Colson Whitehead Libros

Colson Whitehead, acclaimed author of The Underground Railroad, explores a dark chapter of American history through the harrowing tale of two boys at a reform school in 1960s Florida. Elwood Curtis, inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., believes he deserves a better life. Raised by his loving grandmother, he is on the brink of attending a local black college when a single mistake lands him at The Nickel Academy, which purports to offer moral and intellectual training. However, the reality is a nightmare of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, where corrupt officials profit from the suffering of the boys. Elwood clings to Dr. King's message of love and resilience, but his friend Turner views the world differently, believing that survival requires adopting the very cruelty they face. This clash of ideals between Elwood's hope and Turner's pragmatism culminates in a choice with lasting consequences. Drawing from the true history of a Florida reform school that operated for over a century, this narrative is a poignant exploration of injustice and resilience, illuminating the ongoing struggles within the United States.

La 4e de couv. indique : "Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia, an existence made even more hellish by her status as an outcast among her fellow Africans. And she is approaching womanhood, where greater pain and danger awaits. So when Caesar, a slave recently arrived from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, Cora takes the momentous decision to acompany him on his escape to the North."

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted. Their first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city's placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom

Set in 1970s New York City, this thrilling sequel follows furniture store owner Ray Carney as he navigates a chaotic urban landscape marked by rising crime and political unrest. In 1971, with the city on the brink of bankruptcy and a violent clash between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army, Carney's life becomes complicated when he seeks Jackson 5 tickets for his daughter, leading him to an old police contact who demands favors in return. By 1973, the counterculture is emerging, but Carney's violent partner, Pepper, remains a constant presence. Pepper takes on a security gig for a Blaxploitation film in Harlem, encountering a mix of Hollywood stars, drug dealers, and the usual criminals, all of whom underestimate his experience. In 1976, as Harlem faces turmoil and the nation prepares for the Bicentennial, Carney grapples with a July 4th advertisement while his wife campaigns for a rising politician. When a fire injures one of his tenants, Carney enlists Pepper to investigate, revealing the corruption and violence that plague their city. Through sharp prose and keen insight, the narrative explores themes of family, chaos, and survival in a city rife with cronyism and ambition, presenting a vivid portrait of Harlem and its people.

Pure shimmering brilliance...One of the funniest books I've ever read' Gary Shteyngart

A brilliant, witty, and subtle novel, written in a most engaging style, with tremendous aptness of language and command of plot New York Review of Books

Pitch-perfect . . . Utterly authentic . . . The Colossus of New York is quite simply the most delicious thirteen bites of the Big Apple I've taken in ages Washington Post

From the author of "The Intuitionist" comes a retelling of the legend of John Henry that sweeps across generations and cultures in a stunning, hilarious, and unsettling portrait of American society.

Verticality, architectural and social, is the lofty idea at the heart of Colson Whitehead's first novel that takes place in an unnamed high-rise city that combines 21st-century engineering feats with 19th-century pork-barrel politics. Elevators are the technological expression of the vertical ideal, and Lila Mae Watson, the city's first black female elevator inspector, is its embattled token of upward mobility. When Number Eleven of the newly completed Fanny Briggs Memorial Building goes into deadly free-fall just hours after Lila Mae has signed off on it, using the controversial "Intuitionist" method of ascertaining elevator safety, both Intuitionists and Empiricists recognize the set-up, but may be willing to let Lila Mae take the fall in an election year. As Lila Mae strives to exonerate herself in this urgent adventure full of government spies, underworld hit men, and seductive double agents, behind the action, always, is the Idea. Lila Mae's quest is mysteriously entwined with existence of heretofore lost writings by James Fulton, father of Intuitionism, a giant of vertical thought. If she is able to find and reveal his plan for the perfect, next-generation elevator, the city as it now exists may instantly become obsolescent.--Joyce Thompson