Drop: A Novel

by Mat Johnson

A passionate and original new voice of the African-American literary tradition. Chris Jones has a gift for creating desire-a result of his own passionate desire to be anywhere but where he is, to be anyone but himself. Sick of the constraints of his black working-class town, he uses his knack for creating effective ad campaigns to land a dream job in London. But life soon takes a turn for the worse, and unexpectedly Chris finds himself back where he started, forced to return to Philadelphia where his only job prospect is answering phones at the electrical company and helping the poor pay their heating and lighting bills. Surrounded by his brethren, the down and out, the indigent, the hopeless, Chris hits bottom. Only a stroke of inspiration and faith can get him back on his feet. The funny and moving tale of a young black man who, in the process of trying to break free from the city he despises, is forced to come to terms with himself.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Contemporary, Literature

218 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2000

About the author

Mat Johnson is an American writer of literary fiction who works in both prose and the comics format. In 2007, he was named the first USA James Baldwin Fellow by United States Artists.

Johnson was born and raised in the Germantown and Mount Airy communities in Philadelphia.

His mother is African American and his father is Irish Catholic. He attended Greene Street Friends School, West Chester University, University of Wales, Swansea, and ultimately received his B.A. from Earlham College. In 1993 he was awarded a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. Johnson received his M.F.A. from Columbia University School of the Arts (1999).

Johnson has taught at Rutgers University, Columbia University, Bard College, and The Callaloo Journal Writers Retreat. He is now a permanent faculty member at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. Johnson lives in Houston.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know, I absolutely adored Pym. So, I decided to try this one out. It's definitely a first novel and a little too MFA-y for my personal tastes. I guess, sometimes, you probably shouldn't go backwards in exploring an author's work.

[RK Byers · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like Matt as a writer.

[Wizzard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book showed me the difference between 3 star books and 4 (or 5 star books) It was a good story, and I am appreciative of the young urban Black intelligent narrator featured in this book. Still the book itself was enjoyable, but not particularly memorable or legendary.

My favorite part about the book is that Johnson really pushes the language in his descriptions and characterizations. Sometimes it feels over written, most of the descriptions are awe-inspiring.

The book is a great journey, an adult coming-of age, of sorts in which the educated narrator has to wrestle with self-hate, internalized racism, and basically his loathing of the ghettos that he comes from (Philly).

A great 21st century journey.

[T G · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, you know how you're looking through the shelves at a store and a book has such a nice cover and a satisfying heft that you buy it on a whim and in the end those are the two best things about the book? Welcome, Mat-I'm-too-good-to-spell-my-name-with-two-t's. I mean maybe it wasn't as bad as all that, but frankly I can't even remember.

[Phill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book even though I was frustrated by the protagonist. I never understood his relationship to his mentor David, but at some point I just accepted it. This a great coming of age story and I could relate on many levels. It would be 4 stars for me, but the ending let me down. I would still recommend it.

[Nicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had me going in circles. And trust me that aint a good thang.

[Tawanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the writing but really hated the protagonist. The ending was a little far fetched as well.

[Che · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know I read it. I just don't remember it. I'll go through my old notes before rating it. {Don't think it's a good sign if I don't remember the story at all....}

UPDATE: went back through my notes and i originally gave it three stars, so i'll do the same here. but i can't honestly recommend it because i still don't remember much about it.

[✨ Anna ✨ | ReadAllNight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very creative story. Prose that could be poetry. Interesting twists. Hard to put down. Very well crafted. His first-person perspective makes you feel like you have his eyes. Great style.

Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Borrowed from Michelle.

Just found it, so I should read it again.

[nw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't love the ending, but it was a very suspenseful read and made the summer of 2002 a happy time to be reading.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books I have read lately! Unpredictable, funny, insightful, vivid and canny descriptions.

[Karina Girón · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's good but also kind of wtf???

[Leslie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Innovative story line. Creatively written, a bit dense in parts. Very disappointed in the ending-that could have been left off :).

