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Elm Harbor #3
Palace Council
“Carter twists plotlines like pretzels while wryly skewering America’s wealthy intellectual elite.” — People
John Grisham called Stephen L. Carter’s first novel, The Emperor of Ocean Park , “beautifully written and cleverly plotted. A rich, complex family saga, one deftly woven through a fine legal thriller.” The Chicago Tribune hailed Carter’s next book, New England White, as “a whodunit with conscience.” Now this best-selling novelist returns with an electrifying political thriller set in the turbulent era of Watergate and Vietnam, giving us one of the most riveting and naked portraits of Nixon ever written.
In the summer of 1952, twenty prominent men gather at a secret meeting on Martha’s Vineyard and devise a plot to manipulate the President of the United States. Soon after, the body of one of these men is found by Eddie Wesley, Harlem’s rising literary star. When Eddie’s younger sister mysteriously disappears, Eddie and the woman he loves, Aurelia Treene, are pulled into what becomes a twenty-year search for the truth. As Eddie and Aurelia uncover layer upon layer of intrigue, their odyssey takes them from the wealthy drawing rooms of New York through the shady corners of radical politics, all the way to the Oval Office.
Stephen Carter’s novel is as complex as it is suspenseful, and with his unique ability to turn stereotypes inside out, Palace Council is certain to enthrall readers to the very last page.
John Grisham called Stephen L. Carter’s first novel, The Emperor of Ocean Park , “beautifully written and cleverly plotted. A rich, complex family saga, one deftly woven through a fine legal thriller.” The Chicago Tribune hailed Carter’s next book, New England White, as “a whodunit with conscience.” Now this best-selling novelist returns with an electrifying political thriller set in the turbulent era of Watergate and Vietnam, giving us one of the most riveting and naked portraits of Nixon ever written.
In the summer of 1952, twenty prominent men gather at a secret meeting on Martha’s Vineyard and devise a plot to manipulate the President of the United States. Soon after, the body of one of these men is found by Eddie Wesley, Harlem’s rising literary star. When Eddie’s younger sister mysteriously disappears, Eddie and the woman he loves, Aurelia Treene, are pulled into what becomes a twenty-year search for the truth. As Eddie and Aurelia uncover layer upon layer of intrigue, their odyssey takes them from the wealthy drawing rooms of New York through the shady corners of radical politics, all the way to the Oval Office.
Stephen Carter’s novel is as complex as it is suspenseful, and with his unique ability to turn stereotypes inside out, Palace Council is certain to enthrall readers to the very last page.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
104 people are currently reading
961 people want to read
About the author
Stephen L. Carter
27 books455 followersStephen L. Carter is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Yale where he has taught since 1982. He has published seven critically acclaimed nonfiction books on topics ranging from affirmative action to religion and politics. His first novel, The Emperor of Ocean Park (2002), was an immediate national best seller. His latest novel is New England White (Knopf, 2007). A recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature-Fiction, he lives near New Haven, Connecticut."
Also writes under the pen name A.L Shields.
Also writes under the pen name A.L Shields.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
August 5, 2019
Whew, this book was a lot! It was a murder mystery and whodunit, an exploration of 20 of the most tumultuous years in American 20th century history and a political thriller, not to mention a foray into Harlem's Golden Age of influential African Americans with the money and connections most never knew existed for them in those days. There was a lot crammed within these 500+ pages, sometimes for the better and sometimes not.
Stephen L. Carter is my favorite author for his ability to weave historical truth with fiction and for his portrayal of the African American community--both modern-day and historically--so accurate in its incisiveness and so taunt in his analysis of it. I've never encountered an author before or since who had such an accurate, compelling and thought-provoking voice about the upper echelons of black culture--the very embodiment of W.E.B. Dubois' Talented Tenth--the subculture within a culture that so few even know exists with its own rich history, mores and societal rules. Carter displayed all of this and more within the pages of Palace Council, and that I lapped up with the enthusiasm you'd expect from one who'd gone too long without such substance.
I've seen Carter's work described as being Dan Brown-like, and it's true--they do share the element of mysteries solved through obscure literary references and the thrill of running from killers hellbent on snatching the clues the protagonist has found for themselves. But may I step in here and say that Stephen L. Carter is more wily than Dan Brown, his plots more complex in so many ways? Carter's novels center around both the present and past of affluent African American culture, which allows his reader a basis on which to start from in every read and the thrill of seeing unexpected recurrences of previous characters in diverse stages of their lives. For example, The Emperor of Ocean Park revolves around the Garland family who also play a prominent part in Palace Council, set 50 years before the events in Emperor even happened. Readers who love to follow characters over the spans of their lives--who don't just want to see them one and done in one novel--will love this as I do. This is Carter's angle (pun intended for those who've read this book), rather than the Bond-like supporting female characters of Brown's novels.
