It's a measured, calm narration of a life and a family, but with gangsters. Mortal peril, race riots, seriously nasty criminals, the hot and sweaty streets of Harlem in the 1960s and a furniture salesman who has a hell of a lot going on.Ĭolson Whitehead puts so many beautiful thoughts on each page of his gentle, considered prose and brings New York and its people to glorious life. His novels often tackle race, identity, and social justice themes. His background has greatly influenced his writing. Harlem Shuffle is a bravura performance, an immersive, laugh-out-loud. He was born in New York City in 1969 and grew up in a racially diverse neighborhood. Colson Whitehead’s new novel, Harlem Shuffle, is the epic and captivating story of Ray Carneyfurniture salesman, family man, entrepreneur on the rise and a vivid, walking, breathing, living exemplar of that classic archetype, the striver. Ray treads a line between two worlds - that of his life with his respectable wife and their children and that of his past in which he can harness the power of his underworld connections when he needs to. Harlem Shuffle: A Novel Colson Whitehead is a great American writer who has gained widespread recognition for his literary works. Race riots break out when an unarmed Black boy is shot by a white police officer - Whitehead gently explores 'progress' on race-related matters, making observations through Ray, letting the reader come to their own conclusions.įreddie is the character who pushes the plot along – his bond with Ray means they both bear the brunt of his terrible decisions.
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