Harlem Shuffle

Episodic in nature, this is a book that reads a lot like a TV show. In that way, it's entertaining: Ray Carney, the protagonist, is a furniture salesman trying to make his way as a business owner with a young family in 1960's Harlem. While Carney is sympathetic, he's not entirely straight – though not entirely crooked, either. He's “bent,” as it calls out in the first line of the book.

The book is divided into 3 sections, and each section revolves around a different criminal plot in which Carney happens to find himself as a key player. The plot takes on similar shapes as other hijinks-crime narratives, but with the historical backdrop of NYC at a pivotal time in history for black Americans. The author does an excellent job of capturing the vernacular of the time, and all throughout the tone hits just right. However, as is my complaint with the other Whitehead book I read, it's too plot-driven for my tastes, too surface-level. I found myself fighting not to skim certain sections and I never got excited to pick it up again, even I did mostly enjoy it while reading. Having lived in Harlem right in the center of where the action takes place, I did enjoy reading about the neighborhood as it was 60 years back – had it not been for my personal experience there, this would be a 2.5 star book. It's not bad, it's just not my thing.