Colson Whitehead: The Intuitionist

[Mirabell]

I may be experiencing a streak of luck lately, but this right here is another excellent publication. It's Colson Whitehead's debut novel, published in 1999.Whitehead has since published two other novels to general praise and won a Guggenheim fellowship, the so-called genius grant, and reading “The Intuitionist” it's easy to see why. It is a very well-written, completely original novel about racism and elevators. It's not perfect but it need not be. “The Intuitionist” is very good and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It makes use of a fascinating kind of allegory: the protagonist is an Elevator Inspector, and the story is set in the Elevator inspector milieu, in a society which roughly corresponds to 1950s America

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'tis a very original novel.

[titania7]

M.,
A ravishing review of a riveting book. I can't praise you highly enough.
Truly.

A few random remarks:

Whitehead does sound like a highly original and immensely resourceful author. I'm struck by what you say about him "clothing" dirty issues of racism and so forth in a "clean allegory," in order to make these subjects more palatable. The construction of the book sounds incredible, and you do an amazing job of unveiling layer after intricate layer.

It's obvious that the book can be read on many different levels. To read it merely as a suspense thriller would be missing a great deal, though I'm sure that the fact it fits into the genre will widen its appeal.

It does sound like it's a bit of a satire on the academic world. Having not read The Intuitionist, I am at a tremendous disadvantage when it comes to discussing some of the scholarly points you make, such as the reference to Henry Louis Gate's theory of The Signifying Monkey.
Whitehead's exploration of Gates' intriguing premise--namely, that there is an "open channel of communication among the silenced" must add extra depth and richness to the text.

I like what you say in your last paragraph, about finding a way out through communication rather than through assimilation. And yes, sometimes the only way we can find that open window or door is through intuition.

Wish my comments could be more profound, darling.
I will read this one. I just hope the library has it.

~Titania

PS Why is it that I want to read nearly every book you review??

[e joseph]

M.,
It's obvious that the book can be read on many different levels. To read it merely as a suspense thriller would be missing a great deal, though I'm sure that the fact it fits into the genre will widen its appeal.

I'd love to hear someone's take on this book that ONLY read this one as a thriller. Or just really loved elevators.

I thought Colson Whitehead did a great job of creating a "believable" elevator-focused underworld. There's a lot of elevator info in there (most of it made up I'd imagine), which you'd think would make for a lame plot. It doesn't. Highly readable and original.

Somehow I had the impression before starting the book that it was set in the time in which it was written (1999). I was a little disappointed to find it set in the late 1950s (probably). Obviously not any fault of Whitehead's, but I was hoping for a more contemporary setting for tackling racial tensions. Maybe 1950s America seems too obvious for looking at race? Anyway, not knocking the book, totally fun read. Also, I love the name Colson Whitehead - good job whoever named that guy.