by Walter Mosley
In this cycle of 14 bittersweet stories, Walter Mosley breaks out of the genre–if not the setting–of his bestselling Easy Rawlins detective novels. Only eight years after serving out a prison sentence for murder, Socrates Fortlow lives in a tiny, two-room Watts apartment, where he cooks on a hot plate, scavenges for bottles, drinks, and wrestles with his demons. Struggling to control a seemingly boundless rage–as well as the power of his massive “rock-breaking” hands–Socrates must find a way to live an honorable life as a black man on the margins of a white world, a task which takes every ounce of self-control he has. Easy Rawlins fans might initially find themselves disappointed by the absence of a mystery to unravel. But it’s a gripping inner drama that unfolds over the pages of these stories, as Socrates comes to grips with the chaos, poverty, and violence around him. He tries to get and keep a job delivering groceries; takes in a young street kid named Darryl, who has his own murder to hide; and helps drive out the neighborhood crack dealer. Throughout, Mosley captures the rhythms of Watts life in prose both musical and hard-edged, resulting in a haunting look at a life bounded by lust, violence, fear, and a ruthlessly unsentimental moral vision.
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I read this book and thought it was good it was a bit tough to keep up with as far as all of the sub plots. Knowing was was “current” verses what were “flashbacks” was a bit of a chore. I did not feel the book ended well as it did not seem to have closer on a few of the sub plots. What was the outcome with the boy??
I enjoyed reading the multiple stories in this book. As soon as I started reading I could not put the book down. However, I am not a big fan of multiple stories in one book I wish the author (Walter Mosley) kept to one plot, so the reader could easily understand the story line of the book. I agree with Dawn at times the book was hard to follow and confusing. But I would still recommend this book for anyone to read.
Looking over the book for a second time, I would have liked the story line to just be about the first two characters we meet “Socrates” and “Darryl”. I wish that Mosley would have made the story line about the first two characters described in the story. I would have liked to know what eventually happened to the little boy.
The structure of the book as a whole is difficult for most readers the first go because we expect a novel to follow a straightforward chronology. However, this isn’t, technically, a novel. It’s a series of short stories. Mosley puts them together this way to create a specific tension to the content. Does that change your reaction at all?
Ms. Ray, While I understand the Author does this intentionally I still feel like too many of the stories are left with no ending. Maybe this would be a good 2nd book. Mosley could tie up the loose ends that were left in the first book. The story of Darryl alone could make an entire book of its own.