Stephen L. Carter's novels are always decadent in setting, but Palace Council took the cake. Sweeping from Harlem to Washington D.C. to Saigon and back again, it's the details here that filled so many pages of this novel. There are so many minute and intricate details here that make their world more solid and complete--from street names in Hong Kong to delicious elements of historic events of the 50s, 60s and 70s--that this one novel could easily be made into a multi-season TV series--and should! Yet, in the setting of one book, it was a lot to take in at once.
If it's possible for one to drown in literary details, I must say I certainly struggled to stay afloat at times, keeping characters and their bloodlines straight amidst the historical events surrounding them--from Kent State, to the Tet Offensive, to JFK's assassination and beyond. At times the narrative moved at too slow a pace, filled with historical filler and unnecessary scenes, both, which slowed the plot (in true literary form) rather than urging it forward. While these historical landmarks (the dates sometimes toyed with for the benefit of the characters at Carter's admission) helped to center the players within these pages and paint a complete picture of the age they lived in, there were also so many times where historic events seemed just dumped in there. (I hesitate to say haphazardly because I doubt Carter does anything "haphazard" ever.) And, I'll admit, the plot was sometimes muddled and muddied by Carter's abundance of clever asides and descriptive tags galore. But Carter's novels reside in the company between Dan Brown's thrillers steeped in literary puzzles and Salman Rushdie's erudition. And for that, he warrants all the praise he has garnered, and remains my favorite author to date. Palace Council earned a solid 4 stars sullied only by the editor's inability to rein this one in a little more. (Honestly, a good 75 pages at least could have beenchopped.) ****
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Stephen L. Carter is my favorite author for his ability to weave historical truth with fiction and for his portrayal of the African American community--both modern-day and historically--so accurate in its incisiveness and so taunt in his analysis of it. I've never encountered an author before or since who had such an accurate, compelling and thought-provoking voice about the upper echelons of black culture--the very embodiment of W.E.B. Dubois' Talented Tenth--the subculture within a culture that so few even know exists with its own rich history, mores and societal rules. Carter displayed all of this and more within the pages of Palace Council, and that I lapped up with the enthusiasm you'd expect from one who'd gone too long without such substance.
I've seen Carter's work described as being Dan Brown-like, and it's true--they do share the element of mysteries solved through obscure literary references and the thrill of running from killers hellbent on snatching the clues the protagonist has found for themselves. But may I step in here and say that Stephen L. Carter is more wily than Dan Brown, his plots more complex in so many ways? Carter's novels center around both the present and past of affluent African American culture, which allows his reader a basis on which to start from in every read and the thrill of seeing unexpected recurrences of previous characters in diverse stages of their lives. For example, The Emperor of Ocean Park revolves around the Garland family who also play a prominent part in Palace Council, set 50 years before the events in Emperor even happened. Readers who love to follow characters over the spans of their lives--who don't just want to see them one and done in one novel--will love this as I do. This is Carter's angle (pun intended for those who've read this book), rather than the Bond-like supporting female characters of Brown's novels.
Stephen L. Carter's novels are always decadent in setting, but Palace Council took the cake. Sweeping from Harlem to Washington D.C. to Saigon and back again, it's the details here that filled so many pages of this novel. There are so many minute and intricate details here that make their world more solid and complete--from street names in Hong Kong to delicious elements of historic events of the 50s, 60s and 70s--that this one novel could easily be made into a multi-season TV series--and should! Yet, in the setting of one book, it was a lot to take in at once.
