Himes, Chester B. 1909-1984
Overview
| Works: | 548 works in 2,084 publications in 16 languages and 44,983 library holdings |
|---|---|
| Genres: | Fiction Detective and mystery fiction Psychological fiction Autobiographical fiction Criticism, interpretation, etc Fantasy fiction Biography Noir fiction Literature Biographies |
| Roles: | Author, 070, Bibliographic antecedent, Creator, Honoree, Translator |
| Classifications: | PS3515.I713, 813.54 |
Publication Timeline
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Most widely held works about
Chester B Himes
- The several lives of Chester Himes by Edward Margolies( )
- Native sons : a critical study of twentieth-century Negro American authors by Edward Margolies( Book )
- Dear Chester, Dear John : letters between Chester Himes and John A. Williams by Chester B Himes( )
- From the dark tower : Afro-American writers (1900 to 1960) by Arthur Paul Davis( Book )
- The Afro-American novel and its tradition by Bernard W Bell( Book )
- At home in diaspora : Black international writing by Wendy W Walters( )
- From Harlem to Paris : Black American writers in France, 1840-1980 by Michel Fabre( Book )
- Chester Himes : a life by James Sallis( Book )
- The noir Atlantic : Chester Himes and the birth of the francophone African crime novel by Pim Higginson( )
- The victim as criminal and artist : literature from the American prison by H. Bruce Franklin( Book )
- 'Bitter with the past but sweet with the dream : communism in the African American imaginary : representations of the Communist Party, 1940-1952 by Cathy Bergin( )
- Chester Himes by Gilbert H Muller( Book )
- Pimping fictions : African American crime literature and the untold story of Black pulp publishing by Justin Gifford( )
- Chester Himes by James Lundquist( Book )
- Chester B. Himes : a biography by Lawrence Patrick Jackson( Book )
- Chester Himes : a critical appraisal by Stephen F Milliken( Book )
- Which way did he go? : the private eye in Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Chester Himes, and Ross Macdonald by Edward Margolies( Book )
- The autobiography of Chester Himes by Chester B Himes( Book )
- The quality of hurt : the autobiography of Chester Himes by Chester B Himes( Book )
- Chester Himes by M. L Wilson( Book )
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Most widely held works by
Chester B Himes
If he hollers let him go : a novel by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
101 editions published between 1945 and 2016 in 6 languages and held by 1,844 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
In a four day period, Bob Jones, a young black man working in the Los Angelos during World War II, loses his job, his girl, and his army deferment and is falsely accused of raping a white woman
101 editions published between 1945 and 2016 in 6 languages and held by 1,844 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
In a four day period, Bob Jones, a young black man working in the Los Angelos during World War II, loses his job, his girl, and his army deferment and is falsely accused of raping a white woman
Cotton comes to Harlem by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
70 editions published between 1964 and 2011 in 10 languages and held by 1,473 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Black flim-flam man Deke O'Hara is no sooner out of Atlanta's state penitentiary than he's back on the streets working the scam of a lifetime. As sponsor of the Back-to-Africa movement he's counting on the big Harlem rally to produce a big collection for his own private charity."--Page 4 of cover
70 editions published between 1964 and 2011 in 10 languages and held by 1,473 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Black flim-flam man Deke O'Hara is no sooner out of Atlanta's state penitentiary than he's back on the streets working the scam of a lifetime. As sponsor of the Back-to-Africa movement he's counting on the big Harlem rally to produce a big collection for his own private charity."--Page 4 of cover
The collected stories of Chester Himes by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
33 editions published between 1990 and 2007 in English and Undetermined and held by 1,203 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Spanning over forty years of Chester Himes' writing career, this provocative collection of short stories uncovers the internal struggles of black individuals caught between rage and resignation in American society. From the earliest stories, written at the time of Himes' term in prison for jewelry theft, to those written at his emigration to France and later to Spain, where he died in 1984, these tales resound with both wit and indignation. This collection includes all of Himes' surviving stories--including some never published before
33 editions published between 1990 and 2007 in English and Undetermined and held by 1,203 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Spanning over forty years of Chester Himes' writing career, this provocative collection of short stories uncovers the internal struggles of black individuals caught between rage and resignation in American society. From the earliest stories, written at the time of Himes' term in prison for jewelry theft, to those written at his emigration to France and later to Spain, where he died in 1984, these tales resound with both wit and indignation. This collection includes all of Himes' surviving stories--including some never published before
