John Henry Days
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Colson Whitehead |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction, Novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday (HB) & Anchor Books (PB) |
Publication date | May 15, 2001 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 400 pp (hardback edition) |
| ISBN | 0-385-49819-5 |
| Preceded by | The Intuitionist |
| Followed by | The Colossus of New York |
John Henry Days is a 2001 novel by American author Colson Whitehead. This is his second full-length work.
Plot summary
[edit]Building the railways that made America, John Henry died with a hammer in his hand moments after competing against a steam drill in a battle of endurance. The story of his death made him a legend. Over a century later, freelance journalist J. Sutter is sent to West Virginia to cover the launch of a new postage stamp at the first John Henry Days festival.
Reception
[edit]Maya Jaggi, writing for The Guardian, praised John Henry Days, writing that it is "propelled by the quality of the writing and observation which, together with his serious intent, elevate it above frothier social satire."[1] Writing in The New York Times, novelist Jonathan Franzen likened the novel to Ulysses and Moby-Dick in its "encyclopedic aspirations", but added: "John Henry Days is funny and wise and sumptuously written, but it's only rarely a page turner."[2]
Honors
[edit]| Year | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Pulitzer Prize for Fiction | Shortlist | [3] |
| 2002 | Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Award | Honor book | [4] |
| 2002 | National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction | Shortlist | |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction | Finalist | [5] |
References
[edit]- ^ Maya Jaggi (2001) "Railroad blues" John Henry Days review, The Guardian. Published 23 June, 2001. Archived from here on 28 November, 2017.
- ^ Jonathan Franzen (2001) "Freeloading Man" John Henry Days review, The New York Times. Published 13 May, 2001. Archived from here on 28 November, 2017.
- ^ "2002 Pulitzer Prizes" Pulitzer Prizes official website. Accessed 23 November 2016.
- ^ List of past winners at the ALA Black Caucus site Archived 2006-04-26 at the Library of Congress Web Archives
- ^ "2001 Los Angeles Times Book Prize - Fiction Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-25. Retrieved 2022-03-10.