Whoreson: The Story of a Ghetto Pimp [Paperback]

Donald Goines (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1995

Goines takes the reader into the violent world of ghetto prostitution. Whoreson Jones, the novel's hero, is the son of a beautiful black prosititute and an unknown white john. By the age of sixteen, he is a fully- fledged pimp, cold blooded, ruthless. Written in gritty street talk, Whoreson's story affords a startling glimpse into the hell of the inner city, yet brisrles with bitter humor and defiant pride.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 319 pages
• Publisher: Holloway House Pub Co (February 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870679546
• ISBN-13: 978-0870679544
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Donald Goines was a career criminal and addict who took up writing during one of his seven prison sentences. From 1969 through 1974 he published 16 novels with Holloway House, which are now recognized as blood-soaked and almost unbearably authentic portraits of the roughest aspects of the black experience.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too Real To Put Down, January 28, 2001

By 

Zane "NY Times Bestselling Author" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whoreson (Mass Market Paperback)

Reviewed by Zane for RAW SISTAZ BOOK CLUB

There are some books that seem partially real and then there are books that seem so real that they have you limbering somewhere between trepidation and awe. Such is the case with Whoreson. From the first chapter, I was hooked when I discovered that the main character's birth name was actually Whoreson. His mother, Jessie, a prostitute, selected that name after she gave birth to him less than an hour after turning a trick. Jessie, along with her mentor Big Mama, raised her son to do one thing: become a pimp. He studied it like an art form, learned from those he considered the masters, and got his Ph.D. in Pimpology. There are numerous women in this novel with low to non-existent self-esteem that allowed Whoreson to turn them into prostitutes when he was too young to even get a driver's license. Especially Boots, whom Whoreson meets while she is pregnant and still tricking for her rent. For those who have ever wondered what makes a person decide to stand on a street corner, whether male or female, and sell their bodies for money, this book offers a significant insight into their lives. This is not a pretty book, but being that the author lived the majority of it, makes it remarkable. Whoreson, a semi-autobiographical novel that Goines wrote while he was incarcerated at the Jackson Penitentiary, is a fictional masterpiece. In and out of jail seven times, Donald Goines was shot and killed in Detroit in 1974 while he sat at his typewriter working on his latest novel. Having sold upwards of 10 million books worldwide, even though he has been given very little recognition in American media, I truly believe that we lost one of the best AA authors in history too young and too tragically. I can only imagine how many other masterpieces he could have churned out, being that he wrote as many as eight in one year. There is no one to compare him to. To even attempt to compare him to another author would be an injustice. If you haven't been turned onto Donald Goines yet, you are missing a world of incredible literature.

I give Whoreson a 5 on the RAW Scale.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whoreson was a trip!, May 24, 2000

By 

Gina Smith (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whoreson (Mass Market Paperback)

Whoreson is a great book, it is however explicit and harsh. But that keeps the book real. I would say this is my favorite Donald Goines book but I'd be lying because I liked "Black Girl Lost" and "Dopefiend" as much as I liked Whoreson. Whoreson was better though because it was a longer book. In the book Whoreson we get to see Whoreson grow up from a small boy into a "Man", why he was named Whoreson and why he was born a Pimp/street hustler. And that he really had no other choice in life. Thats all he knew. Something about Whoreson's character makes you like him even though he is ignorant as hell. There are lots of twists and turns, excitement as well as let downs that makes you just want to keep reading. As I said before it is a book for a mature reader as the sex and violence is harsh. I really enjoyed reading Donald Goines books and am reading "Black Gangster" and "Cry Revenge" right now so far they are worth the money I spent and exciting reads as well.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars America's #1 Best Selling Black Author, October 18, 2000

By 

Puerco (Wichita Falls TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whoreson (Mass Market Paperback)

First of all I would like to say Donald Goines is the best author out there. I first heard about him listening to Bay Area Mobb Music. Then when I was in Korea I was put on to him. This book Whoreson is excellent. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a good story to read. All of Donald Goines' books are true to life. Anyone can relate to them, especially minorites. I recommend all 16 of his book. They are all 5 stars.