The Vulture

by Gil Scott-Heron

A body lies on New York's West 17th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. A crowd gathers, horrified, curious, staring at the corpse on the pavement. It is July 12, 1969, and John Lee is dead. This is the story of John Lee's murder in the words of four men who knew him.

Genres: Fiction, African American, Crime, Literature, Novels, Modern Classics, Poetry

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Gilbert Scott Heron was born in 1949. His mother was a librarian and his father a soccer player from Jamaica. In his youth Heron displayed both sporting prowess and academic ability (he won a place at Pennsylvania Lincoln University, like his role model Langston Hughes, the Harlem Renaissance man). But he quit college after the first year to write his first novel, The Vulture (1970). While Heron was writing this the ferment of black politics and student radicalism was coming to a head, and his second novel The Nigger Factory (1972) reflects these developments.
Heron has been more adventurous in his work as a musician and rapper.

Reviews

[Matthias]

"The Vulture"

Standing in the ruins
of another Black man's life,
or flying through the valley
separating day and night.
"I am death," cried the Vulture.
"For the people of the light."

Charon brought his raft
from the sea that sails on souls,
and saw the scavenger departing,
taking warm hearts to the cold.
He knew the ghetto was a haven
for the meanest creature ever known.

In a wilderness of heartbreak
and a desert of despair,
Evil's clarion of justice
shrieks a cry of naked terror,
taking babies from their momas,
leaving grief beyond compare.

So if you see the Vulture coming,
flying circles in your mind,
Remember there is no escaping
for he will follow close behind.
Only promise me a battle,

Battle for your soul
and mine.

- Gil Scott-Heron

Full experience here: Scott-Heron reciting this poem on his own music

[Mariano Hortal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me sorprende muy negativamente la poca repercusión que está teniendo está fantástica novela negra; hardboiled desde el punto de vista de varios narradores que, a modo de plano secuencia, van conformando una trama compleja que no se resuelve hasta la última página; por si fuera poco el autor consiguió dotar a cada uno de ellos de un estilo propio construyendo voces muy distintas de gran viveza. Es un prodigio de estilo y trama. Uno de los libros del año.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο Γκιλ-Σκοτ Χέρον ήταν Αμερικάνος μουσικός και φέρεται ως ένας από τους προγόνους της ραπ μουσικής, όμως έγραψε και κάποια βιβλία, ανάμεσα στα οποία και το καλτ μυθιστόρημα "Το αρπακτικό", που κυκλοφόρησε φέτος στα ελληνικά, από τις εκδόσεις Βακχικόν. Βασικό προσόν του βιβλίου δεν είναι και τόσο η πλοκή ή το όποιο μυστήριο για το ποιος σκότωσε τον Τζον Λι, αλλά η ιδιαίτερα ρεαλιστική αποτύπωση της ζωής στα γκέτο της Νέας Υόρκης των τελών της δεκαετίας του '60, καθώς επίσης και η σκληρή και κάπως... μάγκικη γραφή, που φυσικά είναι βγαλμένη από τα σπλάχνα των γκέτο. Από τη μια η πλοκή κινείται με αργούς ρυθμούς και δεν έχει πολλές σκηνές έντασης, από την άλλη το τρικ με τους τέσσερις διαφορετικούς αφηγητές είναι πολύ καλό (καθένας τους θα μπορούσε να είναι ο δολοφόνος!), με τον συγγραφέα να καταφέρνει να μπάσει τους αναγνώστες στον σκληρό κόσμο των γκέτο, ανάμεσα σε ανθρώπους του περιθωρίου και σε νέους που βρίσκονται αντιμέτωποι με κάθε είδους αδιέξοδα. Φυσικά δεν λείπουν οι κοινωνικοί και φυλετικοί προβληματισμοί, από τη στιγμή που ο συγγραφέας ήταν γνωστός για τις ανησυχίες του. Γενικά, είναι ένα καλό μυθιστόρημα, απλά καλύτερα να διαβαστεί σαν κοινωνικό δράμα με στοιχεία εγκλήματος, παρά σαν αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα. Όσοι γουστάρουν βρώμικο ρεαλισμό, μάγκικη γλώσσα, δεκαετία του '60, αποτύπωση της ζωής στα γκέτο κλπ, νομίζω ότι θα περάσουν καλά! (7.5/10)

