Sounds deep, but it’s so excruciatingly funny. In a black enclave of upper-middle-class Long Island in 1985, Benji. And, of course, there’s some first time kissing.īut mostly Benji demonstrates the teenager’s need for reinvention, as Whitehead ruminates on the individual-and communal-search for identity. Colson Whiteheads autobiographical fourth novel is a sweetly nostalgic coming-of-age story. Spending unsupervised summer weekends is part of teenage Benji’s rite of passage: “That summer we switched from a Kid with a Pool-based hanging out community to a Kid with the Empty House-based hanging out economy.” So is learning new handshakes, wrestling with his out-of-control haircut, and serving his “first tour of duty at Jonni Waffle,” the wafer cone ice cream joint where he holds down his first part-time job. No imperial brownstone, but out Prewar Classic 7 wasn’t too shabby, squeezing us tight in old elegant bones. Three kids, prep schooled, with clean fingernails and nice manners. And what a funny, funny portrait it is: “We were a Cosby family, good on paper. In fact, I choose to believe that Benji = Colson (sort of) and that the novel is definitely a portrait of the artist as a young man. Sag Harbor is Colson Whitehead’s most autobiographical novel to date. But the author's eloquently sparse style keeps it from becoming a burden. This can - at times - slow down the novel. Although it follows the events of a summer, this is more a device for us to learn about Benji, for Whitehead to show the arc of self-discovery through the events. The place (except for Benji’s uproariously funny, yet bittersweet memories) is Sag Harbor-an enclave in the Hamptons where, long ago, upper middle class African-Americans established a small community where family houses are passed down from generation to generation, and lasting friendships are brought to life each summer. Structurally, Sag Harbor is not driven by plot.

Our hero’s name is Benji (though he’s determined this summer to become Ben), and he is 15 years old.

Sag harbor colson whitehead review