Global InformationThe Emperor of Ocean Park information
 Original 2002 hardback front cover | |
| Author | Stephen L. Carter |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Richard Allen[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Elm Harbor |
| Genre | Thriller, Mystery |
| Publisher | Knopf |
Publication date | June 2, 2002 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 657[2] |
| ISBN | 0224062840 |
| Followed by | New England White |
| Website | The Emperor of Ocean Park |
The Emperor of Ocean Park is a 2002 novel by American author and law professor Stephen L. Carter. It is the first part of Carter's Elm Harbor series; two more novels in the series were published in 2007 and 2008.[3][4] The book was Carter's first work of fiction, and spent 11 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list following its publication. Described as a murder mystery, the novel tells the story of Talcott Garland, a law professor who uncovers a mystery surrounding his father, the titular 'Emperor of Ocean Park'.[5] Written from Tal's first person perspective, the book explores themes of privileged black identity, politics, and law,[6] and contains many allusions to chess.[7]
Because a number of publishing houses were interested in obtaining the rights to the book, Carter received an exceptionally large advance of $4.2 million. The size of the advance, for a debut novel from an African-American writer, contributed to an important shift for African-American literature, with the book marketed and received as a mainstream work of fiction, rather than one aimed at a specialized audience.[8] The novel was well-reviewed by most critics, with attention being drawn to its then-unusual setting for a murder mystery story, featuring an African-American protagonist and with most of the story taking place in wealthy, predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., and Martha's Vineyard.[2] It won the 2003 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and BCALA Literary Award,[9] and was nominated for several more, including the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Fiction and the New Blood Dagger from the Crime Writer's Association.
- ^ "Listen to Emperor of Ocean Park". Audiobooks. July 2003. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
- ^ a b Stein, Lorin (August 8, 2002). "Huffing Along". London Review of Books. 24 (15): 17–18. OCLC 5655695. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
pwnewwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
nytpalacewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Taylor, D. J. (June 1, 2002). "The loner in his labyrinth". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
- ^ McWhorter, John (September 9, 2002). "The Arrangements". The New Republic. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Newsnight Review (transcript)". BBC News. June 6, 2002. Archived from the original on June 17, 2004. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ Ween, Lori (January 2003). "This Is Your Book: Marketing America to Itself". PMLA. 118 (1). Modern Language Association of America: 90–102. doi:10.1632/003081203X59856. ISSN 0030-8129. JSTOR 823202. S2CID 143548466.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
anisfieldwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).