<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<GoodreadsResponse>
	<Request>
		<authentication>false</authentication>
		    <method><![CDATA[]]></method>
	</Request>
	
<book>
  <id>84553</id>
  <title><![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[031615931X]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780316159319]]></isbn13>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <description><![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]></description>
  <work>
  <best_book_id type="integer">84553</best_book_id>
  <books_count type="integer">9</books_count>
  <desc_user_id type="integer" nil="true"></desc_user_id>
  <id type="integer">3070654</id>
  <media_type nil="true"></media_type>
  <original_language_id type="integer" nil="true"></original_language_id>
  <original_publication_day type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_day>
  <original_publication_month type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_month>
  <original_publication_year type="integer">2004</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>The Man in My Basement: A Novel</original_title>
  <rating_dist>total:661|5:108|4:238|3:214|2:85|1:16|</rating_dist>
  <ratings_count type="integer">661</ratings_count>
  <ratings_sum type="integer">2320</ratings_sum>
  <reviews_count type="integer">881</reviews_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">111</text_reviews_count>
</work>

  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.51]]></average_rating>
  <ratings_count><![CDATA[618]]></ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[102]]></text_reviews_count>
  
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel]]></link>
  <authors>
    <author>
    <id>20850</id>
        <name><![CDATA[Walter Mosley]]></name>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1194549501p5/20850.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1194549501p2/20850.jpg]]></small_image_url>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20850.Walter_Mosley]]></link>
    <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
    <ratings_count>10601</ratings_count>
    <text_reviews_count>1230</text_reviews_count>
  </author>
  </authors>
    <reviews start="1" end="20" total="881">
      <review>
  <id>40142001</id>
    <user>
    <id>926394</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Benjaminxjackson]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Chicago, IL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/926394-benjaminxjackson]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.53</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>618</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Dec 29 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Dec 15 08:25:40 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Dec 29 18:43:18 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The story and characters are engaging, especially once you buy into the main premise. The characters change, but the changes are logical and well put together. <br/><br/>Much of the book is more complicated than it seems. While there is no explosive climax, the book is well-written to the point th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40142001">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40142001]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40142001]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>19816661</id>
    <user>
    <id>953142</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Brian]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Fresno, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/953142-brian]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1204248087p3/953142.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1204248087p2/953142.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Everyone]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[No one - I bought it when it came out.]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Mar 15 00:00:00 -0800 2005</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Apr 09 14:23:35 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 09 14:31:04 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[What a fabulous book.  Completely different from anything else I've read by Walter Mosely.<br/><br/>It tells the story of a last of the line original black family that came to America, Massachusetts, as free people. <br/><br/>This book is about journeys to find oneself both for the Narrator, and...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19816661">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19816661]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19816661]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>60523255</id>
    <user>
    <id>1211670</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Anne]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1211670-anne-mcknight]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1213158390p3/1211670.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1213158390p2/1211670.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="currently-reading" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jul 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jun 21 11:08:20 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 02 19:48:57 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Interesting conceit, tho not my favorite Mosley. It's a mystery, in a way, but more of a psychological piece than some of his more city-rooted mysteries (like the Easy Rawlins series). But I like Mosley a lot because he's constantly trying out new forms, modes, voices. The sci-fi voice, or the &quot;...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60523255">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60523255]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60523255]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>45459260</id>
    <user>
    <id>1008236</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Bookmarks Magazine]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1008236-bookmarks-magazine]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1233856382p3/1008236.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1233856382p2/1008236.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">842773</id>
  <isbn>0316570826</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316570824</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">8</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178830354m/842773.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178830354s/842773.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/842773.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.31</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Charles Blakey is a young black man whose life is slowly crumbling.His parents are dead, he can't find a job, he drinks too much, and his friends have begun to desert him. Worst of all, he's fallen behind on the mortgage payments for the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. When a stranger offers him $50,000 in cash to rent out his basement for the summer, Charles needs the money too badly to say no. He knows that the stranger must want something more than a basement view.Sure enough, he has a very particular-and bizarre-set of requirements, and Charles tries to satisfy him without getting lured into the strangeness.But he sees an opportunity to understand secrets of the white world, and his summer with a man in his basement turns into a journey into inconceivable worlds of power and manipulation, and unimagined realms of humanity. Richly textured and compelling, THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT is a new literary pinnacle from an acknowledged American master.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Feb 05 09:24:37 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Feb 05 09:24:37 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[<p>This relatively short novel asks a lot of its readers--more so, even, than Mosley's Easy Rawlins mysteries or more serious fiction, plays, and essays. His two unlikely (and largely unlikable) heroes are left to tackle such huge questions as the nature of evil and redemption, guilt and punishment, po...</p><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45459260">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45459260]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45459260]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>68257743</id>