If it's possible for one to drown in literary details, I must say I certainly struggled to stay afloat at times, keeping characters and their bloodlines straight amidst the historical events surrounding them--from Kent State, to the Tet Offensive, to JFK's assassination and beyond. At times the narrative moved at too slow a pace, filled with historical filler and unnecessary scenes, both, which slowed the plot (in true literary form) rather than urging it forward. While these historical landmarks (the dates sometimes toyed with for the benefit of the characters at Carter's admission) helped to center the players within these pages and paint a complete picture of the age they lived in, there were also so many times where historic events seemed just dumped in there. (I hesitate to say haphazardly because I doubt Carter does anything "haphazard" ever.) And, I'll admit, the plot was sometimes muddled and muddied by Carter's abundance of clever asides and descriptive tags galore. But Carter's novels reside in the company between Dan Brown's thrillers steeped in literary puzzles and Salman Rushdie's erudition. And for that, he warrants all the praise he has garnered, and remains my favorite author to date. Palace Council earned a solid 4 stars sullied only by the editor's inability to rein this one in a little more. (Honestly, a good 75 pages at least could have been
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March 31, 2011
I want to weep with disgust that a book can be so banal, and so long. Reading it was mentally exhausting, and emotionally distressing, because it was so dull, and yet so complicated. It's a murder mystery, a political thriller, a missing persons quest, ranging from 1952 to 1975, among Harlem's black upper class. It has Dan Brown-like elements of conspiracy; riddles are solved with the help of passages from Paradise Lost and Lady Chatterley's Lover. The most annoying thing is Carter's insistence on incorporating every possible historical event into his narrative. Chappaquiddick - it's here. The characters are on Martha's Vineyard when it goes down. Watergate, Kent State, the moon landing, the Weather Underground bombing in Manhattan, the Attica prison riot, the Tet Offensive, the discovery of the oldest human remains in Kenya, political assassinations, they all happen here. Richard Nixon is implausibly friends with Eddie and Aurie, the two main characters. Eddie also writes speeches for JFK, and before that he was mentored by Langston Hughes; later, in Vietnam, he sees William Colby (CIA Chief of Station) limbering up for a tennis match. He pays a visit to Joseph P. Kennedy to solicit help finding his missing sister. It makes one think of the roads not taken: would it have been too much effort for Eddie to have had an affair with Marilyn Monroe, or perhaps cradled a dying Martin Luther King Jr. in his arms? Perhaps Aurie could have fallen in love with Spiro Agnew. Someone could have seen Bernard Barker running from the Watergate complex, as they were making love to Eartha Kitt in the Howard Johnson's across the street.
Carter thanks his "marvelous editor, Phyllis Grann," but I want to know what Ms. Grann did. If she edited the manuscript down from 1,800 pages to 577, then yes, that is marvelous. But I think it's slightly more likely that most every word that popped into Carter's head made it in, so shame, shame, shame on you, Phyllis Grann.
Carter thanks his "marvelous editor, Phyllis Grann," but I want to know what Ms. Grann did. If she edited the manuscript down from 1,800 pages to 577, then yes, that is marvelous. But I think it's slightly more likely that most every word that popped into Carter's head made it in, so shame, shame, shame on you, Phyllis Grann.
January 22, 2025
Another excellent mystery from Stephen L. Carter, "Palace Council" tells the story of the turbulent 1960s through the eyes of Eddie Wesley, a young black man from upper-class Harlem, and Aurelia Treene, Eddie's first and only love.
On the night of her wedding (to another man), Eddie gets embarrassingly drunk and is booted from the reception. Stumbling through the park at night, he trips on the body of a well-known lawyer. Gripped in the man's hand is an inverted cross with a cryptic message engraved on it.
Months later, and seemingly unrelated at first, Eddie's younger sister disappears without a trace.
Thus begins a nearly 20-year-long investigation that leads Eddie to the highest levels of Washington, D.C. and the most dangerous war-torn sections of Saigon.
As the years go by, and Eddie's career as a writer flourishes, he inadvertently becomes entangled in the history of the United States, from the formation of militant groups such as the Black Panthers and the Weathermen, the assassinations of J.F.K., Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, the ripple effects of the Vietnam War, to the Watergate scandal. As always, Carter tells a well-plotted mystery, one that unravels slowly over time but always in unexpected directions.
On the night of her wedding (to another man), Eddie gets embarrassingly drunk and is booted from the reception. Stumbling through the park at night, he trips on the body of a well-known lawyer. Gripped in the man's hand is an inverted cross with a cryptic message engraved on it.
Months later, and seemingly unrelated at first, Eddie's younger sister disappears without a trace.
Thus begins a nearly 20-year-long investigation that leads Eddie to the highest levels of Washington, D.C. and the most dangerous war-torn sections of Saigon.
As the years go by, and Eddie's career as a writer flourishes, he inadvertently becomes entangled in the history of the United States, from the formation of militant groups such as the Black Panthers and the Weathermen, the assassinations of J.F.K., Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, the ripple effects of the Vietnam War, to the Watergate scandal. As always, Carter tells a well-plotted mystery, one that unravels slowly over time but always in unexpected directions.
July 15, 2008
What a great summer read - a political thriller chock full of conspiracy theories and shady dealings, but told from the perspective of Harlem's upper crust in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. While I consider myself fairly well educated, being white and a native Iowan did not provide me with the best insight into African-American life during the mid-1900s. The world Carter describes is fascinating, and the characters are well-developed and intricate. So while he may be covering some old historical ground, the lens through which it's viewed is completely fresh, and probably long overdue (at least in the political thriller sense).
Despite a few shortcomings, the book does what good books are supposed to do - it compels you to turn the page, because you absolutely have to know what happens next.
