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Chester B. Himes

    29 de julio de 1909 – 12 de noviembre de 1984

    Chester Himes se consagró como un maestro de la novela negra ambientada en Harlem, creando narrativas crudas que exploraban las complejidades de la raza y la vida urbana. Sus obras se distinguen por un estilo austero y sin sentimentalismos que aborda sin tapujos temas como el racismo, la violencia y las duras realidades de la experiencia estadounidense. Himes combinó hábilmente tramas emocionantes con profundos estudios de personajes, ofreciendo una aguda crítica social que resonó profundamente. Su voz única y su cautivadora narrativa cimentaron su legado como un cronista importante de la América negra de mediados del siglo XX.

    Chester B. Himes
    The Essential Harlem Detectives
    The Big Gold Dream
    If He Hollers Let Him Go
    El País Serie Negra - 32: Por el pasado llorarás
    El País Serie Negra - 21: Todos muertos
    Zona Negra - 26: Por el pasado llorarás
    • Zona Negra - 26: Por el pasado llorarás

      • 544 páginas
      • 20 horas de lectura

      Ambientada en el brutal entorno de una penitenciaría, un joven recluso enfrenta las duras realidades de la vida en prisión mientras cumple una condena de veinte años por robo. En medio del caos y la violencia, un incendio desata el tumulto, lo que lleva a una relación transformadora con el compañero convicto Rico. Esta relación fomenta la esperanza e inspira a Jimmy a explorar la escritura como un medio de redención. Basada en las propias experiencias de Chester Himes, la novela examina de manera conmovedora los temas del sufrimiento y el amor, mostrando la prosa lírica del autor y las complejidades de la conexión humana.

      Zona Negra - 26: Por el pasado llorarás
      4,0
    • El País Serie Negra - 21: Todos muertos

      • 219 páginas
      • 8 horas de lectura

      En Harlem la gente no tiene mucho que perder. Inivernos heladores, olores nauseabundos y miseria en la calles curan de espantos para toda una vida; seguramente corta, ya que balas y navajas, capaces de atravesar un cuerpo a la luz del día, rondan en el gueto a vecinos, estafadores, prostitutas y agentes de la ley. Es fácil morir en Harlem. Y los detectives negros conocidos como Sepulturero Jones y Ataúd Johnson lo saben.

      El País Serie Negra - 21: Todos muertos
      3,9
    • "Aquella era la primera noche que Jimmy Monroe, el preso número 57232, pasaba en el dormitorio común. Todo era extraño; todo le resultaba extraño". Novela autobiográfica escrita después de cumplir condena por robo a mano armada, en la que el autor cuenta, con maneras descarnadas y cierto lirismo, cómo el paso por el sistema penitenciario estuvo a punto de quebrantar su salud mental y romper, para siempre, el concepto del amor que tanto había sublimado.

      El País Serie Negra - 32: Por el pasado llorarás
      3,5
    • If He Hollers Let Him Go

      • 252 páginas
      • 9 horas de lectura

      Robert Jones has a lot going for him ? a steady job, a steady relationship and plenty of prospects... until a white woman accuses him of rape and, all of a sudden, his prospects seem a lot less bright. Immediately recognised as a masterful expose of racism in everyday life, If He Hollers Let Him Go is Chester Himes? first book, originally published in 1945.

      If He Hollers Let Him Go
      4,4
    • The Big Gold Dream

      • 208 páginas
      • 8 horas de lectura

      The sudden death of Alberta Wright during a sermon sparks a chaotic scramble for her hidden cash, leading her partner to discover their apartment ransacked. As various individuals vie for Alberta's fortune, detectives Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones are drawn into the investigation, aware that more violence is on the horizon. This gripping narrative intertwines themes of greed and deception, set against the backdrop of a gritty urban landscape filled with suspense and intrigue.

      The Big Gold Dream
      4,0
    • The Essential Harlem Detectives

      • 712 páginas
      • 25 horas de lectura

      A friend and contemporary of Richard Wright and James Baldwin - and every bit their equal - Chester Himes was the acclaimed author of literary novels, stories and essays, as well as the classic crime fiction series for which he is best known, featuring detectives Coffin Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones. Himes wrote nine novels in the Harlem Detectives series, and in these four popular, accomplished instalments, his cold, wise-cracking sleuths are thrown into a brutal, murderous world peopled with conniving con men, gut-toting gangsters and opium-smoking preachers. Himes's vision of Harlem's criminal underground, enriched by deft plotting and scintillating dialogue, is both riotous entertainment and penetrating enquiry into the fraught tensions of race in postwar America.

