The Intuitionist

Great fun. The suspense mounts from page one on, and along the way, something even more remarkable happens: the remarkably true-to-life character of Lila Mae is fleshed out in a series of sharp, moving flashbacks, incidents even she has forgotten, and still these little peepholes into her mind don't let the reader guess what motivates her. She is fascinating. The circumstances that throw her off of her chosen path--the unlikely crash of an elevator she has just inspected, and the evil corporate politics that close in on her her from that point on--seem eerily familiar in this elevator-science fairy-tale. The result is a dark comedy that is truly unique.

I know: elevator inspectors? And the dustcover looks grim. But this thing is funny, funny and dark, gritty and wise, with a good dose of giddy surrealism, prose that'll make you catch your breath, and a plot that's what would happen if Pynchon's Oedipa Maas happened to get trapped in Ellison's "The Invisible Man." And yo, can this man write! All the gushing about his literary lineage is right on target, but like the best writers, the echoes aren't the totality of his style--he's a young writer who is assured enough of the skills he has and the story he has to tell to claim the main veins of American literature as his own. Read this book. I'm telling you, this is talent.

Whitehead's book does not truly capture the reader until the end of the book. I could not help thinking to myself as I was reading it that he is a talented writer but this book was just not capturing me. Whitehead uses a great deal of visualization which at times is beautiful and times annoying. I think he will shape into a talented writer. Regardless of his future potential I find it difficult to give this book a strong recommendation.

As a kid growing up in NYC, I always was fascinated with the elevator operators in the big department stores. With their uniforms, and their ability to stop the elevator level with the floor, I was convinced that the career for me was in elevator operation. After reading this book, I realize the draw elevators had for me. It would be difficult to humanize the elevator industry, but Mr. Whitehead does it perfectly. Not bad for a kid from Brooklyn.

I wonder how some books get published? Don't get me wrong, I got the symbolism and the subtlety of ideas. There are some things that are very sharp about this novel; Whitehead's use of language is superb. But there's a missing link - I didn't identify with Lila Mae (whose lyrical name totally belies her flat personality). I couldn't get through this book at all. There is just too much to wade through to get to a story that isn't there. I always say that people need to think more, but I had to work entirely too hard to get Whitehead's point.

I had a hard time figuring out what I thought of this book. Its hard to get into at first and then proceeds to excellerate and decellerate wildly. Parts of the narrative were interesting-- mostly the section that directly address the issue of race through flashbacks. The main character, Lila Mae Watson is someone you can root for but she gets lost in what disintegrates into a unfulfilling "whodunit?" ( Think pulpy fiction.)
In general, the book does not flow well. It felt like the author diliberately set out to challenge the reader rather than write a story; and it shows. There are some interesting but unecc. confusing change of narratives. Ultimately, the book is not memorably.

If only every piece of new fiction were this powerfully written, lots of us would do nothing but read fiction. The originality of metaphor and observation of character and place remind me of the best of Toni Morrison. The mesmerizing scene-building, the meticulous sense of place, the enigmatic plot, the powerful, original writing--not to mention the coherence of the central metaphor of verticality--I'm considering reading The Intuitionist again for the sheer enjoyment of its language and intellect. All this, and a page-turner at the same time. Whitehead is a rare find: a master of fiction in an age which has a dearth of them.

This isn't to say many parts of the book ain't authorish, for the

admixture of past and present-day narrative doesn't go nearly as

smoothly as say "Mothsmoke". Lila Mae Watson was an obvious

stab at spoofing the noir cliche of the icy, all-buisness pro, but in

summary is unempathetically limp, and Whitehead's fantasy world,

however evocatively crafted, is so outlandish as to often be inanely

curious rather than stirring.

Nevertheless, his command of language is stellar and voca-

bulary intense, and always deftly utilized, hiliarity is abundant(the

encounter with Pie Faced Annie comes to mind), and someone gi-

ve credit for all that immense technical detail!

Just the research alone into the world of elevator inspectors is worthy of admiration. But, when presented in such an original and well-written manner is worthy of much praise. Lila Mae Watson is one of the most interesting characters to have come down the pike in quite some time. I was completely enthralled in Lila Mae's adventures from the first page. Mr. Whitehead is quite adept at telling a story and keeping it interesting. I was pleasantly suprised by the inventiveness, imagination and originality of Mr. Whitehead's prose. He deserves a thousand thanks for bringing his refreshing new voice to the world of African-American fiction.

