BIBLIO is the largest independent book marketplace in the world, with over 100 million books.

Skip to content

Harlem Shuffle
Stock photo: cover may vary

Harlem Shuffle Hardback - 2021

by Colson Whitehead

Add to wish list

Summary

“Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked...” To his customers and neighbors on 125th street, Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture, making a decent life for himself and his family. He and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child, and if her parents on Striver’s Row don’t approve of him or their cramped apartment across from the subway tracks, it’s still home. Few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks, and that his façade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it. Cracks that are getting bigger all the time. Cash is tight, especially with all those installment-plan sofas, so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace, Ray doesn’t ask where it comes from. He knows a discreet jeweler downtown who doesn’t ask questions, either. Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plan to rob the Hotel Theresa—the “Waldorf of Harlem"—and volunteers Ray’s services as the fence. The heist doesn’t go as planned; they rarely do. Now Ray has a new clientele, one made up of shady cops, vicious local gangsters, two-bit pornographers, and other assorted Harlem lowlifes.

Reader reviews for Harlem Shuffle

Write a review for this book

There are no reviews for this book yet. Be the first to write a review!

Your review will be anonymous unless you login or create an account first.

Overall rating
Remember: You’re rating the book as a work, not the seller or the condition of the specific copy you purchased!

Important Terms and Guidelines

  • Please focus on the book’s content and context. Also, add any personal comments as to how you enjoyed the book. Substantiate your likes and dislikes. You may make comparisons to other books.
  • Reviews must be at least 140 characters in length.
  • Please do not reveal critical plot elements.
  • This is not a help line. Contact customer support if you need help.
Your review must not include:
  • Obscenities, discriminatory language, or other insulting language not suitable for public domain
  • Advertisements, “spam” content, or references to other products, offers or websites.
  • Email addresses, URLs, phone numbers, physical addresses or other contact information.
  • Overly critical comments about other reviews or reviewers
  • Time-sensitive material (i.e. promotional tours, seminars, lectures, etc.)
  • Availability, price, or alternative ordering/shipping information

From the publisher

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, this gloriously entertaining novel is "fast-paced, keen-eyed and very funny ... about race, power and the history of Harlem all disguised as a thrill-ride crime novel" (San Francisco Chronicle).

"Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked..." To his customers and neighbors on 125th street, Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture, making a decent life for himself and his family. He and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child, and if her parents on Striver's Row don't approve of him or their cramped apartment across from the subway tracks, it's still home.

Few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks, and that his faade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it. Cracks that are getting bigger all the time.

Cash is tight, especially with all those installment-plan sofas, so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace, Ray doesn't ask where it comes from. He knows a discreet jeweler downtown who doesn't ask questions, either.

Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plan to rob the Hotel Theresa--the "Waldorf of Harlem"--and volunteers Ray's services as the fence. The heist doesn't go as planned; they rarely do. Now Ray has a new clientele, one made up of shady cops, vicious local gangsters, two-bit pornographers, and other assorted Harlem lowlifes.

Thus begins the internal tussle between Ray the striver and Ray the crook. As Ray navigates this double life, he begins to see who actually pulls the strings in Harlem. Can Ray avoid getting killed, save his cousin, and grab his share of the big score, all while maintaining his reputation as the go-to source for all your quality home furniture needs?

Harlem Shuffle's ingenious story plays out in a beautifully recreated New York City of the early 1960s. It's a family saga masquerading as a crime novel, a hilarious morality play, a social novel about race and power, and ultimately a love letter to Harlem.

But mostly, it's a joy to read, another dazzling novel from the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning Colson Whitehead.

Details

  • Title Harlem Shuffle
  • Author Colson Whitehead
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition 1st Edition
  • Pages 336
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Doubleday Books
  • Publication date 2021-09-14
  • ISBN 9780385545136 / 0385545134
  • Weight 1.4 lbs (0.64 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.29 x 6.38 x 1.5 in (23.60 x 16.21 x 3.81 cm)
  • Themes
    • Ethnic Orientation: African American
  • Category Fiction - General
  • Library of Congress subjects Novels
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2022417004
  • Dewey Decimal Code 813.54

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 06/01/2021, Page 42
  • Kirkus Reviews, 07/01/2021, Page 0
  • Library Journal, 08/01/2021, Page 53
  • Library Journal Prepub Alert, 04/01/2021, Page 40
  • Publishers Weekly, 05/10/2021, Page 0
  • Shelf Awareness, 11/30/2021, Page 0

About the author

COLSON WHITEHEAD is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of eleven works of fiction and nonfiction, and is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, for The Nickel Boys and The Underground Railroad, which also won the National Book Award. A recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, he lives in New York City.
Back to top↑

More Copies for Sale

Show all copies
Harlem Shuffle: A Novel
Stock photo: cover may vary

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

by Whitehead, Colson

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780385545136 / 0385545134
Quantity available
2
Seller
Your Online Bookstore
Item price
A$7.76
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Doubleday, 2021-09-14. Hardcover. Good. 6x1x9.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$7.76
Free Delivery to USA
Harlem Shuffle: A Novel
Stock photo: cover may vary

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

by Whitehead, Colson

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780385545136 / 0385545134
Quantity available
1
Seller
Orion LLC
Item price
A$7.76
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Doubleday, 2021-09-14. hardcover. Good. 6x1x9.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$7.76
Free Delivery to USA
Harlem Shuffle: A Novel
Stock photo: cover may vary

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

by Whitehead, Colson

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780385545136 / 0385545134
Quantity available
2
Seller
Gulf Coast Books
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$7.76
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Doubleday, 2021-09-14. hardcover. Good. 6x1x9.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$7.76
Free Delivery to USA
Harlem Shuffle: A Novel (The Harlem Trilogy)
Stock photo: cover may vary

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel (The Harlem Trilogy)

by Whitehead, Colson

  • Used
  • Very good
  • first
Condition
Very good
Edition
First Edition
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780385545136 / 0385545134
Quantity available
1
Seller
BooksRun
Item price
A$8.13
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Doubleday. First Edition. Very Good. With dust jacket. It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$8.13
Free Delivery to USA
Harlem Shuffle: A Novel
Stock photo: cover may vary

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

by Whitehead, Colson

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Hardback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780385545136 / 0385545134
Quantity available
4
Seller
ThriftBooks
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Doubleday, 2021. Hardcover. Very Good. Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA
Harlem Shuffle: A Novel
Stock photo: cover may vary

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

by Whitehead, Colson

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780385545136 / 0385545134
Quantity available
11
Seller
ThriftBooks
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Doubleday, 2021. Hardcover. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA
Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

by Whitehead, Colson

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Hardback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780385545136 / 0385545134
Quantity available
3
Seller
ThriftBooks
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Doubleday, 2021. Hardcover. Very Good. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA
Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

by Whitehead, Colson

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Hardback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780385545136 / 0385545134
Quantity available
1
Seller
ThriftBooks
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Doubleday, 2021. Hardcover. Very Good. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA
Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

by Whitehead, Colson

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780385545136 / 0385545134
Quantity available
10
Seller
ThriftBooks
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Doubleday, 2021. Hardcover. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA
Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel

by Whitehead, Colson

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardback
Condition
Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780385545136 / 0385545134
Quantity available
1
Seller
ThriftBooks
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Doubleday, 2021. Hardcover. Acceptable. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.20
Free Delivery to USA
Show all copies
Back to top↑

Please wait a moment while we load the requested page.