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Title: Great writing, great ideas--but what happened to Chaym?
Review: A provocative novel from a wonderful writer set around a fascinating character--MLK. Johnson does well both in making Martin seem very real, yet in not "overusing" him--the real protagonists are three "Movement" members who move in his orbit and are themselves complex, interesting characters. Lots of food for thought here, including musings on the (sinful) nature of humanity, repeatedly amplified by the mythic story of Cain and Abel, which Johnson uses on several levels. The best part of this book is Johnson's thoughtful condemnation of extreme (intolerant) ideology, as exhibited by separatists black and white. The one flaw, in my view, was Johnson's failure to follow through on the use of MLK's double, Chaym. As the plot nears its climax Chaym is co-opted by the FBI, which intends to use him to discredit MLK--but then Chaym simply disappears from the story. Still, a very worthwhile book.
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