A Rage in Harlem

A Grave Digger & Coffin Ed Novel

By: Chester Himes

Narrated by: Samuel L. Jackson

Audie Award Nominee, Fiction, 2013

Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Star Wars films), fresh off the success of his uproarious, Audie-nominated performance of the mock children’s book Go the F**k to Sleep, delivers a swaggering, darkly-humored rendering of Chester Himes’ classic first novel.

Himes, described by The Sunday Times as “the greatest find in American crime fiction since Raymond Chandler”, was no stranger to the world of crime: in his late teens and early 20s, he served seven years in the Ohio State Penitentiary for armed robbery, the confession to which was beaten out of him by the police. He delivers the tale of his hopelessly naïve hero suddenly finding himself on the run from a hypocritical and far-from-heroic police force with lurid violence and brutal humor. There is no voice better than Mr. Jackson’s to narrate this hardboiled story of love and crime, set in a richly imagined, mid-20th-century Harlem.

Explore more titles performed by some of the most celebrated actors in the business in Audible’s Star-Powered Listens collection.©1957 Chester Himes (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Great performance by Samuel L. Jackson.

If you could sum up A Rage in Harlem in three words, what would they be?

The story was fun and fast paced from a different era. Samuel L. Jackson makes the book come to life with great infections.

PHENOMENAL

Chester Himes is an unappreciated master of noir fiction. His writing sings and Samuel L. Jackson gets the tune exactly right. The story is entertaining, characters are exceptionally well drawn and the violence is as brutal as it is unexpected. Give it a try.

A great match

Where does A Rage in Harlem rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very close to the top of my audio book list

What did you like best about this story?

Chester Himes has always been one of my favorite authors since a writer friend of mine introduced his books to me in the 90s. All of his Grave Digger and Coffin Ed stories are exellant and filled with a diverse cast of characters and places.

What does Samuel L. Jackson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mr. Jackson is a perfect foil to bring to life the myriad of voices in this story. His range and skills are perfectly matched to this style of story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Not all that sparkles is gold.

the story line was so unbelievable .

What did you like best about A Rage in Harlem? What did you like least?

nothing best,least the language

What was most disappointing about Chester Himes’s story?

THE WAY HE PORTRAYS BLACK PEOPLE. All of us don't live these lives or know of these people.

What aspect of Samuel L. Jackson’s performance would you have changed?

Mr. Jackson , I feel is very hard to believe .He reads just like he talks and that is not good. My first time listen to him and my last time.

Do you think A Rage in Harlem needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

no

Any additional comments?

I did not finish this book it was to differ cult to hear Mr. Jacksons style of reading.

Awesome!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Rage in Harlem to be better than the print version?

Never read the print book, but Samuel L. Jackson was superb. The story was fun, action, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Which scene was your favorite?

All the scenes where Jackson kept saying that his woman was innocent and she wouldn't do anything like this, and everyone kept referring to him as a square. Jackson is great character.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely.

Any additional comments?

It's amazing how things can spiral out of control so quickly. I couldn't believe where Jackson started and where he ended up. Great book. Highly recommended.