The third generation : a novel by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
67 editions published between 1954 and 2004 in 5 languages and held by 1,038 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Un témoignage naturaliste (dans le style de Zola) sur la difficulté qu'ont les Noirs de franchir la "ligne de couleur" dans la société américaine. Ce roman a été écrit en 1954
67 editions published between 1954 and 2004 in 5 languages and held by 1,038 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Un témoignage naturaliste (dans le style de Zola) sur la difficulté qu'ont les Noirs de franchir la "ligne de couleur" dans la société américaine. Ce roman a été écrit en 1954
Lonely crusade : a novel by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
53 editions published between 1947 and 1997 in 4 languages and held by 977 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Originally published in 1947, Lonely Crusade is a rich and complex novel of ideas and of harsh truths that attacks the preconceptions of both liberals and conservatives, black and white. The plot centres around the efforts of college-educated Lee Gordon to unionise the small black workforce at an aircraft factory during World War II. In the course of events, he discovers that he is being used and manipulated by white union officials, the Communists, white women and by his bosses. Racism may lie at the heart of their actions, but Lee himself is not without sin. Despite his intelligence, sensitivity and self-awareness , he is deeply scarred by society and Himes relates Lee's raddled psychology with stunning intensity." --Back cover
53 editions published between 1947 and 1997 in 4 languages and held by 977 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Originally published in 1947, Lonely Crusade is a rich and complex novel of ideas and of harsh truths that attacks the preconceptions of both liberals and conservatives, black and white. The plot centres around the efforts of college-educated Lee Gordon to unionise the small black workforce at an aircraft factory during World War II. In the course of events, he discovers that he is being used and manipulated by white union officials, the Communists, white women and by his bosses. Racism may lie at the heart of their actions, but Lee himself is not without sin. Despite his intelligence, sensitivity and self-awareness , he is deeply scarred by society and Himes relates Lee's raddled psychology with stunning intensity." --Back cover
Yesterday will make you cry by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
18 editions published between 1997 and 2002 in 3 languages and held by 968 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Prison life in the 1930s featuring a white man incarcerated for robbery. The novel is based on the experience of its black author and deals with violence and male love. This edition is the unpublished original, a sanitized version having been published in 1953 under the title, Cast the First Stone
18 editions published between 1997 and 2002 in 3 languages and held by 968 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Prison life in the 1930s featuring a white man incarcerated for robbery. The novel is based on the experience of its black author and deals with violence and male love. This edition is the unpublished original, a sanitized version having been published in 1953 under the title, Cast the First Stone
The heat's on by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
48 editions published between 1961 and 2011 in 10 languages and held by 943 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"From the start, nothing goes right for Coffin Ed and Grave Digger Jones. They are disciplined for use of excessive force. Grave Digger is shot and his death announced in a hoax radio bulletin. Bodies pile up faster than Coffin Ed and Grave Digger Jones can run."--From back cover
48 editions published between 1961 and 2011 in 10 languages and held by 943 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"From the start, nothing goes right for Coffin Ed and Grave Digger Jones. They are disciplined for use of excessive force. Grave Digger is shot and his death announced in a hoax radio bulletin. Bodies pile up faster than Coffin Ed and Grave Digger Jones can run."--From back cover
Pinktoes : a novel by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
71 editions published between 1961 and 1998 in 6 languages and held by 938 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Pinktoes," Chester Himes said, "is a term of indulgent affection applied to white women by Negro men, and sometimes conversely by Negro women to white men, but never adversely by either." In this rowdy work of fiction that debunks self-satisfied do-gooders, Himes satirizes social missionaries who preach uplift and promote specious causes. With Rabelaisian zest he portrays Mamie Mason, Harlem's most influential society matron, hosting desegregated sexual orgies, all for the advancement of harmony between the races. Just as eager as Mamie to bask in the favorable light of social justice are liberal whites who wish to be seen amid the "right people." Printed in Paris in 1962 because it was perhaps too confrontational for U.S. publishers, this sex farce is regarded as Himes's most daring work of fiction
