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Night Journey
Not since Richard Wright's Native Son has the education of a young man been rendered as daringly, defiantly, and emotionally galvanizingly as in Murad Kalam's Night Journey.
Night Journey is the story of Eddie Bloodpath, beautiful, oversized, awkward child of South Phoenix's Third Ward. Hefty and handsome, quiet and strong like his long-lost father, Eddie is the good son, seemingly immune to the powerful pull of the streets. His older brother, Turtle -- a frail, stuttering, grammar school dropout who was born to hustle -- isn't convinced that Eddie will stay out of trouble. Acting on instinct, Turtle plucks Eddie from the brink of the urban abyss and delivers him to the boxing gym.
A perpetual innocent and reluctant pugilist, Eddie is adopted by a rogues' gallery of melancholy prizefighters, artful hustlers, strung-out mystics, pubescent crack lords, and drunken burnouts. He falls in love with Tessa, a hauntingly beautiful prostitute with whom he shares an unspeakable secret. Waiting in the wings is Marchalina, Eddie's high school crush, a privileged, bookish, North Phoenix girl who could save him from his worst instincts.
When a senseless murder and its aftermath send Eddie running from the sun-washed landscape of the American Southwest, he tries to fight his way to safety -- first in Chicago, at the national amateur competition, and then in the surreal underworld of Las Vegas professional boxing. Rushing pell-mell toward manhood, Eddie must discover where his true allegiances lie.
An American odyssey, Night Journey is a first novel equally remarkable for its raw power and wise empathy, borne up by Murad Kalam's unshakable belief in the ultimate grace of humanity.
Night Journey is the story of Eddie Bloodpath, beautiful, oversized, awkward child of South Phoenix's Third Ward. Hefty and handsome, quiet and strong like his long-lost father, Eddie is the good son, seemingly immune to the powerful pull of the streets. His older brother, Turtle -- a frail, stuttering, grammar school dropout who was born to hustle -- isn't convinced that Eddie will stay out of trouble. Acting on instinct, Turtle plucks Eddie from the brink of the urban abyss and delivers him to the boxing gym.
A perpetual innocent and reluctant pugilist, Eddie is adopted by a rogues' gallery of melancholy prizefighters, artful hustlers, strung-out mystics, pubescent crack lords, and drunken burnouts. He falls in love with Tessa, a hauntingly beautiful prostitute with whom he shares an unspeakable secret. Waiting in the wings is Marchalina, Eddie's high school crush, a privileged, bookish, North Phoenix girl who could save him from his worst instincts.
When a senseless murder and its aftermath send Eddie running from the sun-washed landscape of the American Southwest, he tries to fight his way to safety -- first in Chicago, at the national amateur competition, and then in the surreal underworld of Las Vegas professional boxing. Rushing pell-mell toward manhood, Eddie must discover where his true allegiances lie.
An American odyssey, Night Journey is a first novel equally remarkable for its raw power and wise empathy, borne up by Murad Kalam's unshakable belief in the ultimate grace of humanity.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 8, 2015
With such a title, this book can bring a lot of things into mind. Combined with the Arabic sounding name, this book can easily refer to the journey undertaken by Prophet Muhammad to have an audience the Divine to receive firsthand the command to pray five times a day. But no, this book is far from that--although probably yes in spirit.
It narrates the life of Eddie Bloodpath (what a Hollywood name! like a real Heavy metal band name). Growing up in the poor part of Phoenix in an underprivileged family, Eddie is familiar with rough life since very young. In his mid/late teens, he finds his calling in boxing. For a time, this book is similar to any powerful contemporary Africa-American literature the likes of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man or Richard Wright's Native Son. There is, however, a significant portion of the story that feels different from those giant books: a section about Eddie's involvement with the Nation of Islam, which introduces him to dignity, discipline, and sense of direction. Interestingly, the book does not end with this. As pointed out by a critic, the book successfully saves Eddie from being a mouthpiece of such ideology. Life goes on for Eddie with a unique turn, shaping him from a boy who is shocked into muteness by his father's flight into a young man capable of deciding things for himself, although nobody will know what life has in store for Eddie.
By the way, for those interested in the spiritual/religious aspect of Muslim American literature, the Nation of Islam and the post-Nation of Islam part is an interesting take. I don't think I've seen any late 20th century and early 21th century African American literature that talks about NOI in this manner. And, as is common in Muslim American literature, there's also some critique of the religion/religious practice that any Muslim American can value...
So, why is it called Night Journey? I'm still not sure. Probably because a lot of the thinking process happens during night travels? Probably because to reach some kind of light one has to go through a night journey? Because Eddie's journey is dark but still promises hope of some sort?
It narrates the life of Eddie Bloodpath (what a Hollywood name! like a real Heavy metal band name). Growing up in the poor part of Phoenix in an underprivileged family, Eddie is familiar with rough life since very young. In his mid/late teens, he finds his calling in boxing. For a time, this book is similar to any powerful contemporary Africa-American literature the likes of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man or Richard Wright's Native Son. There is, however, a significant portion of the story that feels different from those giant books: a section about Eddie's involvement with the Nation of Islam, which introduces him to dignity, discipline, and sense of direction. Interestingly, the book does not end with this. As pointed out by a critic, the book successfully saves Eddie from being a mouthpiece of such ideology. Life goes on for Eddie with a unique turn, shaping him from a boy who is shocked into muteness by his father's flight into a young man capable of deciding things for himself, although nobody will know what life has in store for Eddie.
