The Man in My Basement

By: Walter Mosley

Narrated by: Ernie Hudson

Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

The man at Charles Blakey's door has a proposition almost too strange for words. He wants to spend the summer in Charles' basement, and Charles cannot even begin to guess why.

The beautiful house has been in the Blakey family for generations, but Charles has just lost his job and is behind on his mortgage payments. The money would be welcome.

But Charles Blakey is black, and Anniston Bennet is white, and it is clear that the stranger wants more than a basement view. There is something deeper and darker about his request, and Charles does not need any more trouble. But financial necessity leaves him no choice.

Once Anniston Bennet is installed in his basement, Charles is cast into a role he never dreamed of. Anniston has some very peculiar requests for his landlord, and try as he might, Charles cannot avoid being lured into Bennet's strange world. Charles' summer with a man in his basement turns into an exploration of inconceivable worlds of power and manipulation, and unimagined realms of humanity.

Walter Mosely pierces long-hidden views of justice and morality with startling insight into the deepest mysteries of human nature. Original and compelling, The Man in My Basement is a literary feat from "one of the country's best writers." (Denver Post)

©2004 Walter Mosley (P)2004 Time Warner AudioBooks, a division of the Time Warner Book Group

Critic Reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Mystery Fiction, 2005

"The book's timeliness is irrevocably established. This is fine, provocative writing from the prolific [Walter] Mosley, whose gifts extend well beyond his excellent mysteries." (Booklist)

Well, it's different

The premise of the story intrigued me. Now that I've finished it I'm left wondering, "Now, why did I read this again?" I never did understand why the man in the basement felt the need to do what he did down there.

Some of the characters really didn't move the story along. They simply served as a means of filling the gaps between when the main character and the man in the basement would meet, and that didn't happen until half way through the story!

And yes, there was a lot of X-rated content which had no place in this story line...just something to throw in there.

Pass this one by.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Enjoyed

What did you like best about The Man in My Basement? What did you like least?

the story line was unusual to say the least. The story was tight and on line throughout the book.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Makes you think

This is classic Mosely after his dectective genre. Mosely is the type of author that makes one think and deals with real issues in an interesting way. This book deals with the ideas of slavery, heritage, right versus wrong, and some other issues. It held my attention but I probably would have liked the print format better. No a bad listen because the narrator is excellent, just have to pay attention.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Awesome

Its very rare that I read a book like this. The premise is very simple, a white guy wants to move into the basement of a down-and-out black guy who is short on cash anyway. But what evolves from there is still to me, after many reads of this book, a great story. I cannot compare it to any other book I've ever read, but the closest comparisons are "The Stranger," by Albert Camus and maybe the works of Haruki Murakami. It's one of those books that has a very real terror to it, without scattering dead bodies and zombies if you know what I mean. It touches on many layers as you feel yourself being pulled deeper into this other life and other characters. I have tried two other Mosley books and disliked them very much, but this one is a gem to me.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

pleasantly surprised

This is my first audio book I started reading the hard copy, but, hearing it read with such emotion and clarity made me feel like I was watching a movie. I was so engrossed I listened to the entire reading in one sitting. I've always liked or rather enjoyed Walter Mosley and have found a new admiration for Ernie Hudson who narrated this piece. His voice just made me want to keep listening just as if I had read the actual book, you know how you get that sad kind of feeling just before you finish a good book? well the same concept applies. Nevertheless I enjoyed it and am glad I tried audio everthing else takes so much time with this I can listen and keep doing what I'm doing and never miss a beat. Thanks for reading. Peace!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

One of his best

I've read or listened to everything Mosley has ever done, including his non-fiction. This is one of his best works.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

The Man In The Basement

This book is great. It's simple yet profound. It's a literary jewel I'll never forget.

Stick to Easy Rawlins

The characters are despicable, the writing wanders, and while I understand Moseley wants to expand....he should stick to Easy novels.

Enjoyed very much

I couldn't stop listening to it. It kept my interest and I really enjoyed it

Very entertaining

I really enjoy reading or listening to Walter Mosley's book the actor did a wonderful job re-creating in the imagination the man in the basement