Needless to say, I don't give 2 stars to many books that keep my attention throughout the whole day, but when a character just doesn't seem 'right', it really gets to me.

I started this book this morning and finished it a little while ago. Personal note: This was one of the best books I have read in a very long time. If you have the courage and stomach to attack these questions, read this book. Overall, Mosley gets you to look and think about the world through a prism rarely glanced through. Sometimes he succeeds sometimes he leaves the answers vague and expects you, as the reader, to answer the questions yourself. Walter Mosley tries to answer these questions with this novel. If a person stumbled upon your doorstep and offered you an immense amount of money to imprison them, without giving you a clue as to why they want to be imprisoned in your basement, could you do it? And if you could, why? If you are the type of person that can withstand the allure of money, how would you react to this proposition?Īnd if you did take the person up on their offer, could you remain the same person you think you are as their story unfolds through conversations and deep self-introspection? That is the question you have to ask yourself before reading this book. If your power were to be unleashed upon humankind today, would it be good or evil? For others, the power is more closely attuned to charity or love. In each of us there is a dormant power waiting to be released. I'd like to think that our friends never really leave us, especially when we have good books to remember them by. 'The Man in my Basement' is my favorite because it is so thoughtful and well-written, and it reminds me of the good conversations I had with my friend. Walter Mosley was Don's favorite writer, and because of his enthusiasm, I've read several of Mosley's books. It was an unexpected heart attack, despite the fact that he was a runner and was in great shape. I was reminded of this book because Don died last week.

The novel is only 192 pages, but it's very powerful. I was totally absorbed in the book and loved the discussions about guilt, punishment and redemption. Blakey is confused by the man's actions, and after some philosophical discussions, learns that Bennet is trying to atone for something. Bennet builds a cage in the basement, and eventually locks himself inside it.

The story begins with a strange request: a wealthy white man named Bennet asks to rent out the basement of the home of Charles Blakey, who is black. My friend Don gave me this book to read several years ago, and it still affects me when I think about it.

Walter mosley's the man in my basement