The Man in My Basement: A Novel (Mosley, Walter)

What did I just read? Written in three parts I feel that it was one of the most clear expressions of Mosley philosophy that many of his books provide in smaller doses. He grappled with despair and evil and trauma and loneliness love and living. And the end per usual is a twist that left me like wait what? A masterpiece

That was a pretty weird book, and didn't go the way I expected--not that I had expectations.A stranger comes and asks to be locked up in a man's basement over the summer, for some unknown reason, and he offers a case full of much-needed cash money for the "privilege"--why would anyone do this, what is his ulterior motive?Charles Blakey is a loner, loser, driftless man in his thirties who has accomplished exactly nothing in his life and is shaping up to accomplish all of that along with losing the beautiful, old home in the Hamptons that has been in his family for generations, when Anniston Bennett comes into his life with his strange proposition (and a disturbing knowledge of the details of Blakey's less than exemplary personal history): for enough money, all in cash, to solve Blakey's immediate problems, he only wants to live in the basement of his house for the summer--with a few modifications that Bennett specifies, and pays for. Of course, Blakey will be required to deliver food on a regular basis, but, more disturbing will be the conversation and the contemplation that are also required.Who is Anniston Bennett and why does he need to live in Charles Blakey's basement for a summer, and how will this affect Blakey, and does any of it matter?

This is a book that will remain in my collection to read and simply reflect on life, purpose, love and finding answers. In this book, a stranger enters the life of Charles Blakey as tenant in his cellar. The timing of this stranger’s entry, Charles has lost his job, and has encountered other challenges. During the stay of his tenant, he has a series of conversations that leads him to a different perspective and understanding of himself. Throughout the process, his tenant is also undergoing a process of understanding and redemption. In the end, Charles also experiences life with intention and becomes visible to members of his community.

I kept trying to figure out this book before I finished, and it kept drawing further in. I gave u half through wanting to know the true end, none of what I thought happened. Non, the less, it was the best page turner I've read in a few years. Must read.

This book is both engaging and totally enthralling because Walter Mosley has the distinct gift of being able to reel you into his writings and the characters therein, completely. The details and care he has taken with descriptions in THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT is amazing. I love this book!

There are certain books that just sneak up on you and grab hold for dear life. The Man in My Basement by Walter Mosley was one of those books. To say I devoured this book would be an understatement, but I simply devoured this book. I started it on a whim in the afternoon and I resisted putting it down to go to sleep, that is how engrossing this book is.The premise is intriguing in itself. Charles is a black man who lives in his house, which has been in his family for generations. Fired from his banking job for embezzlement, he is starting to run out of funds. He has some African masks that are worth a lot of money, but it would take years for those to sell and he needs funds now.Anniston Bennet, a rich white man, shows up on Charles' doorstep with a proposition- boatloads of cash if Charles would allow him to live in his basement for a few months.Charles will eventually take the deal (spoiler, but it is in the title) and as the man moves in, he realizes Anniston's furniture is a cage in which Anniston will live and Charles is to be his jailer/warden. The big question is why. That is the joy of the book.I am going to resist spoilers since the conversations between the two men are what build this book, but the book isn't just their conversations, in fact, they have only a few conversations. The book is about who Charles is and how did he get to the place he is in, what his relationships are like, and why does he just sort of coast through life.When I was discussing this book with my father, his initial question was- is it about race? My answer was, race has something to do with it, but it isn't front and center. This is a book about relationships and how one lives a life with elements of race thrown in. Race cannot be ignored, Charles is poor and black, while Anniston is rich and white, but to boil it to a race book would be cheating the fuller thrust of the book.I had not read a Mosley book before and after reading this one, I am ready for more of his. This is simply a great book, but I will warn you, Charles is a womanizer and there is lots of sex in this book. I was actually a bit surprised by how much, but it has to do with Charles' character.I gave this one 4 stars, leaning on 4.5 stars. I have not stopped thinking about this book since reading it.

I hadn't heard of Walter Mosley. I stumbled upon this book after reading an article about Samuel L. Jackson portraying Ptolemy Grey, i couldn't resist the title of this book " The Man in my basement " sounded very intriguing. And it was.It is a compelling story. Written in first person made it all the more exciting. I couldn't put it down, although I had occasionally do so.It's a must read about 2 men tormented by their own demons. Successes, failures, justifications for their actions the reader gets to decide whether or not they were indeed successful, failures, good or evil.I truly enjoyed Walter Mosley's work. Looking forward to reading more.

Not really my sort of book

Very good...arrived on time.

I really enjoyed this book.

Ah Walter Mosley ! Pour moi qui n'aime généralement pas les polars, et ne goûte pas plus la littérature américaine qu'une autre, Mosley est une sorte de fétiche, un contre-exemple parfait qui semble désigner pour me faire renoncer à mes clichés ou me faire entrer avec délice dans la littérature américaine contemporaine de plein pied.J'ai déjà, notamment à propos de "Devil in a blue dress" ou plus encore de "Little Scarlett", dit tout le bien que je pense de Walter Mosley. C'est donc pour moi un réel plaisir que de le voir sortir de son pré carré qu'est le roman policier pour se concentrer sur une narration moins codée."The man in my basement", c'est donc Mosley dans un exercice plus littéraire qui, sous la forme d'un récit à la première personne, raconte l'histoire d'un homme vivant dans le Connecticut qui voit un jour et par le plus grand des hasards un autre homme, qu'il ne connait pas, sonner à sa porte pour lui demander de l'incarcérer dans son sous-sol. Point de départ étrange, absurde au sens de cet absurde inquiétant que dépeint Kafka, qui dans la suite du récit va révéler combien Mosley sait aussi, au moyen d'une parabole étrange et décalée, sonder la psyché humaine comme seuls les grands écrivains y parviennent.J'y ai plongé les yeux fermés, poussé par la critique d'un Américain sur laquelle j'étais tombée, et persuadé qu'il excellerait au dehors du cadre du roman policier comme il excelle au dedans. C'est au final mieux que cela, mais sans réelle surprise, puisqu'on savait déjà que Mosley est un très grand écrivain.