      The Essential Harlem Detectives
      4,0
    • Run Man Run

      • 192 páginas
      • 7 horas de lectura

      A white undercover cop vents his rage and starts a cycle of violence from which there is no escape. Walker, one of New York's embittered policemen, is vicious when drunk. Staggering into a restaurant on a freezing day, he kills two black workers "because they were there," and pursues a third who witnessed the murders in one of the most suspenseful chases ever put on paper.

      Run Man Run
      4,0
    • The End of a Primitive

      • 160 páginas
      • 6 horas de lectura

      Jesse Robinson wakes from his nightmare to dirty, fitful real life in a Harlem slum. Kriss wakes up alone divorced, disillusioned, in her plush Manhattan apartment. They have nothing in common. Just one amazing, passionate weekend in Chicago and a desire to meet again.

      The End of a Primitive
      3,0
    • Blind Man with a Pistol

      • 224 páginas
      • 8 horas de lectura

      With its bawdy humor and tough-talking characters, this book delivers a wickedly funny and sensuous narrative. The story intertwines sharp wit with a playful exploration of desire, creating a vibrant atmosphere that captivates readers. Expect a blend of humor and sensuality that challenges conventions, making it a bold and entertaining read.

      Blind Man with a Pistol
      3,4
    • In this chaotic and darkly humorous novel from Chester Himes's Harlem Detectives series, detectives Coffin Ed and Grave Digger Jones face relentless challenges. They deal with excessive force discipline, a hoax about Grave Digger's death, and a rising body count, all while chasing a massive heroin operation led by the enigmatic Pinky.

      The Heat's on
      3,9
    • A Rage in Harlem is a ripping introduction to Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, patrolling New York City’s roughest streets in Chester Himes’s groundbreaking Harlem Detectives series.  For love of fine, wily Imabelle, hapless Jackson surrenders his life savings to a con man who knows the secret of turning ten-dollar bills into hundreds—and then he steals from his boss, only to lose the stolen money at a craps table. Luckily for him, he can turn to his savvy twin brother, Goldy, who earns a living—disguised as a Sister of Mercy—by selling tickets to Heaven in Harlem.  With Goldy on his side, Jackson is ready for payback.

      A Rage in Harlem
      3,9
    • The Crazy Kill

      • 159 páginas
      • 6 horas de lectura

      Outside the apartment where a wake is going on, the manager of the A & P across the street is robbed. Reverend Short, a storefront preacher addicted to opium and brandy, is watching from a bedroom window in the flat. He leans too far and falls out; a bread basket, sitting outside the bakery below, saves him. Back inside, he ways he sees a vision of a dead man. Outside, in the very basket Short landed in, lies the body of Valentine Haines. Who murdered Val? It is up to Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson to find out.

      The Crazy Kill
      3,6
    • The real cool killers

      • 159 páginas
      • 6 horas de lectura

      When Harlemites set about each other with knives, it's an everyday kind of happening. But when a white man is shot dead in a Harlem street one steamy evening it means trouble, big trouble.Plenty of people had motives for killing Galen, a big Greek with too much money and too great a liking for young black girls. But there are complications - like Sonny, high on hash, found standing over the body with a gun in his hand that fires only blanks, a street gang called the Moslems, a disappearing suspect, and the fact that Coffin Ed's own daughter is up to her pretty neck in the whole explosive situation...

      The real cool killers
      3,9
    • "Black flim-flam man Deke O'Hara is no sooner out of Atlanta's state penitentiary than he's back on the streets working the scam of a lifetime. As sponsor of the Back-to-Africa movement he's counting on the big Harlem rally to produce a big collection for his own private charity. But the take is hijacked by white gunmen and hidden in a bale of cotton that suddenly everyone wants to get his hands on. As NYPD detectives "Coffin Ed" Johnson and "Grave Digger" Jones piece together the complexity of the scheme, we are treated to Himes's brand of hard-boiled crime fiction at its very best."--back cover

      Cotton Comes to Harlem
      3,8
    • A Case of Rape

      • 144 páginas
      • 6 horas de lectura

      Exploring themes of justice and redemption, this novel delves into the aftermath of a tragic death and the consequences of a wrongful conviction. The story unfolds through the eyes of compelling characters as they navigate the complexities of truth and morality. With a gripping narrative, the author, known for the Harlem Detectives series, crafts a poignant tale that highlights the flaws in the legal system and the impact of societal perceptions on individual lives.