[Vicky Ziliaskopoulou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Επειδή η περίληψη που δίνει στο οπισθόφυλλο ο εκδοτικός οίκος κατά τη γνώμη μου δεν αποδίδει τίποτα από την ιστορία και το κλίμα του βιβλίου, θα πω εγώ δυο δικά μου λόγια για την ιστορία που εκτυλίσσεται.
Το βιβλίο "το αρπακτικό" αφορά στην πραγματικότητα τη ζωή των περιθωριακών κατοίκων μιας γκετοποιημένης περιοχής της Νέας Υόρκης. Ο Τζον Λι είναι ένας χρήστης και διακινητής παράνομων ουσιών και είναι νεκρός. Δηλαδή, η ιστορία ξεκινάει με την αστυνομία που βρίσκει το πτώμα του και ξεκινάει έρευνες.
Στα επόμενα κεφάλαια του βιβλίου πρωταγωνιστές είναι άτομα του περιθωρίου, όλοι χρήστες (περιστασιακοί ή μόνιμοι) ναρκωτικών ουσιών, κάποιοι από αυτούς και διακινητές. Ο καθένας μας μιλάει για τη χρονική περίοδο λίγο πριν και λίγο μετά το θάνατο του Τζον Λι, μάλιστα μέσα από την ιστορία τους φαίνεται ότι ο καθένας είναι υποψήφιος δολοφόνος. Αυτά όσον αφορά το αστυνομικό τμήμα του βιβλίου, το οποίο δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ήταν τόσο ενδιαφέρον, σε αντίθεση με το κοινωνικό του κομμάτι.
Μέσα από την ιστορία που μας διηγείται ο καθένας από τους υπόλοιπους ήρωες, βιώνουμε λίγο από την καθημερινότητα ενός αρχηγού ομάδας του γκέτο, ενός πιτσιρικά που έχει όνειρο ζωής να έχει μια ομάδα δικιά του, και ενός σημαίνοντος μέλους μιας αδελφότητας που μάχεται για την μείωση των προβλημάτων της κοινότητας των μαύρων. Και οι ιστορίες τους είναι πραγματικά πολύ ενδιαφέρουσες.
Ίσως σε κάποια σημεία η γλώσσα που χρησιμοποιεί ο συγγραφέας να με ξένισε λίγο, ίσως σε κάποια άλλα σημεία να μου φάνηκε ότι η πλοκή είναι αργή, μάλιστα τα ποιήματα που παραθέτει ένας εκ των πρωταγωνιστών τα πέρασα αδιάβαστα (δεν την αντέχω την ποίηση καθόλου, οπότε ας με συγχωρήσει ο συγγραφέας), αλλά σε γενικές γραμμές είναι ένα πολύ ενδιαφέρον μυθιστόρημα, αρκεί να μην το αγοράσεις για το αστυνομικό του κομμάτι, αφού η πλοκή είναι αργή και δεν μπορώ να πω ότι υπάρχουν ιδιαίτερες εντάσεις.

https://thematofylakes.gr/

https://kiallovivlio.blogspot.com/

[jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

poet, pianist, songwriter, and protorapper, gil scott-heron is also the author of two novels (and a rumored third to be released in 2011). the first, the vulture, was published in 1970 (when scott-heron was 21), the same year his debut album and first book of poetry were released, both titled small talk at 125th and lenox. set almost entirely in the chelsea neighborhood of manhattan, the vulture is a compelling murder mystery comprised of street poetry and sociopolitical observation. taking place between the summers of 1968 and 1969, the story is told from the perspectives of four main characters, each with a motive for the killing of young john lee. scott-heron’s gifted prose could make even the most banal story intriguing, and his ability to convey a convincing portrait of urban strife in late ‘60s new york is uncanny. gil scott-heron’s talents are many, and the vulture is a rhythmic, passionate, and smart sampling of his skill.

