Discussing Book of Harlem by Zora Neale Hurston

This week we are looking at “Book of Harlem” by Zora Neale Hurston. This story took me by surprise because it’s structure and writing style is so different from the previous stories I have read. It is written in a verse format like the Christian Bible. This took me for a loop, and I had to shift my mind to get it but that did not take long, and I was really fascinated by how Hurston was going tell this story.

Basically, this is a tale of a young man going off to the big city to seek its joys and adventure. His challenge to get the attention of women and the advice he received to resolve this problem.

This was a very enjoyable read. Mandolin is the name of the young man who leaves home to go to the big city of Harlem. It is clear that this person is based on a rather famous writer of the Harlem Renaissance. I would spoil it for you but please let me know who you think it is. One other thing that makes this story enjoyable is the way Zora drops in names, places, and jargon of the Harlem Renaissance.

An enjoyable read and it is a demonstration of the creative story telling skills of Zora Neale Hurston.