The Man in My Basement: A Novel
by Walter Mosley
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 369)
Read in June, 2008
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 maaltijden, een emmer als WC en wat boeken om te lezen. Aanlokkelijk idee, maar ook geschift als je er even bij stilstaat. Als Charles Blakey dit voorstel krijgt van een blanke met geld te over weigert hij dit...more
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Read in March, 2008
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.
My favorite quote from the book is; "Love, as the poet says, is like the spring. It grows on you and seduces you slowly and gently, but it holds tight like the roots of a tree. You don't know until you're ready to go that you can't move, that you would ...more
My favorite quote from the book is; "Love, as the poet says, is like the spring. It grows on you and seduces you slowly and gently, but it holds tight like the roots of a tree. You don't know until you're ready to go that you can't move, that you would ...more
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Read in September, 2005
recommends it for:
Old, Rich, Dishonest and Mentally Unstable Businessmen
This book was pretty whacked out from the beginning. I think it was meant as some kind of discussion on personal atonement. The white guy goads the black guy into discussions about how to pay for your sins, and what it’s like to make amends. (The only reason I even bring up race in this review is because it was a major theme throughout the book) In the end, the black guy inadvertently convinces the old man that there is no way to rectify past misdeeds. What’s done is done; at which poin...more
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Read in July, 2006
Honestly, I didn't get it. I know Walter Mosley's supposed to be a genius and all, but I didn't get it. Maybe I just couldn't relate to it. These characters are pretty much foreign to me: one is a black man who does very little other than drinking whiskey and masturbating, and other is a white man who is apparently evil and asks to be locked in the basement. I was sort of intrigued by the part where the former enters into a dysfunctional relationship with the town's local antiques dealer, b...more
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Read in March, 2007
This is an interesting setup; a man down on his luck gets an unbelievable offer from a rich but mysterious man to live in his basement. It turns out the man is looking for a more than room, but some self-imposed punnishment for his sins. The relationship between Charles, the "landlord" and this man is the heart of the book. I guess its supposed to some kind of metaphor for our nation, and all our sins we keep in the basement, but as a philosophical treatise I'm not sure it works. T...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
those intrigued by human-nature
This was a pretty fast and enjoyable read for me. There were several clever ironies and I love delving into stories about true human-nature...not just how we want to be and how we would like to see ourselves, but the truth of our hearts in relation to our actions. Asking the question "why?" and truly understanding why...not just the excuse we convince ourselves of. Mosley (the author) exposes you to a unique perspective and keeps you hooked in this unusual mystery.
I'd recommend it...more
I'd recommend it...more
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Read in January, 2007
I'm partial to the Easy Rawlins and Fearless Jones books, but this was decent stuff. I've always loved Mosley's way of dealing with big themes without choking the reader with messages, and this book was sort of a departure from that style. I wasn't as gripped by this as I was by many of his other books. But I'll always love his voice, and his characters are always real to me. A bit disappointing, and a big build-up to what amounted to the exact opposite of a big ending, but the book was by no me...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
those looking for a collision
"There is more to the world than one plus one."
A thought provoking read about the world's freedom-enslavement; power-powerlessness; and good-evil. It is an insight into the structure of a society than cannot make up its mind and in reality holds no real justice.
Mosley builds up the main character, Blakey through the first several chapters, which I thought could have been cut shorter. The 'educational conversations' Blakey and the man in his basement had together were intrigui...more
A thought provoking read about the world's freedom-enslavement; power-powerlessness; and good-evil. It is an insight into the structure of a society than cannot make up its mind and in reality holds no real justice.
Mosley builds up the main character, Blakey through the first several chapters, which I thought could have been cut shorter. The 'educational conversations' Blakey and the man in his basement had together were intrigui...more
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Read in January, 2006
Mosley is best known for his detective fiction (also good), but this is more a straightforward philosophical quest into who we are as people and a nation. He hits the troubled relationship between African Americans and white America right on the head, but this is more than a story of racial issues. The struggles with a life of sin, the need for redemption, the longing for connection...will be worth repeated readings.
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Read in March, 2005
recommended to Brian by:
No one - I bought it when it came out.recommends it for: Everyone
What a fabulous book. Completely different from anything else I've read by Walter Mosely.
It tells the story of a last of the line original black family that came to America, Massachusetts, as free people.
This book is about journeys to find oneself both for the Narrator, and the man who pays him a ton of money to imprison him.
It is one of the most interesting books I have ever read.
It tells the story of a last of the line original black family that came to America, Massachusetts, as free people.
This book is about journeys to find oneself both for the Narrator, and the man who pays him a ton of money to imprison him.
It is one of the most interesting books I have ever read.
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Read in April, 2008
Haunting and complex, despite its short length, and clear writing style. I want to read it again--I feel like I devoured it, and didn't let it provoke me as much as it should have.
It's a nuanced discussion of race, power, capitalism, and, if I understood it correctly, presents a pretty bleak view of who we become when we're given power, and how it changes us irrevocably.
It's a nuanced discussion of race, power, capitalism, and, if I understood it correctly, presents a pretty bleak view of who we become when we're given power, and how it changes us irrevocably.
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Read in April, 2005
recommends it for:
Thinkers outside the Box
This started out as a strange novel, going nowhere fast. But then it developed into a compelling read about black/white and master/slave as well as rich/poor and educated/illiterate. The more I read, the more interesting the story became from a psychological point of view. And at summer's end, the main character has grappled with much more than just "The Man in the Basement."
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Read in June, 2007
An interesting take on race relations, guilt and domination, crime and punishment. A departure from Mosleys standard LA detective stories, the man in the basement has committed some unstated evil, rents the basement (for a large sum) and has the owner build him a cell. He then taunts the owner into (passively at first) torturing him. Powerful stuff!
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young black man, down on his luck, gets a visit from an older white gentleman who would like to live in his basement for the summer. In a cage. And will pay $50,000 to essentially be treated like a prisoner. This book tackles some huge issues, and although it doesn't offer many solutions, it offers lots of food for thought and conversation.
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Read in September, 2007
I read this 6 weeks ago and remember liking it--Walter Mosely, come on--but already the big picture is fuzzy and the plot is slipping away too. A white man trying to atone for his sins... highly constructed, like a better Paul Auster novel. Go see "No Country for Old Men" instead.
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Read in April, 2008
I started reading this today at work on my lunch hour. So far is really good....I cant wait to dig into more tomorrow at lunch.
4/16/08
Finished it at lunch. I really really liked this book. An odd "request" by a renter turns into self discovery. Definitely a re-read.
4/16/08
Finished it at lunch. I really really liked this book. An odd "request" by a renter turns into self discovery. Definitely a re-read.
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Read in February, 2008
This book kind of took my by surprise. Mosley's storytelling style lulls the reader into state of ease, then, like the title character, slyly gets under your skin and makes you feel exposed. I really liked this book, and it has stuck in my head for a while since reading it.
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Terry by:
Jane Williams
An odd story which brought to mind the famous Stanford prison experiment. It received good reviews but maybe I missed something. It seemed to be about many things - race, atonement, redemption - but fell short. I'd give it to a friend with a caution, not enthusiasm.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone who likes mediocre books.
I think the reason it took me awhile to realize that this book was so mediocre was that it was given to me by someone I really respect. The narrative is sort of interesting and the dialogue is okay. If you were trapped in locked attic, it would be a great quick read.
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Read in March, 2006
recommends it for:
Everyone
This book is another deep thinking novel by Mosley that makes you wonder what do monsters look like. Sometimes they come in business suits. I would advise that the reader select this book first and then proceed into Mosley's FORTUNATE SON. There are connections.
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