I love Colson Whitehead. I will read any and everything he writes. This one, albeit late, is no exception. This was such a creative and unique story where the city of NY was as much a character as Ray Carney. I love how CW chose a time period that very much mirrors the time this book was written and released, with the police murders of innocence Black and Brown bodies and the social unrest that resulted in the streets. Mind blowing!! I also love how CW introduced me to other racial injustices and atrocities that I had never known about, like Seneca Village. The man is a genius! However, his genius extended to a style of writing in this book that was a perfect representation of the time and the story it was telling. And that made it hard for me to follow along at times. It took me nearly half the book to get used to the style. So I feel like I missed a lot. And if I had to put the book down, which I did a lot, it was always a big transition when I picked it back up. So it wasn’t as cohesive for me, but that’s partly my own fault bc I had to keep picking it up and putting it back down all too often. There were also SO many characters and many of them with small background or side stories that proved to be completely unnecessary and way too hard for me to keep track of. So, by the end when we are paying a visit to Aronowitz, I have NO IDEA who that even is or was. But, this was, overall, a really enjoyable and entertaining read from the hands of a master craftsman and I cannot wait to see what Ray Carney gets into next.

I only started reading Colson Whitehead when he won the Pulitzer Prize for the first time with The Underground Railroad. I loved it. I quickly rushed to read his follow up, The Nickel Boys, upon its publication, and I ended up loving it as well. I was thrilled he won the Pulitzer again. It felt like Whitehead had found his pitch and could go on writing such books. And then we get Harlem Shuffle, a strange crime novel in 1960s Harlem.

The slightly crooked protagonist is a man named Ray Carney. He is sometimes drawn into a job for some extra money, but he tries to play it safe. Safety, though, is not always an option, and things start to go bad quickly in Harlem Shuffle.

While the novel is a fun crime novel, complete with heists and chases, it is also a novel about some of the dark currents running through American history. I'm so glad Whitehead cannot be boxed in!

I had heard how great this author’s prior two novels were so I was excited to read this one.

I’m not sure if it was as the writing style or my mood but I just could not get into this unfortunately. I tried about 4 times and kept re-reading the same parts before finally deciding to DNF.

I hate abandoning a read and often feel that I just didn’t meet the book at the right time so may try it again later and see if I make it through at that point.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Unfortunately, this was not for me. I was unable to get past the first few chapters. I believe this is just an issue of my taste not aligning with the story. I recommend others try it!

I will read ANYTHING Whitehead writes. A love letter to Harlem. This historical fiction is rooted in Harlem. Whiteheads prose is beautifully woven through. It is wildly masterful. The way CW writes is just stunning. I truly have no words of how well any narrative he writes is perfect.

My first Colson Whitehead book, but it will not be my last. This one keeps you on a knife's edge as you follow Ray Carney, his furniture store, and his family as he strives to become a business success in Harlem, but this apple doesn't fall too far from his father's tree. Ray will use his father's old truck as both an ambulance and a hearse before the story is over. The changes in Harlem from 1959-1964 are fascinating as neighborhoods businesses give way to big towers, citizens protest police killings and crime lords and business men are not that far apart. Ray nurses his grudges and spends the Dorvay hours at night roaming and taking care of his revenge.

It’s nice to see Whitehead step out of his trauma books and back into the world of fun and adventure. He probably won’t receive the same accolades for this books because it’s commentary on race and class is far subtler than in some of his other books but it’s a gripping, fast-paced novel that deserves a world of praise. Carney is the perfect lovable rogue and I can’t to see what more he gets up to.

Set in Harlem of the 1950s Carney, the owner of a furniture store gets pulled into a series of heists. A robbery of the hotel Teresa puts Carney on the radar of a big mob boss and changes the trajectory of his life.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me which absolutely kills me as a reader. I felt the plot just completely dragged and was not engaged at all.

In the first chapter alone, Whitehead affirmed my opinion that he is one of the most prescient and gifted writers of the 21st century. I have never been fond of mysteries or "whodunnits" until picking up Harlem Shuffle. The blend of social commentary, humor, and suspense provide ample entertainment. I expect that this title will be cherished by genre fans and lovers of literary fiction alike.

This book is about a family man who owns a furniture store in the 1960's. He tries to be an upstanding citizen which is kind of difficult considering he is also a petty thief.
I got to 25% of the book and I dnf'ed. I just couldn't get into it, it was all over the place to me and I kept finding my mind wandering to other things so I wasn't able to give the book the full attention it needs.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

FANTASTIC!!! Thank you Colson Whitehead and Netgalley for the ARC. I don't know how Mr. Whitehead does it. This novel is a complete departure from his other fantastic novels. His storytelling abilities let you envision New York right down to his apartment, the city streets, and the hustlers. I can't wait for the sequel "Crook Manifesto" (I've requested from Netgalley). Harlem Shuffle will leave you wanting more and Whitehead delivers.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions contained within are my own.

