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The Last Block In Harlem
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Book Description: All fire escapes lead back to the same block in Sugar Hill, Harlem- where kids run through hydrants and music blares from stereos plugged into lampposts. When a new resident (the story's unnamed narrator) notices the trash polluting the picturesque streets and tainting the block's beauty, he is spurred to action. However, his best intentions go awry when the clean-up brings media coverage that in turn, sets off a rash of evictions and ushers in an influx of new and affluent tenants. In an attempt to preserve his neighborhood, the tenant mobilizes a grassroots effort to improve the neighborhood from the inside out.
Realizing he has yet again polluted his reality with unintended consequences, his fight to clean up the block evolves into a quest to cleanse his soul. The choices he makes cannot change the past and the secrets that haunt him, but will alter the future for himself, his family...and the last block in Harlem.
Reviews
New Yorkers are raving about The Last Block in Harlem. Here’s what they have to say:
"Christopher Herz's amazing perspective and voice enthralls you and sucks you in ... The book is a fascinating read that contains depth and soul on every page." - Naibe R., Journalist
“I felt like I was living on the block myself. I could not put the book down.” - Terri M., Teacher
“A modern fairy tale about love, redemption, hope and the darker things that inhabit the flip side of those coins.” - Dave D., Record Producer
“I didn't put it down until my body reminded me of my basic human need to eat and sleep.” - Mustafa E., Emcee
“The way that I define myself has forever changed.“ - Mellissa G., Recruiter
“Plot twists that leave you questioning why no one else has ever thought of this before.” - Jason H., Project Manager
“Herz has a knack for keeping the reader interested in a way that not many writers can.” - Sarah E., High School Student
"A beautifully written book that captures Harlem and its people." - Janet R., Entrepreneur
A Visit to St. Nicholas Place
Click to see larger images 
Realizing he has yet again polluted his reality with unintended consequences, his fight to clean up the block evolves into a quest to cleanse his soul. The choices he makes cannot change the past and the secrets that haunt him, but will alter the future for himself, his family...and the last block in Harlem.
Reviews
New Yorkers are raving about The Last Block in Harlem. Here’s what they have to say:
"Christopher Herz's amazing perspective and voice enthralls you and sucks you in ... The book is a fascinating read that contains depth and soul on every page." - Naibe R., Journalist
“I felt like I was living on the block myself. I could not put the book down.” - Terri M., Teacher
“A modern fairy tale about love, redemption, hope and the darker things that inhabit the flip side of those coins.” - Dave D., Record Producer
“I didn't put it down until my body reminded me of my basic human need to eat and sleep.” - Mustafa E., Emcee
“The way that I define myself has forever changed.“ - Mellissa G., Recruiter
“Plot twists that leave you questioning why no one else has ever thought of this before.” - Jason H., Project Manager
“Herz has a knack for keeping the reader interested in a way that not many writers can.” - Sarah E., High School Student
"A beautifully written book that captures Harlem and its people." - Janet R., Entrepreneur
A Visit to St. Nicholas Place
Click to see larger images
Product Description
All fire escapes lead back to the same block in Sugar Hill, Harlem- where kids run through hydrants and music blares from stereos plugged into lampposts. When a new resident (the story's unnamed narrator) notices the trash polluting the picturesque streets and tainting the block's beauty, he is spurred to action. However, his best intentions go awry when the clean-up brings media coverage that in turn, sets off a rash of evictions and ushers in an influx of new and affluent tenants. In an attempt to preserve his neighborhood, the tenant mobilizes a grassroots effort to improve the neighborhood from the inside out. Realizing he has yet again polluted his reality with unintended consequences, his fight to clean up the block evolves into a quest to cleanse his soul. The choices he makes cannot change the past and the secrets that haunt him, but will alter the future for himself, his family...and the last block in Harlem.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This is the story of a man's attempt to find himself through the lives of others, whilst dropping out of normal society and all that is expected of him. There is a gap in the world for people to do this, and this book explores that wonderfully. The tone and pacing of this book is beautiful, I want to write to the author and ask him his secret! The narrator is very introverted and we are passers-by on his street and all that he sees around him but you can definitely feel and smell and hear everything that is going on. It's an amazing book, very rich and colourful, but muted and subdued at the same time, completely underplayed. Hats off to the author.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was recommended to me by the author when I asked for suggested books to read on Twitter. After a few messages to and fro I bought it.
I found it an intriguing thought provoking story following the spiralling decline of the narrator. I loved the eclectic life stories from the characters that live in the block, a clever way of drawing the various characters into the story. Take a look around your own neighbourhood and you will find an equally diverse collection of people only too willing to share their stories given half a chance. Referring to the characters through their trade or appearance rather than name captured, for me, the lack of community spirit all around us because people are too busy with their lives to really get to know their neighbours.
While you never really know who the narrator of the story is, he is interesting in his naivety. He rarely seems to think fully about the consequences of his actions, forgetting the basic principle of `for every action there is a reaction'. His gullibility sees him blunder along from one consequence to another. His character seems to change becoming what he detests most and is trying to change within his community. I found myself thinking `don't be so stupid, haven't you learned anything yet?' as he moved from one foe par to the next. I was expecting more from the `fightback' and would like to have seen this developed more in the storyline.
I wasn't expecting the gruesome ending but found the irony in his home and life becoming what he had been trying to remove from the neighbourhood and the turnaround of the community having to save him instead.
While this is not my normal type of book I enjoyed the change of genre.