the vulture

standing in the ruins of another black man’s life.
or flying through the valley separating day and night.
‘i am death,’ cried the vulture. ‘for the people of the light.’

charon brought his raft from the sea that sails on souls,
and saw the scavenger departing, taking warm hears to the cold.
he knew the ghetto was a haven for the meanest creature ever known.

in a wilderness of heartbreak and a desert of despair,
evil’s clarion of justice shrieks a cry of naked terror.
taking babies from their mamas and leaving grief beyond compare.

so if you see the vulture coming, flying circles in your mind.
remember there is no escaping, for he will follow close behind.
only promise me a battle; battle for your soul and mine.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did the classic fuck up of reading the second of Gil Scott-Heron's novels first. Having now read this, his debut, The Nigger Factory (his second book) is better situated in relation. Brass tacks: the sloppiness of The Vulture makes me appreciate the increased craft found in Factory. This sounds like a knock when it's absolutely not.

'Cause, ho-hum, isn't that so often the case with this shit? Debuts are wonderful because of their reach, no matter how inadequate (and often juvenile) the grasp. The Vulture IS a true whodunnit crime- dope NYC street novel, but also so much more. As no writer knows if their stage bow is going to go over with anyone, proving salutary as introduction and inadvertent conclusion, there is an egging of the tendency to put in EVERYTHING; hey, I get any person has a lot of shit on the their mind and, at least once, has this gift of expanding on whatever that is.

Put as simply as possible (because I slept two hours and have a work reread of Julius Caesar to get out of the way): The Nigger Factory is a better book, Vulture the better story. More: The Vulture made me FEEL something, the most I can ask of any book. Sure it's rangy and sloppy, how can a book not be when it includes a full autopsy report imbed; epic poetry by the score; and a recursive timeline told in five long, interwoven, and POV-swapping 'Phases' that constitute, if not rape, certainly date MISBEHAVIOR of the calendar, anni 1968 and 1969. If anyone can follow the datelines scurrying around this thing, you're automatically enrolled in MENSA.

Only misstep, and the reason I'd say it's likelier a 4.5: the woeful attempt to encapsulate an acid trip in prose. No. Just...Full stop, no. Has not and will never work; some things, however stupid, defy description, and anyone that takes away that the book's 'experiential' LSD hallucina-gaga is remotely sacramental is getting, in the argot, some very bunk shit. Credit for one line that is a good imagistic observation, though: "I had a microscope inside my head." 'Tis true. But take neither Gil nor I nor any other retired kosmonavt's word for it. Much like The Move, apparently Gil can also hear the grass grow (um, sure), but I'm happy to confirm that the 55 years since publication have allowed very little of the stuff to grow under the talons of The Vulture.

Yes. Books have bird feet.

[Vivienne Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Page-Turning Murder Mystery

I had no idea that the late Gill Scott-Heron was an author. I am familiar with his lyrics on the political, social, criminal and economic systems and the impact they have on the disenfranchised and society at large. The character John Lee has been murdered. You begin to learn more about the victim from the four protagonists who knew John well, each bringing his own point of view into the story line. The murder takes place on lower Manhattan, where gang violence, drug trafficking, the allure of making quick and easy money, envy, apathy, mistrust and deception are notably visible. The plot is filled with complex characters with inner and outer conflicts, shocking revelations, and an ending that you will never see coming. Although this story takes place in the late ‘60s, the author did an excellent job at exposing the many ills, which continues into the 21st century.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vulture is a 1970s crime novel, but it's also a Black American novel of the street and the culture of the time. The central theme is "Who Killed John Lee" but as the four seperate interweaving narratives unfold there is much more depth to the prose than a simple crime story.

