Brooklyn Crime Novel

A Novel

By: Jonathan Lethem

Narrated by: Geoffrey Cantor

Length: 13 hrs

Publisher's summary

From the bestselling and award-winning author of The Fortress of Solitude and Motherless Brooklyn comes a sweeping story of community, crime, and gentrification, tracing over fifty years of life in one Brooklyn neighborhood.

“A blistering book. A love story. Social commentary. History. Protest novel. And mystery joins the whole together: is the crime 'time'? Or the almighty dollar? I got a great laugh from it too. Every city deserves a book like this.” — Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon and Let the Great World Spin

On the streets of 1970s Brooklyn, a daily ritual goes down: the dance. Money is exchanged, belongings surrendered, power asserted. The promise of violence lies everywhere, a currency itself. For these children, Black, brown, and white, the street is a stage in shadow. And in the wings hide the other players: parents; cops; renovators; landlords; those who write the headlines, the histories, and laws; those who award this neighborhood its name.

The rules appear obvious at first. But in memory’s prism, criminals and victims may seem to trade places. The voices of the past may seem to rise and gather as if in harmony, then make war with one another. A street may seem to crack open and reveal what lies behind its glimmering facade. None who lived through it are ever permitted to forget.

Written with kaleidoscopic verve and delirious wit, Brooklyn Crime Novel is a breathtaking tour de force by a writer at the top of his powers. Jonathan Lethem, “one of America’s greatest storytellers” (Washington Post), has crafted an epic interrogation of how we fashion stories to contain the uncontainable: our remorse at the world we’ve made.

©2023 Jonathan Lethem (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Bar none, the best novel I've read all year

Lethem's new novel is not for everyone, but if you are inclined to appreciate experimental novels, this is one for you. Cantor's performance here, too, rivals his reading of Motherless Brooklyn, giving heart and soul to the mostly nameless characters who populate Lethem's Brooklyn patchwork of vignettes that bring to life Brooklyn's Boerum Hill of the 60s through 90s. This isn't relax-in-a-comfy chair storytelling; this is constant footwork, energetic and fast-paced. Lethem's narrator is by turns terse, cutting, philosophical, wry, tender, and riotous. Absolutely pure joy. Bravo, Mr. Lethem! Thank you thank you thank you!

Not Lethem’s Best

Rather than his better novels this was really a collection of short tales about growing up in Brooklyn and small crimes and how the neighborhood relationships worked or didn’t. Mostly during the time of gentrification. It just lacked suspense or mystery that mark his other novels.

Among Lethem's -- & Brooklyn's -- Best, Fine Audio

As the headline says, the novel is a must for Lethem and Brooklyn fans. No spoilers but those who enjoy this book, should check out two of its antecedents: Henry Miller "Black Spring" (1936) and Gilbert Sorrentino "Steelwork" (1970). Sadly, neither of these works yet have audiobooks, though Miller's often hilarious, Brooklyn-heavy "Tropic of Capricorn" (1939, also strongly recommended) does.

Narrator Geoffrey Cantor does an excellent job with a few quirks, Nothing offensive just... a bit off, or funny. Funny how? One example: Mr. Lethem actually uses an epigraph from "Black Spring," which Mr. Cantor reads... with a slight English accent-- which is in sharp contrast to the very thick and charming BROOKLYN accent Miller kept despite his years living in France and California.

Or, as Jack Kerouac wrote in BIG SUR: "his voice on the phone is just like on his records, nasal, Brooklyn goodguy voice."

Jonathan Lethem has listened to many records, both 12" lps and 7" singles in his time and he will tell you about some of them in this very brilliant novel. But no other "spoilers"!

Brilliant.

His best so far. Just literary genius - Made me so nostalgic for the old neighborhood.

not for me

I really didn't care for this one. it seemed pointless to me. oh well, moving on.