I found it an intriguing thought provoking story following the spiralling decline of the narrator. I loved the eclectic life stories from the characters that live in the block, a clever way of drawing the various characters into the story. Take a look around your own neighbourhood and you will find an equally diverse collection of people only too willing to share their stories given half a chance. Referring to the characters through their trade or appearance rather than name captured, for me, the lack of community spirit all around us because people are too busy with their lives to really get to know their neighbours.
While you never really know who the narrator of the story is, he is interesting in his naivety. He rarely seems to think fully about the consequences of his actions, forgetting the basic principle of `for every action there is a reaction'. His gullibility sees him blunder along from one consequence to another. His character seems to change becoming what he detests most and is trying to change within his community. I found myself thinking `don't be so stupid, haven't you learned anything yet?' as he moved from one foe par to the next. I was expecting more from the `fightback' and would like to have seen this developed more in the storyline.
I wasn't expecting the gruesome ending but found the irony in his home and life becoming what he had been trying to remove from the neighbourhood and the turnaround of the community having to save him instead.
While this is not my normal type of book I enjoyed the change of genre.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This is a difficult book to categorise; it is realist in tone and language but the plot twists into the realm of fantasy towards the end, obliging the reader to accept a rather contrived and somewhat gimmicky device to round the story off. I`m not convinced that every reader would accept this sudden shock, which is more at home within Hollywood scripting than quality literature, but that is for the reader to decide.
That caveat aside, this is an absorbing and thought provoking novel which will stay with you long after you have read it; as a good piece of literary art, it raises far more questions about the issues it deals with than it answers; the cynicism of corporate America which the narrator rejects, the self-serving nature of politicians, the process of change within an urban community - these are universal issues which any city-dweller can identify with - it could be anywhere in the world, but to his credit Herz makes Harlem something iconic in the mind of the reader. It did for me, anyway, and I will be thinking of them for some time to come.
As an incomer, the un-named hero has a fixed perception of the community he joins, little realising that the events he triggers by his well-meaning actions jeopardises and ultimately kills the things he loves. As a tale of one individual setting out to change his own life by bettering his surroundings and by gaining the acceptance of the people around him, Herz presents us with a collage of characters, some with a brief and often poignant story to add to the overall picture - an interesting and enriching concept within the narrative. This hero makes mistakes, has small victories, is taken in by the promise of real change and has to compromise - he is, in the end, only human which I think, resonates all the more with the reader.
This is a book I would certainly recommend despite my opening reservations; it is thoughtful, insightful, quite moving and impressive as a first novel. Reading it won`t hurt you.
That caveat aside, this is an absorbing and thought provoking novel which will stay with you long after you have read it; as a good piece of literary art, it raises far more questions about the issues it deals with than it answers; the cynicism of corporate America which the narrator rejects, the self-serving nature of politicians, the process of change within an urban community - these are universal issues which any city-dweller can identify with - it could be anywhere in the world, but to his credit Herz makes Harlem something iconic in the mind of the reader. It did for me, anyway, and I will be thinking of them for some time to come.
As an incomer, the un-named hero has a fixed perception of the community he joins, little realising that the events he triggers by his well-meaning actions jeopardises and ultimately kills the things he loves. As a tale of one individual setting out to change his own life by bettering his surroundings and by gaining the acceptance of the people around him, Herz presents us with a collage of characters, some with a brief and often poignant story to add to the overall picture - an interesting and enriching concept within the narrative. This hero makes mistakes, has small victories, is taken in by the promise of real change and has to compromise - he is, in the end, only human which I think, resonates all the more with the reader.
This is a book I would certainly recommend despite my opening reservations; it is thoughtful, insightful, quite moving and impressive as a first novel. Reading it won`t hurt you.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The last block in harlem
This wonderful little book is a colourful and engrossing little novel, at times you feel as though you are stood on the streets of Harlem, watching the lives of others, the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Fiona Massey
Very good and certainly makes you think
Not my usual kind of book but really enjoyed this. It certainly makes you think about the consequences of your actions! A very good first novel and one that i would recommend.
Published 7 months ago by AndyS
The Last Block In Harlem
I came across The Last Block In Harlem by, for me, a rather unconventional way. I sent a tweet out to my followers asking them to recommend a book for me to read. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Ryan
the last block in harlem
Just like newydd105, I read this book because the author recommended it to me on Twitter. I feel slightly unoriginal now though, I thought I was special. Read more
Published 12 months ago by jessbishop1
Not a book you'd want to read
The Last Block in Harlem is well intentioned but has shortcomings.
The concept of giving voice and personality to a small part of Harlem was laudable. Read more
The concept of giving voice and personality to a small part of Harlem was laudable. Read more
Published 14 months ago by MisterHobgoblin
Interesting idea, but incredibly frustrating
A man leaves his job as an advertising copywriter and sets about cleaning up his neighbourhood in Harlem. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Victor Ward
Such a great start
The opening of this novel is great. The writing is strong and you feel as if you are going to read something special. Read more
Published 14 months ago by lovemurakami
Interesting but the dialogue didn't convince me
I have mixed feelings about this interesting book. The unnamed narrator is searching for the community spirit in the Harlem block where he lives - looking for meaning to his life. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Ripple
Fantastic, warm and smart...
This is a rare treat. A lovely, warm yet stylish and smart novel; something for the head and the heart. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mr. Steve Jansen
The story of one angel based in Harlem
If you want a sneak preview into the less known world of New York (NY), then look no further. This book has generated an interest of one character, who engages with different... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Acquiesce Ocean
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