It has its faults - the first voice, Spade, is especially strong and compelling, and when we leave his narrative for another's some of the momentum is lost. This effect is repeated when the next three narratives unfold. And the few pages taken from the police point of view feel out place.

These are minor gripes, however. The Vulture is a strong an powerful novel from an interesting voice. I want to check out more of Scott-Heron's writing and music. As his first novel, this was a good place to start.

[Riley Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool, complex characters; each feel like a distinct manifestation of scott-heron’s mind and life experience.

It has a Nonlinear structure that jumps around and meanders in a narratively compelling way

The ending is a bit vague and I’m left still not sure exactly who the killer was in this murder mystery. But those details don’t actually matter all that much. The best parts of the book are Scott-Heron’s vivid descriptions of life for young Black Americans in late ‘60s NYC and the thoughts and dilemmas of each of the characters; more so than the ultimate “whodunnit” question

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to put down but also pretty hard to follow at times. Nonetheless a really enjoyable read. GSH’s artistic talent knows no bounds

[Matthew Sarookanian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant prose. I've never read a book quite like this, dealing with drugs and harlem and danger in the late '60s. It was such a captivating story that I never wanted to put it down, and the world Scott-Heron creates is so real that I feel like I can picture everything happening so perfectly. The way he structures things and the dialouge feels so real that at times I have a hard time reading it because its so forgien to me. An absolute blast. Loved it.

[Damson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering Gil wrote this age 19, this is a great book. The opening is incredibly strong and a real page turner with a tone of voice that pulls you into 1960s New York street life. If only all the characters were that strong. I feel I need to read it again as I got lost on the relationships between characters and who was the first person in later sections. (Note to self: pay attention!)

[jody bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I’m a fan of Gil Scott Heron’s music and I really wanted to like this book. I really enjoyed the setting and the vibe of this book because you could really feel the rhythms of the street. There really were moments of excellence but the plot was less enjoyable and I found the story confusing. I’m not sure I’d explore anymore of his books

[René · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this weren't written by Gil Scott Heron, I would have hated it. But because it was, it has it's brief moments of an artists pen and I didn't want to miss one. A very opinionated and interesting view of america in the late sixties, but it just wasn't a memorable read for me.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

It didn't change my life, but it filled in a couple more pieces of the jigsaw. Fascinating book, when you consider how young he was when he wrote it. Great structure, bold characterisation, lots of insight, perspectives kept me spinning.

[Nicky Whiting · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crap

[Vsmarron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional story telling

[Matthew Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible that this was written with such clarity when he was 18. Entertaining af.

[Virginie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comme sa musique, la construction de ce polar est un peu compliquée mais intéressante. Les poèmes sous LSD ne m'ont pas tant enthousiasmée que l'un des personnages. À la fin du livre, j'ai dû relire qqs pages pour être certaine du nom du meurtrier.... c'est bien aussi de sortir de sa zone de confort quand on lit un polar.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hele chille vibe, verhaal was veel opbouw en weinig ontknoping en elke keer als ik mee begon te leven met een personage wisselde het perspectief weer. Ontknoping en het hele verhaal bij elkaar is wel heel hard maar mijn tip voor gil scott-heron is: iets meer karakterontwikkeling.thanks

[The Books Blender · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recensione completa -> https://thebooksblender.altervista.or...

[Liam Liddane · Rating 4 out of 5]

really only read this as I’m a huge fan of his music and found out he wrote some ‘relatively’ successful fiction and thought i have to check this out. DEFINITELY recommend listening to his music it’s iconic and groovy af but this was a little less spectacular. While still a strong book that explores it’s setting very well and gives quite a unique perspective of New York in the late 60’s that’s a whole lot darker than Woodstock or any other clips you’ve seen from this era.