      A Case of Rape
    • The Third Generation

      • 352 páginas
      • 13 horas de lectura

      Exploring the deep-seated issues of colorism within a black family, this autobiographical novel delves into their struggles to conform to the ideals of the Black middle class in a predominantly white, post-war America. The narrative highlights the emotional and societal challenges they face, providing a poignant commentary on identity, family dynamics, and the quest for acceptance in a divided society. Through rich storytelling, the author sheds light on the complexities of race and belonging.

      The Third Generation
    • In Harlem sind die Spielregeln der Liebe anders als in Manhattan. Als Sugar von ihrem Freund ausgesperrt wird, stellt sich heraus, dass sie ihn nicht betrügt. Ihr Verhalten könnte mit Geld zu tun haben, und bald sind acht Menschen in eine Jagd nach Reichtum verwickelt, die chaotische Folgen hat. Coffin Ed Johnson und Grave Digger Jones müssen eingreifen.

      Der Traum vom großen Geld. Kriminalroman. Ein Harlem-Roman
      3,0
    • Harlem-Romane

      Die Geldmacher von Harlem, Heiße Nacht für kühle Killer, Fenstersturz in Harlem

      »Chester Himes ist eine Schlüsselfigur in der Literatur des 20. Jahrhunderts, ein scharfsinniger und wütender Chronist des täglichen Lebens.« Thomas Wörtche »Rabenschwarz und garantiert nicht p. c. sind die Krimis des Chester Himes, der sein Personal die Lexington Avenue rauf und runter hetzt, dann Richtung 112te Straße und mit hundert Sachen in die 8th Avenue« Cornelin Zetzsche, Bayerischer Rundfunk

      Harlem-Romane
      3,5
    • Tomsson Black, politischer Visionär, genialer Businessman und geheimer Verschwörer, organisiert den Aufstand der Schwarzen. Der Roman greift tief in die Geschichte der USA zurück und vermittelt die Hintergründe der allgegenwärtigen Atmosphäre von Gewalt und Rassismus. Als es zur großen Explosion kommt, haben auch Himes’ Helden, die legendären Detektive Grave Digger Jones und Coffin Ed Johnson, keine Chance mehr. Dieser Roman ist Chester Himes’ literarisches Testament - zornig, apokalyptisch, radikal und gleichzeitig ratlos. Himes konnte Plan B nicht mehr selbst abschliessen, der Text wurde nach seinem Tod aufgrund der Manuskripte ediert.

      Plan B
      3,0
    • Big Joe Pullen ist tot, und während der Trauerfeier stürzt ein Mann aus dem Fenster in einen Brotkorb, bleibt jedoch unverletzt. Kurz darauf wird ein toter Mann mit einem Messer in der Brust entdeckt. Grave Digger und Coffin Ed lösen den Fall auf ihre eigene, unkonventionelle Weise und enthüllen Motive, die in Harlem typisch sind.

      Fenstersturz in Harlem. Kriminalroman. Ein Harlem-Roman
    • Třikrát Černý harlem

      • 495 páginas
      • 18 horas de lectura

      Kniha obsahuje tři detektivní příběhy: – Z lásky k Imabelle – Jak přišla bavlna do Harlemu – Horký den, horká noc

      Třikrát Černý harlem
    • Qu'on lui jette la première pierre

      • 609 páginas
      • 22 horas de lectura

      ... Quand on tournait les yeux vers les murs, le regard s'arrêtait. Tout s'arrêtait aux murs. Les murs n'étaient éloignés du bâtiment où se trouvait le dortoir que de cinq métres. Je pensais alors que la liberté était là, à cinq métres. Cinq métres et vingt ans. Ce livre est un violent réquisitoire contre le système pénitenciaire, jugé de l'intérieur par l'auteur qui a lui-même passé sept ans en prison.

      Qu'on lui jette la première pierre