IF HE HOLLERS LET HIM GO, by Chester B. Himes

"Novelist Chester B. Himes’ 1945 masterpiece If He Hollers Let Him Go is as much a protest novel as it is a Los Angeles noir. Over the span of four days, protagonist Bob Jones, a Black man navigating a prejudiced World War II-era America, moves from Ohio to California and lands a job as a naval shipyard crew leader in L.A. As he begins working, the oppression of the Black community permeates his every interaction, and life under a constant threat of violence takes a toll. Soon, Jones finds himself in a verbal altercation with his bigoted, white employee Madge Perkins. Demoted while Perkins goes unpunished, Jones is angry—and perhaps even fascinated—with his oppressors, which sparks a chain reaction that explores the complexities of desire and rage in a racist society. Himes’ groundbreaking, psychosexual thriller is uncompromising and raw, and highlights an ever-present story of racism that still rings true today." —Rachel Sonis for Time magazine

Stop by the Reference Desk after the previous month’s meeting to pick up a copy of the title.

Supplemental Reading:

Wikipedia overview of the novel and background HERE.

Book Club Background:

Join us in person or online to look at the history of Mystery as a book genre.

It has been almost 200 years since the publication of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and since then, mystery as a genre has exploded in form, length, language, and more. From The Lady in White, Wilkie Collins’ novel that is considered the first of the genre, through the serialized adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the Golden Age of Agatha Christie, the advent of noir, the rise of thrillers, romantic suspense, and an international cast of characters ranging from retired police officers to meddling sleuths, some famous twins, and armchair detectives.

TIME MAGAZINE PICKS THE 100 BEST MYSTERY NOVELS OF ALL TIME

Each month we might read an article, a short story, a book, or a selection from the same author or the same country. We’ll look at award winners and debut novelists, the standard bearers and the rule breakers. We may talk about movies and TV, too.  We’ll work our way through the decades, looking at similar themes, exotic settings, and recent innovations in a genre that is both familiar and new.

Some of the authors we’ll cover: Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett, Mary Higgins Clark, Alexander McCall Smith, Jo Nesbo, and more!

Check out the recent Edgar Award winners HERE.

We’ll run this group as hybrid, so anyone can join. Please click below to register for the program the first time you wish to attend. Contact the Library at HERE to request the Zoom link. Returning readers do not need to register unless they need the Zoom link. You can choose in-person or Zoom each month, as it fits your schedule!

At the end of the day, the butler may have done it, but we’ll decide if he was justified!