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Cover of The Colossus of New York

Literary Fiction · 2007 · G

The Colossus of New York

by Colson Whitehead

Thirteen lyric meditations on New York City — Whitehead at his most poetic.

In a dazzlingly original work of nonfiction, the two time Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys recreates the exuberance, the chaos, the promise, and the heartbreak of New York. Here is a literary love song that will entrance anyone who has lived in—or spent time—in the greatest of American cities. A masterful evocation of the city that never sleeps, The Colossus of New York captures the city’s inner and outer landscapes in a series of vignettes, meditations, and personal memories. Colson Whitehead conveys with almost uncanny immediacy the feelings and t

ForAll agesGenreLiterary FictionLength159 pagesRead time~4.5 hours

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

None

No violence

Language

None

No profanity

Sexual Content

None

No sexual content

Substance Use

None

No substance use

Emotional Intensity

None

Themes of urban life, belonging, and the city as psychic landscape

What this book is about

Whitehead's 2003 essay collection offers thirteen lyrical meditations on different aspects of New York: the streets, the commute, the homeless, the seasons. A love letter to a city. For all ages.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

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