I'm sure there are many discussions on Colson Whitehead's writing abilities, and undoubtedly there are comparisons to literary greats such as John Updike. Unfortunately, I have trouble reading Updike too.

This title was chosen solely for its use in the 50 States Challenge. I have read another Whitehead title (Apex Hides the Hurt) and my memory of it seemed somewhat favorable. But this time, I couldn't wait for the book to end.

Since I am not a writer, I am clearly not "in the know" and the merits of different writing styles may be lost on me. But what I do know is that even a skilled writer needs to pay attention and hire a good editor. John Henry Days does not seem to have that many characters, but Whitehead successfully milked each and every one of them for an insane number of details. Although the depth to which some of these characters are developed may be laudable, there were a number of cases where that level of detail had drifted so far away from the actual story line, I lost track of why I cared.

Maybe it's because I listened to it on audio, maybe it's that my literary skills are not up to par with Whitehead's ability, or maybe Whitehead got paid by the word and his mortgage was due. Whatever the reason, I was disappointed in John Henry Days. Alhough I still feel I could recommend Apex Hides the Hurt, John Henry Days fell short. ( )

Colson Whitehead follows up the brilliant "The Intuitionist" with another strong effort. This story recounts the trip an independent journalist (hack? flack?) to the small hill town where they will celebrate the legend of John Henry, the mythic steel-driving man who died in competition with a machine. The novel takes us through different historical stages in which the legend takes root and grows. The author also effectively lampoons present-day journalism, bringing up the ridiculous effort of Sutter, the hack, to break the record for traveling on consecutive press junkets.

The inventive recounting of the railroad employee himself is vivid and immediate. We see superhuman effort and very human emotion. Also memorable is a segment set in Tin Pan Alley, portrayed as squalid and noisome, where the classic folk song was written. The present-day sections of the narrative contain a realistic, non-blinking expose of the cynical efforts communities make to attract visitors, and the way the media use and abuse those efforts.

Not as cerebral or as haunting as "The Intuitionist," this novel shines in its own vivid way, nevertheless. I recommend it, and I will be moving on to Whitehead's other work. ( )

www.barnesandnoble.com
Upon publication of his debut novel, The Intuitionist, Colson Whitehead was hailed as one of the most talented young writers of his generation. Whitehead provides further proof of his gifts with this powerful retelling of the legend of John Henry, the mythic 19th-century black laborer who won a contest with a steam drill -- only to drop dead from exhaustion moments later. Running parallel to the legend is the contemporary tale of J. Sutter, a young black journalist stifled by the Digital Age as forcefully as John Henry was beaten down by the Industrial Revolution.

From the Publisher
Colson Whitehead’s eagerly awaited and triumphantly acclaimed new novel is on one level a multifaceted retelling of the story of John Henry, the black steel-driver who died outracing a machine designed to replace him. On another level it’s the story of a disaffected, middle-aged black journalist on a mission to set a record for junketeering who attends the annual John Henry Days festival. It is also a high-velocity thrill ride through the tunnel where American legend gives way to American pop culture, replete with p. r. flacks, stamp collectors, blues men , and turn-of-the-century song pluggers. John Henry Days is an acrobatic, intellectually dazzling, and laugh-out-loud funny book that will be read and talked about for years to come.

With a cast that includes Paul Robeson, drunken junketeers and a crazed philatelist, Whitehead explores the societal machinations that threaten to derail us all. Expansively detailed and insightful.
--Eric

This guy really knows how to write about obscure, well-researched topics. The book starts out with a hilariously accurate description of professional freelance journalists, but it gets a little winded in the end as the humor dries out to give way to more serious subjects. ( )