Five-Carat Soul
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- 65,00 kr
Publisher Description
One of The New York Times' 100 Notable Books of 2017
“A pinball machine zinging with sharp dialogue, breathtaking plot twists and naughty humor... McBride at his brave and joyous best.” —New York Times Book Review
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Lord Bird, winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction, Deacon King Kong, and Kill 'Em and Leave, a James Brown biography.
The stories in Five-Carat Soul—none of them ever published before—spring from the place where identity, humanity, and history converge. They’re funny and poignant, insightful and unpredictable, imaginative and authentic—all told with McBride’s unrivaled storytelling skill and meticulous eye for character and detail. McBride explores the ways we learn from the world and the people around us. An antiques dealer discovers that a legendary toy commissioned by Civil War General Robert E. Lee now sits in the home of a black minister in Queens. Five strangers find themselves thrown together and face unexpected judgment. An American president draws inspiration from a conversation he overhears in a stable. And members of The Five-Carat Soul Bottom Bone Band recount stories from their own messy and hilarious lives.
As McBride did in his National Book award-winning The Good Lord Bird and his bestselling The Color of Water, he writes with humor and insight about how we struggle to understand who we are in a world we don’t fully comprehend. The result is a surprising, perceptive, and evocative collection of stories that is also a moving exploration of our human condition.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The best short stories give you a glimpse into another world—and this brilliant collection from James McBride does it seven times over. Each powerful, captivating story showcases the National Book Award winner’s razor-sharp wit and boundless imagination when dealing with issues of identity, U.S. history, and race. In “The Moaning Bench,” a boxer fights Satan’s gatekeeper for his soul. And in “Mr. P & the Wind,” zoo animals debate the meaning of freedom. McBride’s talent for rapid-fire dialogue propels the members of a teenage funk band as they grapple with a racially charged shooting in the four-part “Five-Carat Soul Bottom Bone Band.” We didn’t want to turn away from the compelling characters in each of these stories, and were impressed by the way McBride subtly folds larger issues of masculinity and privilege into these relatable conflicts and dilemmas. These journeys kept us utterly rapt, even throughout the dizziest flights of fancy.
