John Henry Days (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780385498203)

From the bestselling, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, a novel that is funny and wise and sumptuously written (Jonathan Franzen, The New York Times Book Review).

Colson Whitehead's triumphant 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.

Look for Colson Whitehead's bestselling new novel, Harlem Shuffle!

Author: Colson Whitehead
ISBN-10: 0385498209
ISBN-13: 9780385498203
Publisher: Anchor Books
Language: English
Published: 05/14/2002
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.66lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.16w x 0.83d

Review Citation(s):
BookPage 05/01/2002 pg. 25
New York Times 05/12/2002 pg. 28
Commonweal 06/20/2003 pg. 23
Village Voice 04/29/2009 pg. 35

About the Author
Colson Whitehead is the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Underground Railroad. His other works include The Noble Hustle, Zone One, Sag Harbor, The Intuitionist, John Henry Days, Apex Hides the Hurt, and one collection of essays, The Colossus of New York. A National Book Award winner and a recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, he lives in New York City.