What's cooler than being cool? Colson Whitehead may have the answer.
Over the last several years, the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner has been writing one of the finest trilogies in contemporary fiction. Through the story of furniture salesman and occasional crook Ray Carney, Whitehead's Harlem Trilogy has chronicled a changing New York City across the 1960s and '70s with equal parts wit, insight, and swagger. Earlier this week, that journey came to an end with the release of the aptly titled Cool Machine.
True to form, the novel is thoughtful, zany, and effortlessly cool. As with the previous two books in the series, Whitehead's publisher graciously provided me with a review copy. I won't bury the lead here. Cool Machine brings Ray Carney's story to a satisfying close.
It's the early 1980s, and the world looks a lot different than it did when we first met Ray Carney in Harlem Shuffle. Back then, he was a young furniture salesman trying to build a legitimate business, no small feat for a Black man in 1960s Harlem. His dream was simple. Provide a better life for his wife and children. But when honest work wasn't enough to pay the bills, and a family member found himself in over his head, Ray was pulled into the city's criminal underworld. Once he crossed that line, there was no turning back.
Now, Ray has become something of an institution in his neighborhood. His furniture store has grown from a modest storefront into the kind of place customers visit to furnish an entire home. But while Ray has found stability, Harlem continues to change around him. New buildings rise, old neighborhoods disappear, and the gap between those with money and those without only widens. On paper, Ray has everything he ever wanted. His children are grown, his business is thriving, and he's earned the respect of his community. Yet beneath that success lingers a familiar itch. The careful planning. The impossible score. The thrill of getting away with it. For a man like Ray Carney, it's awfully hard to walk away from that life for good.
Cool Machine brings Whitehead's Harlem Trilogy to a close with the same wit, energy, and exuberance that defined its opening while embracing a more reflective tone that suits Ray at this stage of life. Across three novels, he's evolved alongside Harlem itself. He began as a reluctant criminal, came to relish the thrill of the score, and now finds himself wondering whether there's still a place for him in a city that's changing faster than he is.
Whitehead weaves that quiet introspection effortlessly into the humor, action, and razor-sharp social commentary that have become hallmarks of the series. It's rare for a trilogy to entertain while also saying something meaningful about the people and places at its center, and this one accomplishes both with remarkable confidence. I'll certainly miss spending time with Ray Carney, but I have no doubt I'll be there for whatever story Colson Whitehead decides to write next.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2026, 59)
That first line, "What cooler than being cool" reminded me of a song. Where he says, “Now, what’s cooler than being cool?” by André 3000, the lead artist and songwriter of OutKast’s 2003 hit “Hey Ya!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
ReplyDeleteThe thrill of getting away with it. That is a big problem for a lot of people.
I definitely thought of Outkast as I typed it!
Delete"It's rare for a trilogy to entertain while also saying something meaningful about the people and places at its center, and this one accomplishes both with remarkable confidence."
ReplyDeleteIt's a also rare for a trilogy to be even in tone while accommodating its main character's growth/aging. I'm impressed by both things.
He's won two Pulitzers for a reason haha! Even though I've enjoyed some of his other books more than these, its still a great achievement.
DeleteAlways great when an author can keep every book in a series at the same level of quality and to have it all end on a high note.
ReplyDeleteI was mixed on the middle part, but it all came together in the end!
DeleteI really need to read this trilogy!
ReplyDeleteYou do! And Apple TV just acquired the rights to turn it into a TV series!
DeleteI'm glad to hear this brought the trilogy to a satisfying conclusion! I always worry that the final book won't live up to the previous installments. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI was less enthusiastic about the middle installment, but it makes for a great three part story overall.
DeleteCooler than being cool, lol, I would have to see that
ReplyDeleteI couldn't resist the reference haha
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