3.16k reviews for:

Harlem Shuffle

Colson Whitehead

3.67 AVERAGE

niksen's review against another edition

4.0

I fell in love with Carney and was so worried about him it took me ages to pick up this book again. Having finished, and having read Peter's review--which is pretty much perfect--I'll just refer you there.

bscjr's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

holaspis's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated

4.5

Ray Carney is nothing like his father: a family man through and through and a perfectly legitimate furniture store owner. Well, there are also some second-hand items he sells sometimes, and of course no one can run a business without having some understanding with both sides of the law. And obviously a family man won't turn his back on the cousin who didn't quite go the same way. 

To put it short, Ray Carney is one of my favorite POV characters. It's the way he walks into a room and focuses on the furniture. It's in the way he always strives for more, whether it's cruising the streets to pick a new apartment for his growing family, or expanding his store, or applying to the Club Dumas, he is always working for something to make himself proud, as well as build a stable future for his children. And the Harlem I saw through his eyes was so real, vibrant, full of life in all of its imperfect glory of early 60s. He's rarely a central figure, but he's a keen and intelligent observer of everything that happens close to him and on the nation-wide scale.

In the end what kept me from granting this book full 5* was every segment from any other character's POV. I'm glad that the author didn't force a character who doesn't belong in a scene only to have him narrate it, but none of the others were as full of personality.

melimohr's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Complicated
• Loveable characters? Complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ferskner's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

spiderfelt's review against another edition

4.75

This is everything I love in a story: good characters, fully described setting, historical context and introduction to a world that is new to me. 

megryffindor13's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Complicated
• Loveable characters? Complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Quote that encapsulates the book: “Everyone has secret corners and alleys that no one else saw—what mattered were your major streets and boulevards, the stuff that showed up on other people’s maps of you.” (page 31)

Favorite quote: “DRIEST SPIN IN TOWN. White foam pushed against the washers’ portholes in a lazy slosh. Old ladies parceled their coins and old men wearing their last clean drawers shuffled around the grimy coin-op.” (page 225)

shelby_7's review against another edition

I struggled to get into this unfortunately. I think the structure with the three separate parts prevented momentum from building (for me or for the book, idk). I really enjoyed some parts but overall it didn’t totally click and I was not particularly motivated to read it :(

bnwolford's review against another edition

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

70186lizziereads's review against another edition

well written, a bit tricky to follow the Harlem dialect. It took some time after finishing the novel to reflect on it and appreciate its power.