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The Last Block in Harlem Audiobook
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(3.02) - 178 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
On the last block in Harlem, stereos are plugged into lampposts and kids still run through water blasting from fire hydrants. Occupying one of the fire escapes above it all, a young couple attempts to start their life over. However, they find the echoes of their past choices hard to ignore, and are soon caught between the "progress" of the new housing developments and the comfort that exists in nostalgia.
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"A well-written and engaging story. Couldn't put it down. I like novels that make you think about how people interract with each other and the effect they have on the world around them. We all want to make a difference. We'd like the world to be a little more perfect - the way we think it should be. Christopher Herz does an excellent job of portraying the life of a very self-focused man who wants to do just that. But, sometimes, when we try to solve other people's problems, we make more problems for them and ourselves."
— Linda (5 out of 5 stars)
The Last Block in Harlem Listener Reviews
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" It was just OK...there was room to make it more interesting--but it never played out. "
— Amie, 2/13/2014 -
" A young man and his wife return to his roots, a block in Harlem where he writes and she goes to work as an architect. Yuppies, not in their own mind. When he sees the neighborhood is "trashy" he goes to work, sweeping it up. But his good intentions get caught up with ambitions to change Harlem to an area of affluency and he becomes a part of it -- for a while. Once he and the people on the block realize what's happening, they try to turn things around with one unintended result - the accidental death of his wife. His despair and what happens to him and his neighbors is the "suspense" part of the book -- totally unexpected ending. Great characters and I really got involved in what happens to the last block in harlem, rooting that it survives its roots. "
— Jeri, 2/12/2014 -
" Liked it. Didn't love it. But it's always cool to read things about your own neighborhood regardless of the differing ideologies that the author and I have. "
— Holly, 2/7/2014 -
" EXCELLENT MESSAGE! "
— Lori, 2/6/2014 -
" Um,some brief great writing and thoughts about cleaning up a block in Harlem, NYC. The story was lacked direction, always vering off somewhere usually not that interesting. Ending was bizarre. Ok, but could not recommend this book to anyone. "
— Jason, 1/26/2014 -
" Reminiscent of Adam Langer's Ellington Boulevard, one of my favorite books of last year, The Last Block in Harlem concerns the continuing inevitable gentrification of New York. Whereas the former book made a character out of the building in question, this novel casts a wider net employing the block itself. There is a central story of love and pathos and loss and misplaced choices, but is well written and compelling. "
— Kasa, 1/24/2014 -
" What would you do if you felt like your job wasn't making a difference? That the words you poured out of yourself were a lie? One man's journey in Harlem and how he picked up a broom and found stories in his neighborhood while trying to find himself. "
— Jennifer, 1/18/2014 -
" Just plain weird...I don't recommend it and I'm a little nervous about my upcoming book club whe the author is sky ping in with us...not sure what to say to him. "
— Melissa, 1/16/2014 -
" I loved the first half, wonderful writing. In the second half, it became so plot-driven that the writing was sacrificed. "
— Hadley, 1/13/2014 -
" Touching and believable story with a morbid ending. "
— Lillya, 1/6/2014 -
" I think I was way too shallow for this book "
— Gail, 12/28/2013 -
" When I first began reading this book, I was under the impression it was a memoir. I was mistaken. It is fictional story that seemed plotless to me, for the most part, and the ending was downright strange. Maybe I missed something. "
— Julie, 12/20/2013 -
" Great short book, reminded me of One Hundred Years of Solitude. Does a good job mixing the real and the surreal. Not the best written book I've ever read, but very engaging. "
— Karen, 12/16/2013 -
" Not very impressed with this book. It's what I consider a short book, but it took forever to read (almost two weeks)! Not what I expected. "
— Velda, 12/5/2013 -
" This book was just...odd. I don't know. It told a story but it was so all over the place. I didn't really care for the main character. I really just didn't get his point and the ending was just bizarre. "
— Alexis, 11/18/2013 -
" weird but good book. I enjoyed reading it. "
— Kathryn, 9/12/2013 -
" I really believed in the main character even as he was making major mistakes. I didn't enjoy the book because I was so disappointed in the main character. "
— BeatrÃz, 6/24/2013 -
" Can one man make a difference? "
— Andrew, 3/29/2013 -
" Good Idea and Start. The end completely ruined it for me. "
— Kara, 2/28/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. The message was one that will truly make you think about what have you done with your life to make a difference. The characters we easily identifiable. This is one of those hard to put down books so it was easily finished in just a day and half by me "
— Michelle, 1/29/2013 -
" I tried to get into this book, I really did. But I never liked the narrator, thought many parts of the narration were forced or fake, and completely HATED the ending. I was just disappointed all around. I feel like the concept of the story was good, but it wasn't handled in the best way possible. "
— Kate, 1/3/2013 -
" I was hopeful. But the action was so ambiguous and confusing in the way it was presented that I would stop and be like--did that just happen? And the ending ... Forget it. "
— Sara, 12/13/2012 -
" I loved this book! Made me cry. "
— Kj, 11/5/2012 -
" i just love all things new york... "
— Theresa, 10/12/2012
About Christopher Herz
Christopher Herz went after his dream of writing novels after working in the New York advertising world and seeing the possibilities social media and the digital revolution held for writers. He took to selling copies of his first book, The Last Block in Harlem, on the streets of New York. His unorthodox efforts and fresh contemporary prose garnered the attention of media outlets everywhere, earning him an early spot on the AmazonEncore roster. AmazonEncore then republished the book to critical acclaim, and Herz’s novel Pharmacology was released a year later. He is a graduate of the San Francisco State University creative writing program and a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, where he writes extensively on art and culture. Born in New York City, Herz grew up in California.
About Peter Berkrot
Peter Berkrot, winner of Audie and Earphones Awards for narration, is a stage, screen, and television actor and acting coach. He has narrated over 450 works that span a range of genres, including fiction, nonfiction, thriller, and children’s titles. His audiobook credits include works of Alan Glynn, Eric Van Lustbader, Nora Roberts and Dean Koontz. In film and television, he appeared in Caddyshack, America’s Most Wanted, and Unsolved Mysteries. He performs in regional and New York theaters and directs the New Voices acting school.