The Queen of Harlem [Hardcover]

Brian Keith Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 2002

An African American Breakfast at Tiffany’s–a hip, refreshingly candid tale of identity and self—discovery from the critically acclaimed author of The View from Here and Walking Through Mirrors.

Mason Randolph, a black preppie of impeccable Southern pedigree, is bound for Stanford Law School after graduating from college. Before embarking on the path to his golden future, however, he takes a detour through Harlem, where he intends to live "authentically" with "real black people."

Mason takes the name "Malik" and moves into the orbit of the ever—fabulous Carmen, uptown diva and doyenne of Harlem. Carmen, always ready to have a handsome young man at her fabulous soirees and to add to her devoted entourage, happily takes him under her wing. Fueled by his parents' money and dodging the people who remember him as Mason Randolph, "Malik" masquerades as a "ghettonian," exploring the wonders and pleasures of a Harlem in the midst of a second Renaissance. But his odyssey takes a different turn when he meets Kyra, whose world mirrors the one he has abandoned. As he contemplates the choices Kyra has made, and begins to reexamine his own presumptions about identity and authenticity, Mason realizes that everyone has something to hide and that to get what we want, we have to be willing to let go of our secrets.

People compared Brian Keith Jackson's remarkable first novel, The View from Here, to the works of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, and Publishers Weekly called it "an extraordinary debut...[by] a formidable craftsman and exceptionally gifted storyteller." A novel rich in humor and insight, The Queen of Harlem will earn Jackson a much—deserved place in the center of today’s literary landscape.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jackson's latest novel is the story of a young man who retreats from wealth and privilege in order to discover his true self. As an African-American raised in mostly white Southern suburbs, Mason feels out of place surrounded by people his own color. Determined to change that, he rebaptizes himself Malik and adopts a new persona in an attempt to experience "real" black culture. He moves to Harlem, lies about waiting tables while living off a generous allowance, engages in unsophisticated philosophizing and absorbs life lessons from Carmen England, an enigmatic society diva who seems to be something of a fabrication herself. Of course, Mason's duplicity leads to complications he never anticipated, and he realizes that he cannot be himself while playing at being someone else. But Mason's original motivation is never explored in any depth, and his abandonment of his false identity has more to do with winning an affluent young woman than with any new wisdom or contrition. Discovering one's true self by experimenting with an invented self is not a new idea; Jackson's innovation is to take his protagonist to Harlem, but setting alone is not enough to carry a novel. Mason resides in Harlem, but he never really lives there. The representation of this rich, storied neighborhood is no more enlightening than the view out-of-towners have from a tour bus. Jackson was widely praised for the honesty and emotion of The View from Here and Walking Through Mirrors. Perhaps those qualities will make a comeback in his next novel. Agent, Faith Hampton Childs.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Mason Randolph, a college graduate from a prestigious Louisiana family, heads to Harlem to find himself. His New York detour en route to Stanford Law School is the experience he feels is necessary to have a "real" black experience. He becomes the boarder of the indescribable, fortysomething socialite Carmen England, whom he affectionately calls the Queen of Harlem. To fit into the New York scene, Mason decides that he can best adjust by changing his name and recreating himself as Malik. As he becomes more comfortable with his new identity, he meets someone whom he can finally be honest with, Kyra Jamison. She represents the privilege and comfort of the life he is trying to abandon. Mason's tenure in New York forces him to rethink his choices and learn some truths about himself and his family. It isn't until he is confronted by the people he has tried to deceive that he is able to recognize that "playing poor isn't a privilege afforded to all." A believable and refreshing tale about secrets and identity. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (April 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385502958
• ISBN-13: 978-0385502955
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,455,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Believe None of What You See, May 8, 2002

By 

Dera R Williams (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Queen of Harlem (Hardcover)

You know the cliche sayings: "Don't judge a book by its cover ", "There is more than meets the eye", and "What is done in the dark will surely be brought to the light". Well all of these sayings and more apply to the two main characters in the Queen of Harlem.

Mason needs to reinvent himself. Prove that he is down with the brothers and the hood. Sans preppy clothes, groomed hair and private schooling persona; dons baggy pants, dreadlocks and a homeboy swagger and we have Malik, just another boy n' the hood instead of the rich kid on his way to Stanford Law School. Anxious to escape his privileged southern upbringing, Malik embraces all that Harlem has to offer including the Queen of Harlem, Carmen.

This mysterious lady gives an aura of a fading movie queen. Furs, evening gowns, name dropping, playboy boyfriends, she does it all and with class. She chooses Malik over other prospective renters because he appears needy. Malik is in like flint, makes new friends and he is enjoying the masquerade until the proverbial mess hits the fan. His days of exploring New York and loafing in cafes writing in his journal comes to an abrupt end when the lies start running together.

The characterizations and writing is superb with rich phrasing details, metaphors, and similes that won't quit, yet they are real and not contrived. There are even some old time sayings like 'stepping in high cotton'. Jackson places you in contemporary Harlem with glimpses of Marcus Garvey Park, the restaurants, and the people who inhabit there. On an APOOO scale this was a 4.5, rounded off to a 5 for review. A definite 2002 must read, this offering is sure to cause a buzz.

Dera Williams
APOOO Book Club

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid third novel from Mr. Jackson, May 21, 2002

By 

Kanika Wade (Columbia, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Queen of Harlem (Hardcover)

The Queen of Harlem is a solid third novel from Mr. Jackson which combines unique writing along several sound messages and themes from beginning to end. Mason, a wealthy black college graduate from Louisiana ventures into Harlem before he pursues his graduate education. Seeking to blend in and connect further with his roots, he transforms into Malik, one that is bold and unqiue in his own right. In the midst of his transformation, he meets and moves in with Carmen England, a socialite who throughout the course of the novel bulids a connection with despite the charade. However when he meets Kyra, a young woman who is very similar to him, Mason is forced to question his own idenity, objectives, and what he truly desires in the road ahead.

Although not for everyone, the Queen of Harlem is one that carries its own twists and turns. Mr. Jackson's writing is solid throughout and I was impressed with how he presented the elements of the book, especially with the ending (which was a surprise). If you are looking for a book that is unique and solid then the Queen of Harlem is one that I would recommend.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Believable Queen, April 16, 2002

By 

Prolific Writers Network (Internet) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Queen of Harlem (Hardcover)

I'm a virgin to Brian Keith Jackson, and although this was my first venture into his literary world, I rather enjoyed it. Jackson has a wry tongue in cheek brand of humor. He meticulously plays with words making them define Carmen for the star studded, well-dressed diva we fell in love with more and more as we turned the pages. His edgy writing style allowed his novel several moments where it shines all too brightly. The dialogue was raw and gritty, the description so vivid you'd believe that you'd lived in the infamous townhouse de Carmen with Carmen and Malik. The character Mason, who becomes Malik when he disguises his uppercrust past to blend into a life in Harlem that he finds most intriguing was refreshingly honest. It came as no surprise when he fatasizes about Carmen day and night only to fall for a college student whose background mirrored his. The moral of the story? Does he keep up the charade of being Malik or miss out on someone who it seems will appreciate him for who he really is and wants to become. Nearing the end of the story the novel took on an almost psychotic twist and the ending left me perplexed. But just like a lover who doesn't fully know when they've been kicked to the curb, his writing style had me caged and of course I had to pledge that if he writes another novel I'd most definitely give it a shot.