The plot was a necessary part of this book to keep you interested and it served its purpose but it certainly didn’t blow me away. The spice of this book was definitely in the exploration of the fractured black identity of the era and seeing the divided perspectives of the different generations of black people at the time was truly fascinating.

[Felipe Madrigal · Rating 4 out of 5]

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No siempre fue así, pero a medida que envejezco siento una mayor debilidad por la literatura que tiene su banda sonora, por aquellas narrativas que van al hilo de canciones, artistas o álbumes, llevando inexorablemente al lector a escuchar esos sonidos para saberse metido en la trama. Esta novela de Gil Scott-Heron es una de esas: Aretha, Davis, Byrd o James Brown no solo son mencionados sino que, con sus ritmos, le dan la atmósfera oscura, fiestera y decadente que tiene el libro.
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Es una novela negra en todo el sentido de la palabra, no solo porque gira alrededor del crimen sino porque retrata, con crudeza pero sin amarillismo, con realismo pero sin paternalismo, la vida de los negros urbanos estadounidenses de mediados del siglo pasado. Ambientado en el Chelsea neoyorquino de finales de los sesenta ─un gueto tradicionalmente negro que se fue llenando de migrantes latinos─ la novela utiliza como excusa el misterio alrededor del asesinato de un dealer local para darnos una mirada a la vida del Harlem de la época: su pobreza, edificios abandonados, tráfico de drogas, pobreza, enfrentamiento raciales, corrupción policial, pobreza, racismo, activismo, orgullo negro, pobreza y no futuro. Esto lo hace a partir de cuatro ojos y narrativas distintas que, a manera de capítulos, van armando el rompecabezas ya no solo del asesinato sino de la cotidianidad de la zona: la del “duro” del barrio, la del niño que quiere ser el duro del barrio, la del idealista que quiere hacer una revolución negra, la del intelectual sin rumbo y, en medio de todas estas, como una versión oficial totalmente alejada de la verdad ─como suele ocurrir─, la visión de la Policía.

***
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Gil Scott-Heron
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Afroamericano. Poeta, novelista, músico y activista afroaméricano. La primera vez que supe de él fue en mi adolescencia, cuando la atracción que sentí por figuras como King o Malcom me llevó a toparme con “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, un poema cantado al son de los bongos que, para muchos, es el verdadero inicio del rap y el Hip Hop, no solo por su rítmica y estilo sino por la rabia que hay detrás de la letra.
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De Gil volví a saber algunos años después, recorriendo algunos bares de jazz. El suyo es “sucio”, por momentos callejero, lleno de fusiones africanas de ambos lados del Atlántico (Is this jazz?, se llama una de sus más conocidas canciones, lo cual lo resume todo). Así también es su narrativa, barriobajera, realista no solo en relación a la historia que está contando sino en el lenguaje usado por sus personajes: son negros o latinos del guetto, y hablan como tal.
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Recientemente encontré, traducida al español, su primera novela y tuve que tenerla. Hay una historia curiosa alrededor de ella: Gil era un joven universitario becado en Oxford que, con apenas 18 años, ¡pidió aplazamiento de su primer año de estudios!, para de esa forma dedicarse a escribir su libro. A pesar de la sorpresa, reproches y recelos tanto de su madre como del decano, ambos terminaron cediendo para bien de la literatura afroamericana.
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El SIDA, que no las drogas ni la policía ni la calle, terminó matándolo, aunque fácilmente cualquiera de ellas pudo haberlo hecho antes o después.

