The Walls of Jericho

By Rudolph Fisher

Book Overview

Rudolph Fisher's outstanding debut novel The Walls of Jericho, published in 1928, explores race and class issues during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance through the lens of Black lawyer Fred Merrit, who buys a home in a white neighborhood bordering Harlem. What progresses is a satirical journey through Merrit's life as he encounters the racism of his new white neighbors as well as racism and classism among the residents of Black Harlem. This edition includes four of Fisher's short stories that capture the Black Jazz Age urban experience, initially published in the iconic magazine The Atlantic Monthly: "City of Refuge," "The Promised Land," "Ringtail," and "Blades of Steel."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486851931
• ISBN13: 9780486851938
• Release Date: January 2024
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Great!

The pulse of The Walls of Jericho beats to the music of the characters' intelligence, self-reliance, commitment,and friendship. Although the sting of racism is a central theme, Fisher shines a greater light on the plague of "colorism" and its implications in the African-American culture. Ruldoph Fisher has authored a work that affords me the opportunity to teach high school students a novel that does not weigh its reality on the scales of profanity and promiscuity.What a delight! Finally, to help readers with the melodious dialect and slang used by the ever emerging characters, an index of "possible" unfamilar terms is provided.

Fantastic

There is only one word I can use to describe this and that is fantastic. This book is very well written and contains a good message about peoples personalities. Not only is this book interesting but it is funny as well. If you read any book in the next few months, read this one.