Gil Scott-Heron (1949–2011)

Compelling reading and a great expose on life in New York in the late 60s/early 70s. The story concerns the murder of a low-level criminal and examines the individual, the crime and society in general from the point of view of various locals. the is This was written by Gil Scott-Heron when he was 19 and is an amazing first novel. The story really draws you in with its great characters and vivid description. The colloquial language can be a little hard to follow at times but hang in there. It's worth it.… (meer)

1969, Nueva York.

¿Quién ha matado a John Lee?

El gueto negro de Chelsea amanece con el cadáver de un joven camello en sus calles. Demasiados motivos para morir y demasiados enemigos como para hallar una respuesta sencilla a la pregunta inicial.

En medio del sofocante verano cualquier chispa puede prender la hoguera racial. Los activistas del Black Power se enfrentan a los narcotraficantes y estos, a las bandas de puertorriqueños con las que pugnan por controlar el negocio. La Policía hace como que investiga y los vecinos, como que se indignan por ello.

A través de las cuatro voces protagonistas, Scott-Heron desarrolla una adictiva trama de suspense en la que tan estimulante resulta despejar las incógnitas del crimen como acompañar a los personajes por de las calles del gueto.

James Brown, Smokey Robinson y Ray Charles ponen la banda sonora a esta brillante y, a la vez, perturbadora historia de la América negra.… (meer)

I am an ageing white Brit: what do I know about black American student politics in the sixties? Nothing. For that very reason, a book which takes me into the mind of a person deeply involved in the movement is an important read. Of course, this is one man's view, but he is someone with a greater insight than myself.

It does not take a master's degree in history, to know that a sit in organised by black students is not going to end well. Even today, in the enlightened twenty-first century, a black person rebelling against the system is far more likely to be shot than a white person in the same situation. Back then, nobody was even highlighting this unfairness.

Heron makes his case well and is intelligent enough to build a good story, rather than simply hitting us with a polemic. We get to care about the characters, who are well rounded human beings. The one criticism that I have, is the same as I made about 'Laidlaw', which is set in Scotland: I accept that to have a black American youngster, or a grizzled Glasgow detective, say, "I say, old chap, what a spiffing idea!", would be unrealistic but, in both cases, the selected solution, to write in a phonetic American/Scottish accent, makes reading difficult for foggies, like me, who I would think, make up a considerable part of the intended audience. I found myself, regularly, having to re-read sections because I could not even make out the words, let alone their meaning.

Perhaps I came upon this book a little too late: it would certainly have made more impact fifty years ago, but it is still well worth the effort of reading.… (meer)