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John Henry Days Paperback - 2002
by Colson Whitehead
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.
Summary
In a glowing review of Colson Whitehead's first novel, The Intuitionist, the New York Times Book Review concluded, "Literary reputations may not always rise and fall as predictably as elevators, but if there's any justice in the world of fiction, Colson Whitehead's should be heading toward the upper floors." With John Henry Days, Colson Whitehead delivers on the promise of his critically acclaimed debut in a magnificent new novel: a retelling of the legend of John Henry that sweeps across generations and cultures in a stunning, hilarious, and unsettling portrait of American society.Immortalized in folk ballads, John Henry has been a favorite American hero since the mid-nineteenth century. According to legend, John Henry, a black laborer for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, was a man of superhuman strength and stamina. He proved his mettle in a contest with a steam drill, only to die of exhaustion moments after his triumph. In John Henry Days, Colson Whitehead transforms the simple ballad into a contrapuntal masterpiece. The narrative revolves around the story of J. Sutter, a young black journalist. Sutter is a "junketeer," a freeloading hack who roams from one publicity event to another, abusing his expense account and mooching as much as possible. It is 1996, and an assignment for a travel Web site takes Sutter to West Virginia for the first annual "John Henry Days" festival, a celebration of a new U.S. postal stamp honoring John Henry. And there the real story of John Henry emerges in graceful counterpoint to Sutter's thoroughly modern adventure.As he explores the parallels between the lives of these two black men, and between the Industrial Age, which literally killed John Henry, and the Digital Age that is destroying J. Sutter's soul, Whitehead adds multiple dimensions to the myth of the steel-driving man. And in dazzling set pieces, he traces the evolution of the famous ballad over the past century. John Henry Days is a novel of extraordinary scope and mythic power that juxtaposes history and popular culture, the blatant bigotry of the past with the more insidious racism of the present, and laugh-out-loud humor with unforgettable poignancy.From the Hardcover edition.
From the publisher
From the jacket flap
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.
Details
- Title John Henry Days
- Author Colson Whitehead
- Binding Paperback
- Edition Reprint
- Pages 400
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Anchor Books, New York
- Date May 14, 2002
- ISBN 9780385498203 / 0385498209
- Weight 0.66 lbs (0.30 kg)
- Dimensions 8.1 x 5.16 x 0.83 in (20.57 x 13.11 x 2.11 cm)
- Library of Congress subjects Psychological fiction, Race relations
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
Excerpt
Media reviews
Citations
- BookPage, 05/01/2002, Page 25
- Commonweal, 06/20/2003, Page 23
- New York Times, 05/12/2002, Page 28
- Village Voice, 04/29/2009, Page 35
About the author
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John Henry Days
by Whitehead, Colson
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John Henry Days
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Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Used - Acceptable. Paperback The item is fairly worn but still readable. Signs of wear include aesthetic issues such as scratches, worn covers, damaged binding. The item may have identifying markings on it or show other signs of previous use. May have page creases, creased spine, bent cover or markings inside. Packed with care, shipped promptly.
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John Henry Days
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John Henry Days
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Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2002. Paperback. Good. Disclaimer:Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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John Henry Days
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John Henry Days
by Colson Whitehead
- Used
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Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2002. Paperback. Acceptable. Disclaimer:A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. Pages can include considerable notes-in pen or highlighter-but the notes cannot obscure the text. The dust jacket is missing. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.
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John Henry Days
by Colson Whitehead
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Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2002. Paperback. Very Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting, but may contain a neat previous owner name. The spine remains undamaged. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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John Henry Days
by Colson Whitehead
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- Paperback
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780385498203 / 0385498209
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Seattle, Washington, United States
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Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2002. Paperback. Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. An ex-library book and may have standard library stamps and/or stickers. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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£4.78
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John Henry Days
by Colson Whitehead
- Used
- Acceptable
- Paperback
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780385498203 / 0385498209
- Quantity Available
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Seattle, Washington, United States
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£4.78FREE shipping to USA
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Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2002. Paperback. Acceptable. Disclaimer:Former library book; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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John Henry Days
by Whitehead, Colson
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Anchor, 2002-05-14. Reprint. paperback. Used: Good.
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