    <user>
    <id>1267506</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kaley]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1267506-kaley]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1216186247p3/1267506.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1216186247p2/1267506.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="sexual-swears" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Aug 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Aug 20 17:04:25 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Aug 31 21:31:59 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[    Well I finished it. Why?? Why did I choose to read this book?? <br/>It was short. It was small. It had pretty fair sized print. The author is supposed to be a great, fantastic writer. w/e.<br/>no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no<br/>As I think what to write in...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68257743">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68257743]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68257743]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>54700178</id>
    <user>
    <id>1975370</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kristin]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1975370-kristin]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1233342450p3/1975370.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1233342450p2/1975370.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon May 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat May 02 10:54:05 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon May 18 05:53:48 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[What does an unmotivated, poor black man and a highly educated, mysterious white man have in common? At first glance, nothing at all, but as the story progresses it becomes clear that they were destined to meet and learn both empowering and weakening lessons from one another.<br/><br/>Charles Blak...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54700178">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54700178]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54700178]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>72820157</id>
    <user>
    <id>2320570</id>
    <name><![CDATA[c]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2320570-c-w]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1243383073p3/2320570.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1243383073p2/2320570.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="coming-of-age" />
        <shelf name="disappointing" />
        <shelf name="mimetic-fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Sep 28 16:34:09 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 28 17:02:09 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is the first Mosely I've read, and I'm curious how it compares to other things he's written.<br/><br/>I hate to label it disappointing, but it was.  Part of that stems from how it was <em>not at all</em> what I expected.  (That in itself is a hazard of reading, and I shrug my shoulders at it.)  However,...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72820157">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72820157]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72820157]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>51098598</id>
    <user>
    <id>2179790</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Justin]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Medford, NJ]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2179790-justin-s]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1245897678p3/2179790.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1245897678p2/2179790.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Mar 31 19:36:38 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Mar 31 19:44:50 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Walter Mosley is one of my favorite writers.  Most know him as a noir/detective story writer.  The Man in My Basement is a departure from that.  It is in fact a mystery, but not in the traditional sense.  Rather than trying to solve a murder or some other crime, the reader is left to decipher the mo...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51098598">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51098598]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51098598]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>78323949</id>
    <user>
    <id>1548616</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Judy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1548616-judy-cox]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1255161759p3/1548616.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1255161759p2/1548616.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Nov 28 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Nov 19 10:00:36 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Nov 29 10:48:13 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a philosophical novel.  It tells the story of a young, unemployed and broke black man (Charles Blakey) who rent's his basement to a wealthy, white man (Anniston Bennet) who pays an outrageous sum of money to serve a few months of self-imposed imprisonment in Charles' basement.  In the proces...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78323949">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78323949]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78323949]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>24320802</id>
    <user>
    <id>842946</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Guy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Belgium]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/842946-guy]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1221651454p3/842946.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1221651454p2/842946.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Jun 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jun 12 08:48:41 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jun 23 06:44:54 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Stel je voor: op een dag krijg je een volstrekt onbekende aan de deur die je vijftigduizend dollar aanbiedt om een paar maanden in je kelder te mogen verblijven. Niet zomaar als vrije man, maar in een metalen kooi van een paar vierkante meter, afgesloten van daglicht, met niets dan simpele maaltijde...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24320802">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24320802]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24320802]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>58314289</id>
    <user>
