Discussing “Book of Harlem”

Now this story took me by surprise because of its structure and writing style. It is so different from the previous stories I have read. it's written in a verse format, like the Christian Bible, and it took me for a loop and I had to shift my mind a little to get used to it, but it didn't take long. I was really fascinated by how Zora Neale Hurston was going to use this technique to tell a story.

This is a tale of a young man going off to the big city to seek its joys and adventures. We learn of his challenges to get the attention of women and the advice he received to resolve this problem.

I really enjoyed this story. Mandolin is the name of the young man who leaves home to go to the big city or Harlem. As you read it, it is clear. This person is kind of based on a rather famous writer of the Harlem Renaissance. I will not spoil it, but it would really be cool to hear who you think it is. Maybe I am off on this one. One other thing that makes the story enjoyable is the way Zora drops in names, places, and jargon of the Harlem Renaissance. It is a demonstration of the creative storyteller that Zora Neale Hurston was.

One other thing that makes the story enjoyable is the way Zora drops in names, places, and jargon of the Harlem Renaissance. It is a demonstration of the creative storyteller that Zora Neale Hurston was.

More discussions of Hurston's short stories.