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drop was fun but it's hard to say why. A narrator who despises his hometown and--under highly improbable circumstances--moves to London to work for a small advertising firm, becoming so enamored with the place (or should I say enamoured?) that he wholeheartedly takes up British vocabulary. Forced to return to Philadelphia, our narrator falls into just the sort of stereotyped Philly ghetto life he's developed a complex about. Of course, in in the end he comes around.

There's a lot of cliched material packed into this little book. Perhaps the specifics are what makes it fun--like an ad campaign for condoms purporting to be a testimonial by a sex worker. The reminder of what adulting looked like in the late 1990s/early 2000s was simultaneously nostalgic and unsettling. Writing checks for utility bills. Floppy disks. Spending hours at Kinko's to use computers, scanners and whatnot. Cheap rent.

[Jamie Whitworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were parts of this book that were beautifully written and articulated and parts that I completely zoned out in, because it was all a bunch of words strung together followed by more meaningless words strung together. In the end... I didn't really see the point of the story, and the ending especially irked me.

[Ben Brackett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the confidence and rhythm that Johnson writes with. Though thematically this was less interesting than his other books, it still was really enjoyable to read for his language.

[CB_Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF :(

The seeds of his later work (Pym, Loving Day) are here, but they're in rough shape. Glad I tried it, also glad I didn't try to finish.

[Sitaphul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Somehow, the worst writers you know still have writing and teaching careers. This book is the probable beginning of that sad journey.

[Kelliann Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Mat Johnson's work, so it was a special treat to read his debut novel. This book made me giddy with excitement and happiness, and I loved every minute of it.
While Hunting in Harlem will (probably) always be my favorite book of his, I thought this was excellent as well. It is a bit rougher around the edges than his later books seemed to me (although I may just be projecting that since it was his debut), but I still absolutely LOVED the writing style.

Beyond the style of writing, I loved this book for the content as well. I thought it was a relatable coming of age type story with some good commentary on finding yourself - a you separate from your relationships with others - and nourishing that person to build a solid foundation for your life.
Can his work seem a bit extreme and dramatic at times? Perhaps... But isn't life?

[J.I. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps I'm too easy on this book, but what it does well, which is wit and self-effacement, it does quite well. What it doesn't do so well is plotting, moving from cliche to cliche with twists and deus ex machinas from here to there, characters doing things that make no sense, except to create a plot point, and direction about-faces that feel forced. Enjoyable and short, sure, but not particularly well done. If you came here after Pym, turn around, this is a very first first-novel.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to pick this up after enjoying Pym: A Novel so much. It dealt with many of the same themes and was generally well-crafted and entertaining but also very much read like a younger work.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read such an accurate description of Philadelphia, nor have I ever shared such a strong commonality with a character wrt love-hate relationships with a location. I loved the pace and character development as well - not too many people, but the folks to whom we are introduced, we become very well-acquainted.

[Eric Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Hunting in Harlem so much that I had to get his other book as well

UPDATE

Not nearly as good as Hunting in Harlem, but still an entertaining lighter, funny summer read about race, class, etc. :-)

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me forever to get through this book, but I made myself read it because I don't like leaving books unfinished. It's hard to remember the storyline (wasn't very interesting)- maybe I'll give it another shot.

[Kamyia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hated the main character for like 90% of the book but at the end he redeemed himself... the story was interesting but the ending seemed like it should've either been part of an epilogue or the beginning of a sequel but that's my opinion... nice book

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drop was a fun roller coaster ride with Chris trying to make something of himself. When will it come out on the big screen? It was so alive, vivid, visceral. So glad to have discovered Mat Johnson, so many more of his books to read.

[Karen Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

powerful first person. Also instructive on how the ending can mess up all the pages that came before. Mat even admited that he had problems with the ending. Still a good read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful coming-of-age in modern America, with a great ending to boot.

[Abdul Hannan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading this book I felt like an observer who was running with the author....... Not a lot of book have done that to me......

[dannymac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book as an intro to his work....will be reading more of him..can't wait until my library gets Pym...