An edition of John Henry Days (2001)

John Henry Days

a novel

1st ed.
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Last edited by MARC Bot
November 13, 2023 | History
An edition of John Henry Days (2001)

John Henry Days

a novel

1st ed.
  • 0 Ratings
  • 8 Want to read
  • 0 Currently reading
  • 0 Have read

"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, which is destroying J. Sutter's soul, Whitehead adds multiple dimensions to the myth of the steel-driving man. And he traces the evolution of the famous ballad over the past century."--BOOK JACKET.

Publish Date
Publisher
Doubleday
Language
English
Pages
389

Buy this book

Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: John Henry Days
John Henry Days
2009, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
E-book in English
Cover of: John Henry Days
John Henry Days
June 5, 2002, Fourth Estate
Paperback - New Ed edition
Cover of: John Henry Days
John Henry Days: a novel
2002, Anchor Books
in English - 1st Anchor Books ed.
Cover of: John Henry Days
John Henry Days
May 14, 2002, Anchor
in English
Cover of: John Henry days
John Henry days: a novel
2002, Compass Press
in English
Cover of: John Henry Days
John Henry Days: a novel
2001, Fourth Estate
in English - 1st ed.
Cover of: John Henry Days
John Henry Days: a novel
2001, Doubleday
in English - 1st ed.

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Book Details


Edition Notes

Published in
New York
Genre
Fiction.

Classifications

Dewey Decimal Class
813/.54
Library of Congress
PS3573.H4768 J64 2001

The Physical Object

Pagination
389 p. ;
Number of pages
389

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL6787035M
ISBN 10
0385498195
LCCN
00043143
OCLC/WorldCat
44425402
Library Thing
35289
Goodreads
966664

Work Description

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.

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History

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November 13, 2023 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
July 28, 2020 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
May 13, 2019 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
July 26, 2012 Edited by ImportBot import new book
April 1, 2008 Created by an anonymous user Imported from Scriblio MARC record.