Thankfully Colson Whitehead’s
worst novel is also his shortest. Apex Hides the Hurt, his third novel is
perplexing confusing and neither of those is a compliment. His work varies for
me, with books like The Underground Railroad and John Henry Days being
fantastic, The Intuitionist and Zone One being good but a little too odd and
Sag Harbor being a disappointment, but this book seems like a failed experiment
in odd narration and a book that doesn’t seem to have a point at all. It’s set
up is very similar to John Henry Days but without the charm and scope of that
superior book. The characters are weak and the book’s motivation is even weaker
and murkier than that. In the short time it took me to read this book, I found
out rather easily why this book is his least lauded one to date. At the center
of this book is an unnamed black nomenclature consultant who is contacted by
the town of Winthrop. The town has a bit of a conflict in that it wants to
change its name but the town itself can’t agree on what it should be called. Three
different groups of people of varying influence want it to be named a certain
way and this consultant must figure out a way to please everyone. The best part
of this novel is also its goofiest. It involves the unnamed consultant and how
he lost his big toe, which involves stubbing it, multiple times and stepping in
literal shit. It is where this strangely unsatisfying book gets its odd title, because
Apex is the name of the bandage company. There is very little pleasing about
this book, and I am glad it came early in the career of one of the most exciting
and versatile writers in America today.
Rating: 2/5
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