Man Walking on Eggshells (Old School Books) [Paperback]

Herbert Simmons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1993 | Series: Old School Books

First published in 1962, this novel is one of the most lyrical and authentic portraits of a jazz musician ever published. Born into violence, in the midst of a destructive tornado that flattens sections of East St. Louis, Raymond Douglas overcomes obstacles of family and race to become a jazz trumpeter whose music touches greatness. Rave praise for the Old School Books Series: "One of the most exciting literary revival series since the rediscovery of Jim Thompson's novels. . ." --Digby Diehl, Playboy "If you can't get enough of Shaft, Foxy Brown (the original one) or Dolemite, then check Old School Books' new series of pulp novels featuring the boldest African-American authors of our time. These new cultural artifacts are fast-paced and hard. They take the brutality and ruin of the urban Black landscape and transform them into art. Each character in the series is searching for "old school" wisdom and never loses sight of the racial, political, and emotional context from which they came."--The Source "My endorsement of Old School Books is a hundred percent. This is the kind of publishing program that shows serious readers that publishing can still be more than just a business. This is a cultural service of the highest order. W.W. Norton and Company deserves a standing ovation. Congratulations."--Clarence Major, University of California, Davis "Glad to see that at least one publisher isn't afflicted with the bottom-line fever, the republishing of these old time classics proves that Norton is devoted to quality publishing. I'm especially glad to see John A. Williams' The Angry Ones used. It's as fresh as the day it was written."--Ishmael Reed, University of California, Berkeley "As of late, members of the pulp pantheon are finding themselves being revised by Hollywood, scrutinized by serious academics, and canonized by the Library of America, though they never completely went out of fashion. But a little-known subgenre

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

These are the two latest releases from Norton's "Old School Books" series. forensic psychiatrist Jefferson published this novel, which is now in development as a feature film, in 1976. The plot follows Dr. Elwin Carter's investigation into a local murder, which leads to a remarkable conclusion. Simmons's 1962 title offers a portrait of protagonist Raymond Douglas, who overcomes great odds to become a master jazz musician.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

In a brilliant, soulful, poetic style, he captures the feelings of the neighborhoods, the sense of community and the sophistication of the streets that provided the wellspring for many of America's most creative and enduring masters of musical improvisation.... What makes Simmons' novel so compelling is his daring to create a fictional character based on but as unique as [Miles] Davis himself.... Simmons's prose, like jazz, flows in a series of beautifully constructed improvisatory passages of lyrical images, sounds and stories that invite us to wake up and be part of the world from which this music originated--a world that has all but vanished. -- Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review, David Amram

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Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (March 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393316181
• ISBN-13: 978-0393316186
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,990,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic from Many Perspectives, July 11, 2009

By 

Norman Orr "diamondbackrider" (Lubbock, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Man Walking on Eggshells (Old School Books) (Paperback)

This novel is an interesting, readable story; it presents an accurate view of different cultures (white and Negro ((as it would have been called when the novel was written; Afro-American it would be called today)))as they existed at the time; it touches on a social problem which was little-recognized then and remains so today--the "inherited" and devastating nature of abuse, particularly verbal abuse; and although it reflects the prevailing literary style of its time (it is reminiscent of both Joyce and Faulkner) it is predictive in that it contains some elements that are pre-McLuhan, McLuhanism. What more could one ask of a classic?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Words that read like jazz itself..., April 9, 2008

By 

Andrea Gibbons (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man Walking on Eggshells (Old School Books) (Paperback)

This book...it sings. It's music, heartbreak, pain, hope. It is one of the most powerfully and beautifully written things I have ever read. I sat on the plane from L.A. to Tucson and it filled up my chest the way tears sometimes do when you're holding them back, but only because I kept stumbling across sentences that were so exquisite I could hardly bear them, and living the pain of the characters and burning with anger at a racist violent world that should never have been allowed to exist, that we should have destroyed before it was even born...and yet that always will contain beauty and strength because people always have that in them. And Simmons' words ball it all out like Raymond Charles Douglas' horn, like Miles Davis, like the blues, the hurting beauty that does a heart good.

Ha, you can tell I am a big old sucker when it comes to words, these are some of the best.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Jazz Fiction, December 31, 2006

By 

Michael L. Slavin "HardBopper" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Man Walking on Eggshells (Old School Books) (Paperback)

The title of this novel is, I think, taken from a critics description of the the playing of jazz great Miles Davis. The back cover of the book says the author was inspired to write this because of Miles. Though, I didn't personally know Miles Davis,based on various published material I really don't see the connection. The real Miles came from an upper class family. His father was a dentist. He went to New York to study at Julliard and fell into the bebop life where his talent evolved. He was a heroin addict and even for a time, a pimp. The hero here is Raymond Douglas who basically grew up in the ghetto's of St. Louis. He played football well, learned the trumpet and for a time was quite successful selling pot. His growing up is well chronicled as well as some romantic interludes and the maturation of his musical talent. The only connection that I see to Miles Davis is that both were Black, both hailed from the St. Louis area and both played the trumpet. Of course Miles was a world wide innovator and universally acclaimed star. In this book, Raymond Douglas received nowhere near that stature.So, if one removes the supposed Miles Davis connection,this is a decent novel with a jazz flavor but certainly not a particularly memorable read.