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[Guillermo Sáez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gil Scott-Heron es conocido principalmente como músico, pero también dejó perlas memorables en la literatura como su famoso poema 'La revolución no será televisada' o esta mucho menos conocida novela llamada 'El buitre'. ¿Quién es el buitre? Pues ese que nos vigila desde arriba, el único que tiene una visión panorámica de todo lo que ocurre a ras de suelo, donde los humanos se desgarran entre ellos por sus viejos anhelos de siempre. El buitre otea aquí un gueto negro de Chelsea, un barrio de Nueya York donde el asesinato de un camello es el punto de partida de una novela que parece negra, pero que sobre todo es social. Imaginar quién es el asesino, pues hay muchos que tienen motivos para matar a John Lee, solo es el envoltorio para descubrir la vida de la comunidad negra neoyorquina a finales de los años sesenta. He leído este libro a la vez que veía Small Axe, la serie de pelis sobre la comunidad negra creada por Steve McQueen, y creo que entiendo un poco mejor aquella cultura que imagino que no habrá cambiado mucho a día de hoy, porque tampoco parece que lo haya hecho la América de Trump y las fake news. Muy recomendable, muy bien contado y muy entretenido. Por cierto, la edición es preciosa. ¿Tanto cuesta hacer que un libro bonito por dentro también lo sea por fuera? Esa parece ser la tónica, por desgracia

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vulture by Gil Scott Heron

I was reading this book when Gil Scott Heron
died and held off reviewing it for a while, it
was his debut novel first published in 1970 and
is about growing up in black Ghetto's of New
York in the 1960's.
The book is drowning in poverty and drugs and
the racial politics of the time as we follow the
stories of four friends of John Lee who is the
books Murder victim and the interweaving stories
of the four caracters and there invlolvement or
otherwise in his death.
I found it hard to put down this book and it
sits well stylistically between the books of
Nelson Algren and Iceberg Slim with a slice of
Donald Goines thrown into the mix.
For a debut novel from a young writer this is a
great book, when you also look at it through the
prism of hindsight and knowing the life the
Author went on to lead it is also very prophetic
when dealing with the heartbreak and hatred that
drugs brought to the milieu Gil deals with.
A fine book well worth finding, it was a bargain
bin staple when I found my copy.

[Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gil always acts as a cynic, his assessment of the Black Civil rights was overcome by illicit and chronic drug use speaks to the fringe of the movement. Those involved in the movement did not have time for those less engaged. Anyway the Civil Rights movement was never an organization such as the SCLC, the NAACP, or SPLC. Those organizations identified and address objectives in the movement such as the voting rights and equal opportunity on jobs. Gil is more concern with the real grass roots (where to get some reefer) instead of getting petitions signed for breakfast programs, reading programs, and after school programs.

That being said, you realize Gil is on the wrong side working his way further to the fringe.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written when he was only 19, this early novel by Scott Heron is a bit of a mixed bag. Strong (very!) for one so young, it has some rocky bits of characterization here and there, but an overall feel of the times (or so I imagine them...) rings through.

At points I found myself in a parlour game of trying to figure out which parts of Scott Heron he imbued to particular characters. Is he the well-read I.Q., quoting maxims on his way through life? The organizer Afro? A bit of the master of the street Spade?

Even with the roughness, a worthwhile read for anyone who has appreciated Scott Heron's work on record or in poetry.

[Kars · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this, but in the end I can only say I liked it. The main reason for this is the plot. Scott-Heron serves up a murder mystery set in 1960s East Harlem. It may just have been me, but I think he tried to be too obfuscatory about who actually did it and in the process makes the narrative more confusing than it needs to be. What I did love was the very believable portrayal of life in the ghetto as experienced by several young men. The language used by the various characters in particular sounds true to my ears although I of course have no real way of knowing.

[Graeme · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I wanted to be blown away by this book, and, well, I wasn't. I liked it quite a lot, and I'm very impressed that Gil wrote it when he was 19. That's cool and all. It's sort of a 'hood based murder mystery, but I'd imagine that's not because Gil's all about Raymond Chandler etc. It's more just a framework to discuss life in his late 1960s New York. And I'm all up for that.

But it's definitely a lovely read -- hmmm. Felt a little bit let down by the end, but so it goes.

[Jewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story written by a young Gil Scott Heron but while reading I often found myself losing focus on what had been written. There was too much jumping back and forth between characters for my liking but over all the book was a good read that dealt with the devastation drugs can have on families and communities alike.