John Ball (1) (1911–1988)

It's hard to compare this book to the eventual film adaptation. But the movie makes clear the problems of the book: it is the promise of a premise.

The idea of an African-American detective solving a mystery in a racist Southern town is cool. But the book leaves too much on the table. Every interaction in the film is brimming with the subtext of discrimination. It also changes the profession of the murder victim--thereby adding a fantastic dash of class consciousness. And lastly, the sexism is more apparent, both in the murder victim's wife and in the abortion subplot. While some of these are evident in the book, it doesn't go as far as it should.

And, as a book it has a few shortcomings. Virgil isn't as strong as he should be, the interracial buddy duo isn't as cool as it could be, and there's one subplot too many. And most of all, the explanation shouldn't end the book. I'd like to see the hero return having changed.

Still, it deserves kudos for the forward thinking of the premise and a general sense of suspense in the mystery. Marginal recommendation.… (més)

Flashback to 1960 and the horrible reality of Jim Crow. The dignity of Mr. Tibbs and the way he handles the slurs and injustice are at the heart of this novel, and Ball makes Tibbs the most intelligent and able character in the book. He goes a little overboard in drawing the distinctions between the Southern characters and Virgil Tibbs, but he has an important point to make and he makes it If you are ever doubting that race relations have made enormous progress in the last 50 years, read this book and feel the knot in your stomach when Mr. Tibbs comes into a diner and is denied a glass of milk. It is difficult to even imagine people actually feeling this way and yet so many did.

It is painful to read this book now but it matters to remember that it was a small book that made a big difference. It exposed us to ourselves, without any place to run and hide. I vaguely remember the furor when Sidney Poitier made Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. People were outraged. It is the outrage that outrages us now. It is easy to carry the image of Mr. Poitier in my head while reading...who else could be Mr. Tibbs?

It has been decades since I saw the movie and reading the book has made me want to see it again. This was an interesting voyage into the past, a place we wax nostalgic for, but in some ways a place we would never want to occupy again.
… (més)

It's probably not a good idea to try to read or listen to a book when you've seen the iconic movie a number of times. I find it hard to give the book a rating after I listened to what was like a radio play with different characters reading each of the parts. The story is timeless, and Ball's writing is visceral and real and a true indication of the times- 1960's in the Carolina's. Jim Crow is foremost in this area at this time, and what happens when a young, black homicide detective from Pasadena arrives in town when a murder has just been discovered is expected for the times. This is where we meet Virgil Tibbs, and it came back to me again how well Sidney Poitier played this part in the movie. I enjoyed hearing the drama all over again and I'm glad I took the time to listen to this classic.… (més)