71 editions published between 1961 and 1998 in 6 languages and held by 938 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Pinktoes," Chester Himes said, "is a term of indulgent affection applied to white women by Negro men, and sometimes conversely by Negro women to white men, but never adversely by either." In this rowdy work of fiction that debunks self-satisfied do-gooders, Himes satirizes social missionaries who preach uplift and promote specious causes. With Rabelaisian zest he portrays Mamie Mason, Harlem's most influential society matron, hosting desegregated sexual orgies, all for the advancement of harmony between the races. Just as eager as Mamie to bask in the favorable light of social justice are liberal whites who wish to be seen amid the "right people." Printed in Paris in 1962 because it was perhaps too confrontational for U.S. publishers, this sex farce is regarded as Himes's most daring work of fiction
A rage in Harlem by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
47 editions published between 1957 and 2013 in 5 languages and held by 908 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Jackson loses his life savings to a con man, now his twin brother Goldy, who disguises himself as a nun, must help him get it back
47 editions published between 1957 and 2013 in 5 languages and held by 908 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Jackson loses his life savings to a con man, now his twin brother Goldy, who disguises himself as a nun, must help him get it back
The real cool killers by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
42 editions published between 1958 and 2011 in 6 languages and held by 895 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Many people had reasons for killing Galen, a big Greek with too much money and too great a liking for young black girls. But there are complications-- like Sonny, high on hash, found standing over the body with a gun in his hand that fires only blanks; a street gang called the Moslems; a disappearing suspect; and the fact that Coffin Ed's daughter is up to her pretty little neck in the whole explosive business."
42 editions published between 1958 and 2011 in 6 languages and held by 895 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Many people had reasons for killing Galen, a big Greek with too much money and too great a liking for young black girls. But there are complications-- like Sonny, high on hash, found standing over the body with a gun in his hand that fires only blanks; a street gang called the Moslems; a disappearing suspect; and the fact that Coffin Ed's daughter is up to her pretty little neck in the whole explosive business."
Blind man with a pistol by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
31 editions published between 1969 and 2006 in 7 languages and held by 801 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"New York is sweltering in the summer heat, and Harlem is close to the boiling point. To Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, at times it seems as if the whole world has gone mad. Trying, as always, to keep some kind of peace, their legendary nickel-plated Colts very much in evidence, Coffin Ed and Grave Digger find themselves pursuing two completely different cases through a maze of knifings, beatings, and riots that threaten to tear Harlem apart."--Back cover
31 editions published between 1969 and 2006 in 7 languages and held by 801 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"New York is sweltering in the summer heat, and Harlem is close to the boiling point. To Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, at times it seems as if the whole world has gone mad. Trying, as always, to keep some kind of peace, their legendary nickel-plated Colts very much in evidence, Coffin Ed and Grave Digger find themselves pursuing two completely different cases through a maze of knifings, beatings, and riots that threaten to tear Harlem apart."--Back cover
All shot up by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
53 editions published between 1960 and 2011 in 7 languages and held by 777 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
After arriving on the American literary scene with novels of scathing social protest, Chester Himes created a pioneering pair of dangerously charming African American sleuths, Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson, Harlem's toughest detective duo, who must carry the day against an absurdist world of racism and class warfare. --Publisher's description
53 editions published between 1960 and 2011 in 7 languages and held by 777 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
After arriving on the American literary scene with novels of scathing social protest, Chester Himes created a pioneering pair of dangerously charming African American sleuths, Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson, Harlem's toughest detective duo, who must carry the day against an absurdist world of racism and class warfare. --Publisher's description
The big gold dream by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
45 editions published between 1959 and 2015 in 7 languages and held by 740 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Pursuing two apparently unrelated murders, detectives Coffin ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones are led into a squalid Harlem ghetto, where they confront the killer in an explosive showdown
