• A Rage in Harlem

  • A Grave Digger & Coffin Ed Novel
  • By: Chester Himes
  • Narrated by: Samuel L. Jackson
  • Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,282 ratings)

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A Rage in Harlem  By  cover art

A Rage in Harlem

By: Chester Himes
Narrated by: Samuel L. Jackson
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Publisher's summary

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.

What listeners say about A Rage in Harlem

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    700
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    159
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    54
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Story
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Don't waste your time

Struggled to finish this one. Not worth the time. Story went to slow. Not much of plot.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

PURE entertainment

This storyline was a hilarious mess of mischievous whodunit. Samuel L. Jackson's narration made it delightfully entertaining from beginning to the end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • CW
  • 06-28-21

Flawless

American literary classic combined with one of the best voices of a generation. Genius!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Guess I'm not an urban crime drama kind of girl

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I think it is a fine book, for it's genre, just not my 'cup of tea'. I might like it better as a movie but as a book it was well-written, narration was right-on, and it held my interest.

I suppose if I was asking for a re-write for me (alone), I would ask for a bit of paranormal activity in the book.

If you’ve listened to books by Chester Himes before, how does this one compare?

I have not read anything by Chester Himes before.

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

Samuel L. Jackson did a great job of narrating. He did a superb job of the dialect and he did each voice distinctly.

Could you see A Rage in Harlem being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It could be a very good movie. I would cast Samuel L. Jackson in the lead role.

Any additional comments?

No.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good Story

Samuel Jackson is a master story teller and he does a Fantastic job with this book. Hopefully he does more narration.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Samuel L Jackson

His narration is incredible and so much fun. The writing, though rife with period-specific issues, is amazing and as lively as a crap game.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loads of fun

What a fun listen? Great characters brought to life. By Samuel Jackson. Very colorful story

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not bad

I started this series on a whim and because I wanted to see if Samuel L. Jackson was a good narrator. Well........he's great! I enjoyed the story line as well. Looking forward to the next book with another one of my favorite narrators, Dion Graham.
Dion, you've got some big shoes to fill!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Listening to a book I would probably skip reading.

What did you love best about A Rage in Harlem?

Samuel L Jackson's performance.

What did you like best about this story?

The story is mostly about confidence games, the old con and greed. Quite entertaining.

What about Samuel L. Jackson’s performance did you like?

I love hearing SLJ swear. Made me laugh a few times. Reminds me of Snakes on a Plane.

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

?

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Samuel L. Jackson is a first rate narrator

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

Jackson brings the characters to life with his narration. Combined with an excellent story, it makes a first rate listen.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Interesting characters and plot line keep the story interesting and hurtling forward.

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3 people found this helpful