In a dazzlingly original work of non-fiction the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Underground Railroad recreates the exuberance the chaos the promise & the heartbreak of New York Here is a literary love song that will entrance anyone who has lived in
- or spent time
- in the greatest of American cities A masterful evocation of the city that never sleeps The Colossus of New York captures the city's inner & outer landscapes in a series of vignettes meditations & personal memories Colson Whitehead conveys with almost uncanny immediacy the feelings & thoughts of longtime residents & of newcomers who dream of making it their home; of those who have conquered its challenges; & of those who struggle against its cruelties Whitehead's style is as multilayered & multifarious as New York itself Switching from third person to first person to second person he weaves individual voices into a jazzy musical composition that perfectly reflects the way we experience the city There is a funny knowing riff on what it feels like to arrive in New York for the first time; a lyrical meditation on how the city is transformed by an unexpected rain shower; & a wry look at the ferocious battle that is commuting The plaintive notes of the lonely & dispossessed resound in one passage while another captures those magical moments when the city seems to be talking directly to you inviting you to become one with its rhythms The Colossus of New York is a remarkable portrait of life in the big city Ambitious in scope gemlike in its details it is at once an unparalleled tribute to New York & the ideal introduction to one of the most exciting writers working today