Why I haven't read Chester Himes before now is beyond me.
As the title suggests Himes writes Harlem, not about Harlem, not stories set in Harlem. He writes Harlem. Harlem becomes more than a setting, it becomes bigger than the story, bigger than the characters, bigger than Himes. Harlem is a presence, a power, a force that can not/ will not/ should not be stopped. It's filthy and violent and gorgeous and alive. Harlem breathes in this book. It exists in a way that the human characters don't. His writing takes you there and you're horrified and thrilled and left feeling like the safety net of "just reading about it" isn't enough, you feel vulnerable. It's wonderful. Truly wonderful.
But... there has to be a "but"... you may not like Himes's Harlem. The book is a blood-soaked hard-boiled crime-ridden romp. Yeah, I said romp, you dirty mother-rapers... forgive me that Himes-ism; my brain is Himes-drunk and happy. But I digress...
There is no good or bad in this novel. You cannot point to anyone and say "s/he is the hero/villian." The main characters are either seasoned criminals and con-men or "squares." And even though you probably wouldn't want to know them in real life, you find yourself rooting for Jackson (the square), his dope-fiend twin brother who makes his living dressing as a nun and selling tickets to Heaven, and Jackson's anything-but-faithful girlfriend Imabelle. The detectives are brutal, crooked, and intentionally create an environment of terror in order to hold onto the little power their badges give them. Despite this, you actually like the detectives. They are the very definition of bad ass.
Some books I finish and wish I could have written. I finished A Rage in Harlem and wondered why this hadn't been made into a movie. Turns out, it has. There's a 1991 film version that I must now track down.
I am praying that it won't suck. PLEASE PLEASE don't fuck this one up, Hollywood! Himes, and his writing, deserve so much more than that.
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