45 editions published between 1959 and 2015 in 7 languages and held by 740 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Pursuing two apparently unrelated murders, detectives Coffin ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones are led into a squalid Harlem ghetto, where they confront the killer in an explosive showdown
Run man run by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
49 editions published between 1959 and 2004 in 7 languages and held by 724 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Walker, one of New York's not very finest, is a drunk, psychotic and viscious policeman. Staggering into a restaurant on a freezing day, he kills two Negro worker because they were there, and pursues a third who witnessed the murders, determined to kill him as well."--Google books
49 editions published between 1959 and 2004 in 7 languages and held by 724 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Walker, one of New York's not very finest, is a drunk, psychotic and viscious policeman. Staggering into a restaurant on a freezing day, he kills two Negro worker because they were there, and pursues a third who witnessed the murders, determined to kill him as well."--Google books
The crazy kill by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
34 editions published between 1959 and 2011 in 4 languages and held by 672 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Outside the apartment where a wake is going on, the manager of the A & P across the street is robbed. Reverend Short, a storefront preacher addicted to opium and brandy, is watching from a bedroom window in the flat. He leans too far and falls out; a bread basket, sitting outside the bakery below, saves him. Back inside, he says he sees a vision of a dead man. Outside, in the very basket Short landed in, lies the body of Valentine Haines. Who murdered Val? It is up to Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson to find out
34 editions published between 1959 and 2011 in 4 languages and held by 672 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Outside the apartment where a wake is going on, the manager of the A & P across the street is robbed. Reverend Short, a storefront preacher addicted to opium and brandy, is watching from a bedroom window in the flat. He leans too far and falls out; a bread basket, sitting outside the bakery below, saves him. Back inside, he says he sees a vision of a dead man. Outside, in the very basket Short landed in, lies the body of Valentine Haines. Who murdered Val? It is up to Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson to find out
Plan B : a novel by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
9 editions published between 1983 and 2000 in 4 languages and held by 645 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Tomsson Black, political visionary, business genius, and underground revolutionary, plots to avenge injustice by instigating racial turmoil. The roots of racism extend far back into his ancestry, and persecution and suffering have affected many generations of his family. Tomsson's own misfortunes are the impetus for him to found a criminal underworld whose ultimate purpose is the overflow of white society. This novel, the history of Tomsson Black and an indictment of racism in America, ends in apocalypse. It is Chester Himes's ultimate statement about the destructive power of racism and his own personal fantasy of how the American Negro, through calculated acts of violence and martyrdom, could destroy the unequal system pervading American life. However, after reaching an ideological impasse, Himes, one of the angriest writers in the black protest movement, left this novel unfinished. After his death in Spain in 1984, a rumor persisted that he had left a final, unfinished Harlem story, in which he literally destroys both his Harlem backdrop and his heroes in a violent racial cataclysm. The manuscript, entitled Plan B, is that novel. It was edited and published in France, where it was widely hailed as an unfinished masterpiece by readers and critics alike. This new edition, appearing for the first time in the United States, includes an introduction by Michel Fabre (The Sorbonne) and Robert E. Skinner (Xavier University), who have prepared Plan B for publication
9 editions published between 1983 and 2000 in 4 languages and held by 645 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Tomsson Black, political visionary, business genius, and underground revolutionary, plots to avenge injustice by instigating racial turmoil. The roots of racism extend far back into his ancestry, and persecution and suffering have affected many generations of his family. Tomsson's own misfortunes are the impetus for him to found a criminal underworld whose ultimate purpose is the overflow of white society. This novel, the history of Tomsson Black and an indictment of racism in America, ends in apocalypse. It is Chester Himes's ultimate statement about the destructive power of racism and his own personal fantasy of how the American Negro, through calculated acts of violence and martyrdom, could destroy the unequal system pervading American life. However, after reaching an ideological impasse, Himes, one of the angriest writers in the black protest movement, left this novel unfinished. After his death in Spain in 1984, a rumor persisted that he had left a final, unfinished Harlem story, in which he literally destroys both his Harlem backdrop and his heroes in a violent racial cataclysm. The manuscript, entitled Plan B, is that novel. It was edited and published in France, where it was widely hailed as an unfinished masterpiece by readers and critics alike. This new edition, appearing for the first time in the United States, includes an introduction by Michel Fabre (The Sorbonne) and Robert E. Skinner (Xavier University), who have prepared Plan B for publication
