Seduced [Paperback]

Nelson George (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 21, 1997

"[A] smart, funny, and wonderfully resonant novel . . . It's the 1980s, and aspiring songwriter Derek Harper is a man easily seduced. Not only do the Big Three *money, fame, and women *keep him running, but Harper falls prey to subtler forms of seduction as well: the ease of rationalizing bad behavior, abdicating responsibility, and keeping the whole world at arm's length. All these issues are brilliantly interwoven with a behind-the-scenes look at the music industry, particularly the evolution of rap."

*Los Angeles Times Book Review



"Seduced is at its most compelling when author Nelson George delves into the differences between life in the projects and the middle-class heaven of St. Albans and how it evolved over thirty years. . . . George's style is, well, seductive, luring the reader into a world that takes in the range of black experience funneled through the music industry."

*St. Petersburg Times



"Seduced shows Nelson George at the top of his game doing what he does best: zinging the black music biz. The road chapters alone have enough shrill wit, stabbing satire, and tight accuracy to parallel the life of anyone who's ever been out there during the Reagan-stressed '80s."

*Houston Chronicle



"In Seduced, Nelson keeps it real. This is a sex story, a New York story, and a music biz story rolled into one, starring a humble, beautifully average middle-class dreamer, who's not unlike a male version of a Terry McMillan heroine."

*Touré

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

African American pop music may have no more eloquent champion than George (Urban Romance, 1994), but in this ambitious attempt to fictionalize two decades worth of hip music history, the author's extensive knowledge of the field crowds his storytelling. In the mid-1960s in the St. Alban's area of Queens, N.Y., Derek Harper, an aspiring songwriter, meets local legend Edgecombe Lennox, a flashy record promoter who encourages the young man's ambitions. After high school, several failed romances and some college, Derek joins Lennox and his newest singing protege on a revealing and difficult promotional tour. Back in New York, still unable to earn a living as a songwriter, Derek takes a job as road manager for a cross-country rap tour. Jumping ship in L.A., he starts writing jingles that feed his wallet but not his soul. A more serious song, "Black Sex," that Derek records on his own prompts Lennox to position the tunesmith as a break-out star, but an unexpected crisis turns Derek's life in a surprising direction. Derek is a well-textured and appealing hero, but George's female characters are generally one-dimensional, sexual objects or untrustworthy schemers. The author's laborious trek through the music of the streets, with extensive insider references, seems driven by a personal agenda, moreover, and it's also overly detailed; likely, this novel will hold the interest only of those who care passionately about bop, rap and hip hop. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

He wants to be like Stevie Wonder, a songwriter supreme. He cherishes rhythm and blues in an age of hip-hop and rap. His name is Derek Harper, his heritage black middle-class Queens. Writing and rewriting his songs throughout a first-person narrative of his musical coming of age, Derek takes readers on the road for a tour of the black music business of the 1980s. At thirtysomething, he emerges rich but cynical, and tired of the power games, raunchy sex, drugs, and violence surrounding the music scene. Readers who want to experience the same disillusionment and burnout will find plenty of fodder here. The creative, soulful side of Derek is often lost in the morass of details that author George (Urban Romance, Putnam, 1994) heaps on the novel, and a "do-right" ending seems contrived. Buy where interest in songwriting and the music business runs high.?Keddy Ann Outlaw, Harris Cty. P.L., Houston
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: One World/Ballantine (January 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345412664
• ISBN-13: 978-0345412669
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,161,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced story rich with New York jargon and hip hop flava, January 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Seduced (Paperback)

Although I was familiar with Nelson George as an author, this was my first time reading one of his books. I was thoroughly impressed. Being from the New York area and being close in age to the main character, I could easily relate to the story. The story also interestingly chronicles the growth of D. Harper, the main character. If you think you'll enjoy reading about the music industry and New York in the late 70s, the 80s and early 90s with glimpses of the New York club scene, you'll love this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SLOW MOVING IN THE BEGINNING....BUT EXCITING IN THE END., August 28, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Seduced (Hardcover)

Excellent overview of Black Middle-Class Queens, New York....I know because I lived it. Nelson depicts the music world and the people in it vividly, you feel like you've been there and know them. Kudos, to Nelson for the happy ending, I hope Derek & Candi stay together "Till death do them part."

4.0 out of 5 stars SEDUCED by a good read., July 21, 2000

By 

Blackworm - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seduced (Paperback)

SEDUCED took it's time to get where it was going, but when it did, it made up for it's slow pace with gripping story and complex characterization. Not one of the best book that I have read, it gripped me with it's world of music and success and how it doesn't always mix. All in all, it turned out to be a good book.