The Book of NumbersIn the hardboiled tradition of Chester Himes and Walter Mosely, Robert Deane Pharr's novel tells the tale of two black men, Dave and Blueboy, traveling waiters who establish themselves as numbers runners in a fictionalized Richmond of the 1930s. Published to great acclaim in 1969, The Book of Numbers centers on powerful themes of truth and illusion, myth and legend, and vividly conveys a sense of African American life on the periphery of white society. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
ain't anyhow asked Babylon bank bastard beautiful Billy Bowlegs Blip Block Blue Monday Blueboy's Booker's Campus Cokey Cokey's colored cops countinghouse crazy Dabe damn Dave and Blueboy Dave Greene Dave's Delilah Doc White dollars door drink drunk Eggy eyes face Flick fool Geechie Georgia Brown girl goddam gonna gotta grinned guess Gullah hand hate heard hell Jonesville Kelly Simms Kelly's kitchen Kootchie laughed Lawyer Greene Leon White Lil Savoy Lila Lila's look lover Makepeace mebbe mind Negro never nigger night numbers banker Okay outa pickups Pigmeat play pretty Professor Blake Randy rotgut skayd smiled Square Table stared stop sure talk tell Thass thing told tole took town trying voice wait waiter walked Ward What's whiskey white folks woman wondered Yass Yeah