Cast the first stone; a novel by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
32 editions published between 1952 and 1999 in 3 languages and held by 607 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Roman over een homoseksuele liefde in de gevangenis
32 editions published between 1952 and 1999 in 3 languages and held by 607 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Roman over een homoseksuele liefde in de gevangenis
A case of rape by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
15 editions published between 1963 and 2003 in English and French and held by 542 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Quinze sections qui démontent la forme même de l'enquête judiciaire, depuis la découverte du cadavre jusqu'à la sentence. Un Chester Himes surprenant. Au-delà du cadre policier, un récit classique, en noir et blanc, ou plutôt en demi-teintes
15 editions published between 1963 and 2003 in English and French and held by 542 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Quinze sections qui démontent la forme même de l'enquête judiciaire, depuis la découverte du cadavre jusqu'à la sentence. Un Chester Himes surprenant. Au-delà du cadre policier, un récit classique, en noir et blanc, ou plutôt en demi-teintes
Black on Black; Baby sister and selected writings by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
17 editions published between 1942 and 1995 in 3 languages and held by 480 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
17 editions published between 1942 and 1995 in 3 languages and held by 480 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
The end of a primitive by
Chester B Himes(
Book
)
9 editions published between 1989 and 1997 in English and Spanish and held by 391 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A once-acclaimed black novelist, now on the downward path, meets a white divorcee with a taste for black men. The result is sex, violence and death. The novel is the latest in Norton's Old School Books series, which are reprints of pulp fiction by black authors
9 editions published between 1989 and 1997 in English and Spanish and held by 391 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A once-acclaimed black novelist, now on the downward path, meets a white divorcee with a taste for black men. The result is sex, violence and death. The novel is the latest in Norton's Old School Books series, which are reprints of pulp fiction by black authors
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Related Identities
- Wright, Richard 1908-1960 Author of introduction Honoree
- Ellison, Ralph
- Jones, Grave Digger (Fictitious character)
- Johnson, Coffin Ed (Fictitious character)
- Baldwin, James 1924-1987 Honoree
- Fabre, Michel Other Interviewee Author Editor Author of introduction
- Margolies, Edward Author
- Hughes, Langston 1902-1967
- X, Malcolm 1925-1965
- Larsen, Nella
Useful Links
Associated Subjects
African American authors African American men African American novelists African American police African American police in literature African Americans African Americans in literature African Americans--Intellectual life American fiction--African American authors American literature American literature--African American authors American literature--African influences Baldwin, James, Baraka, Amiri, Bontemps, Arna, Brooks, Gwendolyn, Crime in literature Cullen, Countee, Detective and mystery stories, American Du Bois, W. E. B.--(William Edward Burghardt), Dunbar, Paul Laurence, Ellison, Ralph France--Paris Gaines, Ernest J., Hansberry, Lorraine, Harlem Renaissance Himes, Chester B., Hughes, Langston, Hurston, Zora Neale Intellectual life Johnson, Coffin Ed (Fictitious character) Johnson, James Weldon, Jones, Grave Digger (Fictitious character) Larsen, Nella Literature McKay, Claude, Morrison, Toni New York (State)--New York New York (State)--New York--Harlem Novelists, American Police Prisoners Race relations Racism Toomer, Jean, United States Walker, Alice, Walker, Margaret, Wright, Richard, X, Malcolm,
Covers
Alternative Names
Bomar Himes, Chester 1909-1984
Chester Himes Amerikaans schrijver (1909-1984)
Chester Himes amerikansk författare
Chester Himes amerikansk skribent
Chester Himes écrivain américain
Chester Himes escritor estadounidense
Chester Himes scrittore statunitense
Chester Himes US-amerikanischer Schriftsteller
Himes Chester
Himes, Chester 1909-1984
Himes, Chester B.
Himes, Chester B. 1909-
Himes, Chester B. 1909-1984
Himes Chester Bomar
Himes Chester Bomar 1909-1984
Himes-Clavé 1909-1984
Himes-Clavé, Chester 1909-1984
Хаймз Ч.
Хаймз Честер
Хеймс Ч. 1909-1984
Честер Гаймс американський письменник
Честер Хаймс
چستر هیمز
하임스, 체스터 1909-
チェスター・ハイムズ
ハイムズ, チェスター
Languages