I’m not a big historical fiction reader but, ever since reading Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, I knew I would pick up anything he wrote! Apparently I enjoy a very specific brand of historical fiction and that’s books that revolve around the Black experience. This novel further cemented that fact!

Harlem Shuffle follows a Black man named Ray Carney living in 1960s Harlem. Carney is a furniture salesman with an adoring family… and maybe a little something less wholesome on the side. What started as selling a few questionable items that his cousin, Freddie, would pass on soon turns into Carney getting mixed up with a heist and local gangsters. Carney is trying to live a better life than his criminal father, while at the same time trying to prove to his snooty father-in-law that he can take care of his precious daughter. Money is tight and Carney soon finds himself living a double life: one as an up-and-coming furniture salesman and pillar of the community and one as a crook.

Once again, Colson Whitehead has blown me away with how easily he can pull me into a time period and setting so thoroughly that it feels like a memory. I feel like I experienced the riots in Harlem, the sweltering heat in the summertime, right alongside our main character. Whitehead’s writing is rich and evocative; it makes it easy to get lost in the pages and forget where you are until you put the book down! I love a book that can engross my attention like that and this one definitely delivered.

Beyond Whitehead’s incredible writing, the character work he does on Mr. Ray Carney is impeccable. It’s fascinating to watch his struggle between wanting to be a good man and wanting to give his family everything he didn’t have when he was growing up. His struggle to remain on the straight and narrow while being tempted by the seedier side of Harlem. I enjoyed the journey we follow as he slowly gets more and more involved with the criminal element, then tries his hardest to pull himself back out. It really showed how a bad set of circumstances can turn almost anyone down the wrong path. And Carney wasn’t the only captivating character in this book. There were so many colorful side characters that came in and out of his life throughout that absolutely shone on the page! I got a little excited when I found out there was going to be a sequel because I want to know what happens to all of them. I’m invested in their story and I’m ready to know more.

I was also a fan of the historical part of this fiction. We delve into what life was like for a Black man in 1960s Harlem and I love that we see both the bad and the good. I’ve grown weary of Black narratives that only focus on the trauma, so it was refreshing to read something that had a bit of both instead of just all the bad. Overall, this was an entertaining and insightful read that captured my interest from page one. And I know for a fact I’ll be picking up the sequel once it is out!

I loved the backdrop of Harlem in the 60s, but I got a little bogged down with all of the characters and flashbacks and background. Enjoyable read.

Typical of Colson Whitehead, he has created a complex and compelling story. Set in Harlem during the civil rights movement, we witness how Carney navigates his “new” above board life and his “old” underground criminal life. I loved this story and would recommend for all. He humanizes all of his characters even the stereotypical “bad guys.”The only reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is that something I can’t quite pinpoint didn’t pull me in as much as his other books. The others I couldn’t put down; this one I enjoyed but didn’t need to keep reading.

I wanted to love this book. I am a Whitehead fan and have enjoyed his books prior to this one. While there were elements of this book that I enjoyed, especially the history of Harlem, I found it hard to stay focused. Sometimes, I found that there were pieces that didn't seem to fit together.

I liked many of the characters and rooted for Ray, especially.

I also caught a mistake in terms of time and place. There is a reference to "middle school" but middle school was only introduced in the 80s. Prior to this, the terms used was exclusively Jr High.

Colson Whitehead is an incredible writer, and Harlem Shuffle is another gem added to the new literary canon.

Set in NYC in the early '60s, this book is as much a love letter to Harlem as it is an examination of race and class as told through the exploration of Ray Carney.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I picked this book up because the author has been on my to read list for a while and the premise sounded interesting enough to a fan of historical fiction set in Black enclaves. While I knew the book revolved around heists and therefore held the promise of violence, I was not impressed by the paternalism that led much of the character interactions.

Whitehead is a literary maestro. Harlem Shuffle was a fantastic read and one that follows the story of Ray Carney. I was conflicted on Ray.....you want him to succeed but at what cost? Oh, this made me long for Harlem, a place I've never been.

I think this is one of those cases of right book, wrong reader. I enjoyed reading this book but not as much as other books by Whitehead.

Ray Carney is an interesting and very morally gray character. Through the different sections of the book, you see him slowly get deeper into the criminal underworld of Harlem in the 1960s. Carney gets involved in series of capers, going from a passive involvement to slowly becoming more active.

While crime is a large part of the book, it is is not the focus. Instead, Whitehead uses these events to explore questions of morality. I thought this was an interesting way to take on these questions but it sometimes felt a bit repetitive. The book also felt a bit disjointed at times, reading as 3 long, interconnected stories rather than a novel.

However, it’s hard not to love Whitehead’s writing and I enjoyed getting to know Carney’s story.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy!