Colson Whitehead’s New Novel Is a Love Letter to a Bankrupt New York

According to a book review published by NRC, author Colson Whitehead concludes his New York trilogy with the publication of Cool machine, translated into Dutch by Frank Lekens and Tjadine Stheeman and published by Atlas Contact at € 24,99 across 446 pages. Set in the 1980s under the administration of President Ronald Reagan, the novel follows furniture dealer and occasional fence Ray Carney as he navigates a capitalist real estate boom, rising urban segregation, and gentrification in a financially strained New York City.

Ray Carney Faces Financial Barriers and Second-Chance Heists

In Cool machine, Ray Carney is a fifty-year-old businessman on the verge of being named “furniture dealer of the month” for the Northeast coast by a trade magazine, as reported by NRC. As the first African American to receive this distinction, Carney briefly aspires to dealer of the year before reality sets in. When he applies for a bank loan to fund his wife’s new travel agency, the bank denies funding to the Black couple, forcing Carney to execute two separate heists—one to secure a large payout and another to right a past wrong.

The Underground Network and Historical Parallels

According to NRC, confronting past injustices and fighting for civil rights serves as the overarching thematic thread connecting Whitehead’s trilogy, which began with Harlem Shuffle and continued with Misdaadmanifest. During the heists, characters utilize the city’s subterranean infrastructure, prompting the observation that “the real power is underground.” This subterranean network acts as Whitehead’s deliberate nod to his 2016 breakthrough novel, The Underground Railroad.

Systemic Critique Through Graffiti and Literature

The critique of a broken capitalist system manifests through recurring graffiti texts and literary allusions throughout the novel, as noted by NRC. Character Pepper encounters phrases such as “Eat the mess of urban renewal / View our new collection of disappointment,” mirroring the disorienting phone calls experienced by the protagonist in Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy. Furthermore, the narrative references Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, with a character observing that white readers love the book because it feels novel, whereas Black people have always known the system was never meant to function for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who translated Cool machine into Dutch?

According to NRC, the Dutch edition was translated by Frank Lekens and Tjadine Stheeman.

Which book precedes Cool machine in the trilogy?

According to NRC, Cool machine is the final installment of the trilogy, following Harlem Shuffle and Misdaadmanifest.

What is the historical setting of the novel?

According to NRC, the novel is set in New York City during the 1980s under the second term of President Ronald Reagan.

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