Mixed review here. Mostly because I got bogged down in the writing style. This is thriller/noir/speculative fiction set in what feels like 1950s NYC. It wants to read like a hard-boiled Raymond Chandler detective novel. But the writing isn’t as snappy (gold stars for some very “bottom 10% of words used” poetics). Thankfully, it wasn’t the other extreme — it’s still a tight, 235 pages. The notion that there was a branch of the timeline that could have had the elevator bureau as one of the most powerful organizations in the country feels a bit contrived. The analogue is obvious: elevation is not just height, but social and civil status. Bearing that in mind, it’s an entertaining allegorical work about sexism and racism. Putting the contrivances aside, the story peels away slowly and reveals a zinger at the center of the onion and it’s perfect. There may be others that use this theme (trying to avoid a spoiler here), but it’s the first I’ve read it laid out like this. I cannot believe they’ve not made a movie out of this.
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#colsonwhitehead #theintuitionist #speculativefiction #elevators #racism #sexism #hardboiled #ex_libris_jz