Avon 376 (1951). Cover Art by Ray Johnson
“Home to Harlem,” Claude McKay’s first novel, was originally published in 1928. In it and its sequel “Banjo," McKay attempted to capture the vitality of the black vagabonds of urban America and Europe. With sensual, often brutal accuracy, Claude McKay traces the parallel paths of two very different young men struggling to find their way through the suspicion and prejudice of American society. At the same time, this stark but moving story touches on the central themes of the Harlem Renaissance, including the urgent need for unity and identity among blacks.
Jake Brown, the protagonist of “Home to Harlem,” deserts the U.S. Army during World War I and lives in London until a race riot inspires him to return to Harlem. On his first night home, he meets the prostitute Felice, for whom he spends much of the rest of the novel searching. Amid his adventures in Harlem, a gallery of rough, lusty, heavy-drinking characters appears to vivid effect. While working as a dining-car waiter, Jake encounters another point of view in Ray, a pessimistic college-educated Haitian immigrant who advocates behavior based on racial pride.
Avon 376 (1951). Cover Art by Ray Johnson
“Home to Harlem,” Claude McKay’s first novel, was originally published in 1928. In it and its sequel “Banjo," McKay attempted to capture the vitality of the black vagabonds of urban America and Europe. With sensual, often brutal accuracy, Claude McKay traces the parallel paths of two very different young men struggling to find their way through the suspicion and prejudice of American society. At the same time, this stark but moving story touches on the central themes of the Harlem Renaissance, including the urgent need for unity and identity among blacks.
Jake Brown, the protagonist of “Home to Harlem,” deserts the U.S. Army during World War I and lives in London until a race riot inspires him to return to Harlem. On his first night home, he meets the prostitute Felice, for whom he spends much of the rest of the novel searching. Amid his adventures in Harlem, a gallery of rough, lusty, heavy-drinking characters appears to vivid effect. While working as a dining-car waiter, Jake encounters another point of view in Ray, a pessimistic college-educated Haitian immigrant who advocates behavior based on racial pride.