What's going on in this book? Actually, The Intuitionist is a fun, bizarre novel melding(or something whatever)of current hip "colored" person (Lila Mae Watson) in a weird, surreal 1940's-type metropolis where elevators hold a prominant position within its culture. Unfortunately, Colson Whitehead's Intuitionist is jumpy with a million obnoxious, overused metaphors and one feels trapped in a shoddy elevator that's stuck between floors. Did I miss out on something? I kind of get the racial injustice idea/symbolism, i.e. the elevator "movin' on up!!!"(anyone remember TV's "The Jeffersons"?!) But Lila Mae is an unsympathetic character and it is very hard rooting for her. Also. why. does. Colson. Whitehead. worship. the. period.?. So technically speaking I particularly disliked that arty writing style. Whitehead should let his moronic fellow writer- hero Stephen King to that clumsy device. Ugh. But, hey, it was a fun first novel though I am loathe to gush all over "The Intuitionist" as lately several other "great first novel" authors can't follow-up. Good luck with your up and soon to-be-released second novel "John Henry Days", Mr. Whitehead and I look forward to reading it. Hope it's an improvement. Thanks for letting me share, Fondly, NOT Colson Whitehead

I had to read this book for a class, and at first I thought it sounded interesting. How wrong I was. While Whitehead is truly a wonderful writer (not necessarily author, there is a difference), the book simply did not grab me at all. I gave up half-way through, as I simply could not connect to the the characters, nor the world Whitehead created. There was nothing in the text that pulled me in at all.

As my subject states, _The Intuitionist_ by Whitehead is a passable novel.
On the surface, the plot deals with the possible sabotage of an elevator seen by the general public as a symbol of Black progression. On a much deeper level, it is an allegory of race relations in the United States.
It is, however, quite a long book, much longer than is expected after having read it. Little major happens until the last 50 pages of the novel, creating a long and tedious read. Few scenes are memorable, and the speech is uninteresting. The characters are dull and monotonous.
Actually, Whitehead came to teach a lecture at my university, Rochester Institute of Technology, this fall (2002). He is a much more interesting individual than the book seems to imply.
All in all, the book is, to sum it up, boring. It lacks substance, suspense, and involvement. Very passable. Very.

This is one of the oddest books I've ever read and one of the least successful also. It's just too eccentric for its own good. Rather than get caught up in this "other world" that is half New York/half comic-book Gotham, I found my interest and attention waning. The author should get points for inventiveness but, sadly, that's about all.

I am extremely proud of Colson Whitehead. There's been a question looming in the literary world as to where and when the literary voice of my generation of black Americans would present itself. Whitehead has answered that question. He's not the next Baldwin, Ellison, Morrison, etc. He's a new creature; imaginitive, free, brash. And, he's telling a story about the African-American past from a perspective and with a voice that's uniquely 21st Century. Thanks, Bruh!

Whitehead is one of the best authors writing today. His prose is sharp and engaging. It is hard to find a non-commerical book that holds the reader's attention like this novel. I just happentd to stumble across this novel amongst the piles of crap at Barnes and Noble. If you like Whitehead, try Zadie Smith's "White Teeth" or Travis Craig's "99 City", two other author's who I just happened to stumble upon and love.

This book could have been great. It had strong possibilities of a story about upward mobility and what race may mean in relationship to technology. Some sentences were beautiful and well crafted. The characters were flat. No one was believable. The world was oversimplified into just two races, white and black. What a shame, don't waste your time...

This book is a grand example of a writer pushing the literary

boundaries of style. His wording is inspiring. The down side

however , is the lack of time spent on the entertainment aspect

of this story. Leaving the book with a very mechanical feel ,

due to the relentless mention of elevators. This author definitely

has the tools to make a good , if not great book. Maybe next

time.

Great ideas for a book, great themes for a book: everday occupation, blue collar workers, life in the big city, government agencies to make (vertical) transportation safer, racism, bias against women. It has a fine, surprises nearing the climax. All good, but the writing wanders painfully between scenes and times and people. Too vague, way to vague, to a pleasurable read