney， a man torn between being a respectable businessman/family man and an individual who keeps getting drawn into shady schemes， mostly involving his cousin Freddy。 In addition to describing the various heists into which Carney gets ensnared， the novel describes Harlem in the 1950s and 1960s， chronicling the racial issues of the time， issues that continue and repeat to the present。 With colorful characters and a fast moving pace， Harlem Shuffle is a multi-tiered novel that centers around Ray Carney， a man torn between being a respectable businessman/family man and an individual who keeps getting drawn into shady schemes， mostly involving his cousin Freddy。 In addition to describing the various heists into which Carney gets ensnared， the novel describes Harlem in the 1950s and 1960s， chronicling the racial issues of the time， issues that continue and repeat to the present。 Harlem Shuffle evokes a time and place that I was not familiar with， drawing me in from the beginning and keeping me absorbed throughout on Carney’s activities， the various social issues described， and the brief history of happenings in New York during the 50s and 60s。Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
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
Hannah Simpson
，
Colson Whitehead is back with a darkly comedic crime novel after two rather heavy Pulitzer winners。 But his voice and the emotional heft of his characters flourish in this type of story as well。 The book follows Ray Carney throughout the '60s as he walks the wire between being an upstanding family man and business owner and operating as a fence for the crooked world of Harlem criminals。 Carney's tale is told in three acts， framed around three separate big 'jobs' he pulls。 The scale， mood， and gr Colson Whitehead is back with a darkly comedic crime novel after two rather heavy Pulitzer winners。 But his voice and the emotional heft of his characters flourish in this type of story as well。 The book follows Ray Carney throughout the '60s as he walks the wire between being an upstanding family man and business owner and operating as a fence for the crooked world of Harlem criminals。 Carney's tale is told in three acts， framed around three separate big 'jobs' he pulls。 The scale， mood， and gravity of these jobs act as a metaphor for Carney's internal struggles as well as the changing landscape of Harlem in the mid-century。 Carney is a complex character and I loved being in his head。 Surprisingly， I also ended up loving Pepper and what he brought to the page。 I do wish there were more women as main characters in this book， especially Elizabeth。 I wish she had been more developed。 A great book -- and classically Whitehead -- this gets three stars because while I enjoyed it， I don't think it will stick with me and chase my thoughts around my brain the way some of his other work has。 。。。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
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