    <id>1722537</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Joanne]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Lansing, MI]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1722537-joanne]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jun 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jun 03 12:27:35 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jun 06 10:47:03 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I like how Walter Mosley writes, but I squirm a bit at what he writes.  Always the angry Black man who knows what everyone else thinks of him.  Our hero knows he stole money from his drawer as a teller in the bank, but it was so little.  Less than $400.  It was not fair that he got let go, and every...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58314289">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58314289]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58314289]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>69369920</id>
    <user>
    <id>1220177</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jeremy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Eugene, OR]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1220177-jeremy]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1214853247p3/1220177.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1214853247p2/1220177.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">842773</id>
  <isbn>0316570826</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316570824</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">8</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178830354m/842773.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178830354s/842773.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/842773.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Charles Blakey is a young black man whose life is slowly crumbling.His parents are dead, he can't find a job, he drinks too much, and his friends have begun to desert him. Worst of all, he's fallen behind on the mortgage payments for the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. When a stranger offers him $50,000 in cash to rent out his basement for the summer, Charles needs the money too badly to say no. He knows that the stranger must want something more than a basement view.Sure enough, he has a very particular-and bizarre-set of requirements, and Charles tries to satisfy him without getting lured into the strangeness.But he sees an opportunity to understand secrets of the white world, and his summer with a man in his basement turns into a journey into inconceivable worlds of power and manipulation, and unimagined realms of humanity. Richly textured and compelling, THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT is a new literary pinnacle from an acknowledged American master.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Aug 29 15:49:33 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Aug 29 15:52:15 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Well, his best writing is in the Easy Rawlins books, and this is one of his wacky explorations of double consciousness and race relations in general, which, as such is okay, important work.<br/><br/>Not bad writing.  Interesting story.  A rich white (self-proclaimed) devil pays the narrator to imp...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69369920">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69369920]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69369920]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>26503669</id>
    <user>
    <id>1246416</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Connie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Cuddebackville, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1246416-connie]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[anyone who likes a book that makes them think]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Jul 16 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jul 06 23:33:12 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jul 19 11:15:23 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[What a strange book! I liked the premise and the psychological interactions, but I think I'm missing something. At the end of the book, it didn't all click for me. There was no &quot;aha&quot; moment. I'm not saying that Mosley did a poor job; I think the flaw lies within me.  <br/><br/>But then a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26503669">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26503669]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26503669]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>43578755</id>
    <user>
    <id>571954</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kathryn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/571954-kathryn]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1193784947p3/571954.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1193784947p2/571954.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 22 14:20:34 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jan 19 09:33:48 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jan 22 14:20:34 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The unlikely premise is a setup to discuss ruthless multinational commerce, evil and the moral responsibility of  individuals. But for all that, it's a detailed book about a guy living alone, not doing much. It's a novel of ideas but doesn't belabor it. When I think of all the ways this could have g...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43578755">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43578755]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43578755]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>79027008</id>
    <user>
    <id>51647</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Colin]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Francisco, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/51647-colin]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1255255665p3/51647.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1255255665p2/51647.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Nov 27 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Nov 26 00:18:55 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Nov 27 19:48:21 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I'd give this a 3.5 stars--even though it's not that weighty, there's a lot of deeper meaning in this kind of disturbing story; It made me think about isolation, community, history, family, power and reparations. Though I really wish that Mosley, whose books often pretty brilliantly explore masculin...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79027008">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79027008]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79027008]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>44852424</id>
    <user>
    <id>1898885</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Mischelle]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Herndon, VA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1898885-mischelle]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1260161848p3/1898885.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1260161848p2/1898885.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Walter Mosley fans]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Sep 17 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jan 30 08:54:33 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jan 30 09:03:04 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is totally different from what I've read from Mosely.  A Very interesting story.  A man wants to be locked up in a basement of a stranger's house to punish himself for pass crimes makes for a intriguing book. I was surprise at the end.  I didn't think that the characters was gonna do what they ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44852424">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44852424]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44852424]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>45054286</id>
