Book Report- Harlem Shuffle

Did you have experience with Colson Whitehead before reading Harlem Shuffle?

Yes. My brother sent me his previous novel Nickel Boys, a novel about the horrors of a reform school in the South. I really enjoyed that book because the action just kept coming. The description seemed sparse to me, at least that's how I recall it. There were some horrific scenes that really illustrated the cruelty of that reform school.

How does Harlem Shuffle differ?

It took me a lot longer to really attach myself to Harlem Shuffle. I kind of went into it sight unseen. I liked Nickel Boys so much that I was willing to read whatever Whitehead put out next. The pacing of Harlem Shuffle is so much more deliberate. It's spaced out over years and there's a lot of description of the main character Ray Carney and his "associates".

What's your grade of Harlem Shuffle?

Keep in mind, this isn't a grade of the book, really, just my enjoyment of it. There's no doubt that it's a well-written novel. That's what kept me reading. Sometimes I read a book that doesn't hold my interest very well and the writing's kind of creaky. In this case, there were stretches that I enjoyed quite a bit. There were descriptions I really enjoyed. When I finished Harlem Shuffle, I wasn't disappointed that it was over. In fact, I needed to finish it so that I could start the next book. Out of five stars, I give it three. Well written, but took me too long to get hooked, and I can say I was never truly hooked.