 First edition cover | |
| Author | Colson Whitehead |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction, Novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday (HB) & Anchor Books (PB) |
Publication date | May 15, 2001 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 400 pp (hardback edition) |
| ISBN | 0-385-49819-5 |
| Preceded by | The Intuitionist |
| Followed by | The Colossus of New York |
John Henry Days is a 2001 novel by American author Colson Whitehead. This is his second full-length work.
Building the railways that made America, John Henry died with a hammer in his hand moments after competing against a steam drill in a battle of endurance. The story of his death made him a legend. Over a century later, freelance journalist J. Sutter is sent to West Virginia to cover the launch of a new postage stamp at the first John Henry Days festival.
Maya Jaggi, writing for The Guardian , praised John Henry Days, writing that it is "propelled by the quality of the writing and observation which, together with his serious intent, elevate it above frothier social satire." [1] Writing in The New York Times , novelist Jonathan Franzen likened the novel to Ulysses and Moby-Dick in its "encyclopedic aspirations", but added: "John Henry Days is funny and wise and sumptuously written, but it's only rarely a page turner." [2]
| Year | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Pulitzer Prize for Fiction | Shortlist | [3] |
| 2002 | Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Award | Honor book | [4] |
| 2002 | National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction | Shortlist | |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction | Finalist | [5] |
David Foster Wallace was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and university professor of English and creative writing. Wallace's 1996 novel Infinite Jest was cited by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005. His posthumous novel, The Pale King (2011), was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2012. The Los Angeles Times's David Ulin called Wallace "one of the most influential and innovative writers of the last twenty years".
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This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2001.
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