    <user>
    <id>304200</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Michelle]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Jackson, MI]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/304200-michelle]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1199457827p3/304200.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1199457827p2/304200.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[people who have lost their way in life]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Feb 01 11:58:57 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Feb 01 12:13:09 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a strange little book. I never could predict where it would go next, and that's a good thing, I guess. It made me think about my own life choices in a whole new way. I am someone who wants to see good triumph over evil, and I suppose in a way that is what happens in this short novel. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45054286]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45054286]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>35104589</id>
    <user>
    <id>1005380</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Cheryl]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Lakeside, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1005380-cheryl]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1205963592p3/1005380.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1205963592p2/1005380.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">842773</id>
  <isbn>0316570826</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316570824</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">8</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178830354m/842773.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178830354s/842773.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/842773.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Charles Blakey is a young black man whose life is slowly crumbling.His parents are dead, he can't find a job, he drinks too much, and his friends have begun to desert him. Worst of all, he's fallen behind on the mortgage payments for the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. When a stranger offers him $50,000 in cash to rent out his basement for the summer, Charles needs the money too badly to say no. He knows that the stranger must want something more than a basement view.Sure enough, he has a very particular-and bizarre-set of requirements, and Charles tries to satisfy him without getting lured into the strangeness.But he sees an opportunity to understand secrets of the white world, and his summer with a man in his basement turns into a journey into inconceivable worlds of power and manipulation, and unimagined realms of humanity. Richly textured and compelling, THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT is a new literary pinnacle from an acknowledged American master.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="book-club" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Oct 12 08:06:47 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Nov 14 08:26:57 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Charles Blakey had not done much with his life, he lived in a home he inherited from his mother, along with the morgage.  He has held jobs, but has no career. He drinks alot, hangs out with is buddies and masterbates in his spare time. His lack of drive doesn't bother him much until a curious man, A...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35104589">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35104589]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35104589]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>77884795</id>
    <user>
    <id>90066</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Dana]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/90066-dana]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1179850223p3/90066.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1179850223p2/90066.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Nov 15 15:03:33 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Nov 15 15:05:43 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I devoured this book, when I wasn't even sure I would like it based on the back cover.  I can see myself thinking about it for months and years to come.  (It didn't hurt that I was concurrently reading a nonfiction book addressing problems of evil.) ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77884795]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77884795]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>18527727</id>
    <user>
    <id>857762</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Nikki]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Lincoln, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/857762-nikki]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1232956927p3/857762.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1232956927p2/857762.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">84553</id>
  <isbn>031615931X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780316159319</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">102</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Man in My Basement: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723m/84553.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171055723s/84553.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84553.The_Man_in_My_Basement_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>661</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Hailed as a masterpiece--the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank--THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT tells the story of a young black man who can't find a job, drinks too much, and, worst of all, stands to lose the beautiful home that's belonged to his family for generations. All that changes, however, when a stranger offers $50,000 to rent out the young man's basement, and soon the two men are drawn together into circumstances so bizarre as to be almost beyond imagination.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2004</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Mar 25 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Mar 24 13:00:36 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Mar 25 08:47:16 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I read this book in one sitting.  While it is a mystery, it is not your traditional 'who done it'.  While it looks like a simple story of a man that wants to be locked in the basement, Walter Mosley's writing is much deeper than that.  <br/><br/>My favorite quote from the book is; &quot;Love, as t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18527727">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18527727]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18527727]]></link>
</review>
    </reviews>
  <popular_shelves>
          <shelf name="to-read" />
          <shelf name="fiction" />
          <shelf name="currently-reading" />
          <shelf name="book-club" />
          <shelf name="mystery" />
          <shelf name="african-american" />
          <shelf name="library" />
          <shelf name="contemporary-fiction" />
          <shelf name="book-on-cd" />
      </popular_shelves>
  <book_links>
    <book_link>
  <id>8</id>
  <name><![CDATA[WorldCat]]></name>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=84553</link>
</book_link>
  </book_links>
</book>
</GoodreadsResponse>