The Man in My Basement Audiobook By Walter Mosley cover art

The Man in My Basement

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime
Try for $0.00
More purchase options

The Man in My Basement

By: Walter Mosley
Narrated by: Ernie Hudson
Try for $0.00

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.09

Buy for $17.09

Hailed as a masterpiece—the finest work yet by an American novelist of the first rank—this is the mysterious story of a young black man who agrees to an unusual bargain to save the home that has belonged to his family for generations.

The man at Charles Blakey's door has a proposition almost too strange for words. The stranger offers him $50,000 in cash to spend the summer in Charles's basement, and Charles cannot even begin to guess why. The beautiful house has been in the Blakey family for generations, but Charles has just lost his job and is behind on his mortgage payments. The money would be welcome. But Charles Blakey is black and Anniston Bennet is white, and it is clear that the stranger wants more than a basement view.

There is something deeper and darker about his request, and Charles does not need any more trouble. But financial necessity leaves him no choice. Once Anniston Bennet is installed in his basement, Charles is cast into a role he never dreamed of. Anniston has some very particular requests for his landlord, and try as he might, Charles cannot avoid being lured into Bennet's strange world. At first he resists, but soon he is tempted—tempted to understand a set of codes that has always eluded him, tempted by the opportunity to understand the secret ways of white folks.

Charles's summer with a man in his basement turns into an exploration of inconceivable worlds of power and manipulation, and unimagined realms of humanity. Walter Mosley pierces long-hidden veins of justice and morality with startling insight into the deepest mysteries of human nature. African American Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Suspense Fiction Thriller & Suspense Money Mystery
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c

Critic reviews

"Will hold readers rapt; it is Mosley's most philosophical novel to date."—Publishers Weekly
"A provocative, page-turning story that constitutes nothing less than a masterpiece."—Bookmarks Magazine
"This is fine, provocative writing from the prolific Mosley, whose gifts extend well beyond his excellent mysteries."—Booklist
Unusual Storyline • Thought-provoking Themes • Excellent Narration • Suspenseful Plot • Interesting Concept

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant
A strong read about Right and Wrong, and most importantly dealing with the ever lingering consequences!

Wrong and Right

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If given the same opportunity as Charles to eliminate debt how many would jump at the chance? Many might step forward if only to give one a taste of being able to be superior over another. Well written story about self reflection, isolation and growth.

Thought Provoking

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you listen to The Man in My Basement again? Why?

This was a book I may have never picked to read. However, my book club decided to read it and I am glad we did. Interesting with many messages.

Unexpected read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The concept, the prose and the reading are excellent.

Good stuff

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I enjoyed this even if I didn’t fully get it. The premise is strange but the story keeps you involved and the whole time you’re wondering what will happen next.

This was weird but interesting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews