To win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is certainly a big deal. To win it twice is something else entirely. That is exactly what Colson Whitehead has managed to do, first with The Underground Railroad, and then with The Nickel Boys. It was an easy decision to pick up his latest novel, Harlem Shuffle. His newest book has promised to be part crime novel, and part social novel, with more than a little humor.
The Situation: Ray Carney prides himself on not being crooked, though he is just a little bit bent. In 1959, Ray owns and operates his very own furniture store in Harlem. With a wife and daughter at home, with another child on the way, Ray's focus is providing for his family while growing his business. His background may be humble, something his mother and father-in-law love to bring up, but he is not interested in doing business the way his father did. His cousin, Freddie, may be another matter. When Freddie comes by to drop off the odd piece of jewelry or appliance, Ray does not ask questions. He simply gets the money for it, and moves on. Freddie has always been clear, since the two were kids, that he never wants to get Ray in trouble.
The Problem: Much like when they were kids, Freddie manages to get Ray into trouble. This time, Freddie becomes part of a plot to steal from the guests staying at the Hotel Theresa, known as "The Waldorf of Harlem." Since the group needs once more guy, Freddie mentions Ray, once again making the furniture salesman a part of his criminal activity. When things go badly, as they usually do, Ray's original plan of saving up for a better apartment for his family and growing his business remains the same, but now there are other interests and parties that must be dealt with. For the next five years, Ray must negotiate his double life, and maybe even come to terms with the kind of man he is becoming.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set in Harlem in the middle of the 20th century. Beginning in 1959, the story follows Ray Carney as he moves from selling gently used furniture and electronics, to more high-end items by the middle of the 1960s. For those looking for a good deal on a sofa, Ray is an upstanding family man running his own business. To those that know him and know his father, as well as his cousin Freddie, Ray is a 'fence,' which in crime is a man who knowingly accepts or buys stolen goods and resells them at a profit. From the way Ray sees it, he is a black man attempting to make his own way in 1960s Harlem, where social clubs run by black men will not accept a man if his skin is too dark; where a cop can shoot an unarmed black kid and keep his job, despite the ensuing riots; and the homes and property of non-white residents can be taken and razed to make way for new buildings and complexes.
My Verdict: There are certainly humor elements in the story, but I suppose I was expecting something more along the lines of Paul Beatty's The Sellout. Ray's misadventures did make me smile, but more in the way you do at a kid who knowingly does something wrong, and then does not put up much of a fight when they get caught and subsequently punished. Whitehead presents Harlem, and New York City as a whole, with honesty as well as humor. There are two sides to all of the stories in the big city, just like there are two sides to Ray, though he wishes there was only the one. This is not a straightforward story about small-time crime with the history of Harlem thrown in. There is a lot going on here, and those who enjoy complex stories with colorful side characters will enjoy it.
Favorite Moment: For the most part, Ray is able to take the high road when it comes to his wife's parents. He even manages to not speak ill of them when they are not around, which is surprising given how they treat him.
Favorite Character: Pepper is an old friend of Ray's father, and it is this previous alliance the makes the older man look out for him, and save him on more than one occasion.
Recommended Reading: For more from Whitehead, I recommend The Underground Railroad. I also recommend the previously mentioned The Sellout by Paul Beatty, as well as Deacon King Kong by James McBride.
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