By the way, for those interested in the spiritual/religious aspect of Muslim American literature, the Nation of Islam and the post-Nation of Islam part is an interesting take. I don't think I've seen any late 20th century and early 21th century African American literature that talks about NOI in this manner. And, as is common in Muslim American literature, there's also some critique of the religion/religious practice that any Muslim American can value...
So, why is it called Night Journey? I'm still not sure. Probably because a lot of the thinking process happens during night travels? Probably because to reach some kind of light one has to go through a night journey? Because Eddie's journey is dark but still promises hope of some sort?
Want to read
March 6, 2015I'm really in no way qualified to make book reviews, with that aside, here it is.
I do not read a lot of books. I have AD(H)D, Im lazy, and I'm really not even sure how to know what type of book I like (hit and miss). I'm glad I picked this one up out of a pile in Union Station because I pretty much couldn't put it down.
The book is set in the slums of Phoenix where prostitutes and drug-dealing pimps, murders, and thugs are the norm.
This sounds really lame but I am such a sheltered person that this was probably my first exposure to what life is really like in such places (Reviewers claim that it is a realistic portrayal). I was completely fascinated by it in the way that only sheltered,curious young W.A.S.P.s could be.
For those of you who agree that is lame, there are more reasons this book is worth reading.
It is highly acclaimed and was a finalist for the Pen/Hemingway award for first fiction.
The author, Murad Kalam has won awards for his creative writing (O.Henry and Fulbright awards).
If you believe that "Prozzak Nation" and "Good Will Hunting" are a good indication that Harvard grads (or...at least those who went there for a while *cough* Matt Damon *cough*) are authors that make interesting and quality work, then this novel belongs in that elite little group.
All I can say for myself is that I really liked this book.
I do not read a lot of books. I have AD(H)D, Im lazy, and I'm really not even sure how to know what type of book I like (hit and miss). I'm glad I picked this one up out of a pile in Union Station because I pretty much couldn't put it down.
The book is set in the slums of Phoenix where prostitutes and drug-dealing pimps, murders, and thugs are the norm.
This sounds really lame but I am such a sheltered person that this was probably my first exposure to what life is really like in such places (Reviewers claim that it is a realistic portrayal). I was completely fascinated by it in the way that only sheltered,curious young W.A.S.P.s could be.
For those of you who agree that is lame, there are more reasons this book is worth reading.
It is highly acclaimed and was a finalist for the Pen/Hemingway award for first fiction.
The author, Murad Kalam has won awards for his creative writing (O.Henry and Fulbright awards).
If you believe that "Prozzak Nation" and "Good Will Hunting" are a good indication that Harvard grads (or...at least those who went there for a while *cough* Matt Damon *cough*) are authors that make interesting and quality work, then this novel belongs in that elite little group.
All I can say for myself is that I really liked this book.
June 7, 2009
I liked this book for the window it opened up for me to a world that I am only dimly aware of -- the life of urban poverty for a young black man -- and also for the sweetness of the protagonist's character despite the harshness of his surroundings. Having met former Nation of Islam members, I was also very curious about how the organization operated, and the novel gave me a glimpse of that.
There is plenty of ugliness in the novel -- violence, profanity, the selling of women's bodies. Sexual scenes are frank but not overly descriptive. Don't read this book if such things bother you.
There are some weaknesses to the story. I felt it was just a mite on the long side. Eddie was too passive for me sometimes, to the extent that I wasn't always clear on his motivations. Why didn't he take Turtle and Jules as his role model? I didn't sense he was repulsed by the pimping-and-drug-dealing lifestyle so much as shutting his eyes to it for cryptic reasons. I don't want to spoil the ending for readers but I felt there wasn't quite enough punch to it and it wasn't fully justified. Perhaps the mellowness of Eddie's character is what the author wanted to convey, but having seen so many writers with passive central characters just because writers are more likely to be passive observers themselves, makes me wonder if this wasn't just a weakness of Kalam's writing.
There is plenty of ugliness in the novel -- violence, profanity, the selling of women's bodies. Sexual scenes are frank but not overly descriptive. Don't read this book if such things bother you.
There are some weaknesses to the story. I felt it was just a mite on the long side. Eddie was too passive for me sometimes, to the extent that I wasn't always clear on his motivations. Why didn't he take Turtle and Jules as his role model? I didn't sense he was repulsed by the pimping-and-drug-dealing lifestyle so much as shutting his eyes to it for cryptic reasons. I don't want to spoil the ending for readers but I felt there wasn't quite enough punch to it and it wasn't fully justified. Perhaps the mellowness of Eddie's character is what the author wanted to convey, but having seen so many writers with passive central characters just because writers are more likely to be passive observers themselves, makes me wonder if this wasn't just a weakness of Kalam's writing.
August 12, 2007
Murad Kalam is a phenomenal writer, the best Muslim American novelist by far. This was an intense read about inner-city life out West. Drugs, prostitution, rape, violence, and of course, the dirty side of boxing are all here, but the book also manages to meditate on themes of religion, hypocrisy, salvation, and forgiveness.
April 2, 2008
A good coming of age story. I wanted to connect more than I did though. Set in Pheonix AZ. Who knew they had mean streets and urban violence just as deep and graphic as any in NYC or Chicago..Once past the incongrous setting the story moves swiftly but does the protaganist Eddie ever really overcome?
October 5, 2009
What I was reminded of when I read this book is how hard it is for African-American males growing up in poverty-stricken, urban areas to find a way out of a destructive life while staying true to themselves and their families.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews