Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead

This book is set in a world much like ours, except, perhaps, that elevators loom larger than life in its mythology. While it first seems almost enchantingly quirky, we gradually discover that what's at stake is not just a guild election or a disagreement between two methods of elevator inspection (Empiricists look at the parts of an elevator to see problems whereas Intuitionists ride and meditate and know)--instead it's all about race and society but also about the roles of corporations in our government and social life. As Lila Mae Watson, the first black, female elevator inspector discovers, the question of passing becomes very important, not just to her ability to do what's seen as a white job, but to the theoretically underpinnings of elevator inspection itself. I found the book thought-provoking and beautifully written. It's definitely much better and more interesting than Sag Harbor or Zone One.

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