Despite a few shortcomings, the book does what good books are supposed to do - it compels you to turn the page, because you absolutely have to know what happens next.
Read
February 5, 2009Oh critics, how ye disagree! Many found Palace Council overly long and complained that the "thriller" parts came and went at random. It's also a bad sign in a genre that depends on flash/bang finales if the ending is considered weak. On a separate note, Edward and Aurelia witness more historical events than Forrest Gump
June 19, 2017
Palace Council is a big, sprawling, character driven novel. At its center is a vast conspiracy reaching into the Oval Office, threatening the social and political fabric of the country. The story spans over twenty years, from the early 1950’s to the mid ‘70’s. Our protagonist, writer Eddie Wesley, literally stumbles into this labyrinth of intrigue after discovering a dead body outside of a Harlem mansion.
Thus begins our story and Eddie’s two decade long quest, first bouncing between DC and NYC and then onto Europe and Vietnam. Along the way Eddie meets such historical figures as J. Edgar Hoover, John F. Kennedy, Langston Hughes and Richard Nixon. All the while Eddie peels the proverbial onion, solving one riddle only to discover three more - The author seamlessly blending historical fact with fiction.
Because of personal reasons, which become evident in the reading, Eddie simply can’t drop his pursuit of the truth, at whatever cost or however long it takes. And the puzzle’s key is a long time in the finding, for Eddie’s journey is paramount and drives the story.
I believe readers pick up this author’s books expecting adrenaline spiking thrillers. They are not; the books are novels wrapped around complex puzzles. In Palace Council the reader is exposed to Harlem high society, Washington politics and the social upheaval of the 1960’s, i.e. the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. Through a vast number of well developed characters, the author digresses, pontificates and regales us with tales. There is family friction and a little romance. And although one may not find all of these characters or stories endearing, they are all compelling.
If you have a short attention span, this book isn’t for you. On the other hand once captivated by this novel, it is difficult to put down.
Highly recommended.
Thus begins our story and Eddie’s two decade long quest, first bouncing between DC and NYC and then onto Europe and Vietnam. Along the way Eddie meets such historical figures as J. Edgar Hoover, John F. Kennedy, Langston Hughes and Richard Nixon. All the while Eddie peels the proverbial onion, solving one riddle only to discover three more - The author seamlessly blending historical fact with fiction.
Because of personal reasons, which become evident in the reading, Eddie simply can’t drop his pursuit of the truth, at whatever cost or however long it takes. And the puzzle’s key is a long time in the finding, for Eddie’s journey is paramount and drives the story.
I believe readers pick up this author’s books expecting adrenaline spiking thrillers. They are not; the books are novels wrapped around complex puzzles. In Palace Council the reader is exposed to Harlem high society, Washington politics and the social upheaval of the 1960’s, i.e. the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. Through a vast number of well developed characters, the author digresses, pontificates and regales us with tales. There is family friction and a little romance. And although one may not find all of these characters or stories endearing, they are all compelling.
If you have a short attention span, this book isn’t for you. On the other hand once captivated by this novel, it is difficult to put down.
Highly recommended.
November 22, 2008
Before I rip on this book, I want to state clearly that I liked it pretty well and I like Stephen Carter's voice.
This book could use a very efficient editor. The plot wanders, and there are too many twists. It makes me think of being a kid sitting in church during the sermon, and the preacher would use his "wrapping it up" cadence, and then plunge right back in and keep going. Palace Council had too many non-climaxes. Also, too many characters. Ultimately, it was confusing, which can easily slip into boring.
I adore Carter's subjects. This book is set in the black political class in Harlem and Washington during the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations. A fascinating society in a fascinating time.
This book could use a very efficient editor. The plot wanders, and there are too many twists. It makes me think of being a kid sitting in church during the sermon, and the preacher would use his "wrapping it up" cadence, and then plunge right back in and keep going. Palace Council had too many non-climaxes. Also, too many characters. Ultimately, it was confusing, which can easily slip into boring.
I adore Carter's subjects. This book is set in the black political class in Harlem and Washington during the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations. A fascinating society in a fascinating time.
March 3, 2015
This is not for the mentally lazy. The reader will work on every page to keep up or be lost forever in the twists and turns of this one. That said, I accepted the challenge and emerged victorious and thoroughly entertained.
July 8, 2011
This book was kind of a mess. I've had it on my to-read list for a long time b/c it sounded like a good mystery, and the flap said that the plot started on Martha's Vineyard, so I brought it on my trip there. I read the first 200 pages or so at the beginning of the trip, and then set it aside for the rest of the trip b/c it felt tedious and I just wasn't enjoying it. I wanted, especially on vacation, to read something I actually enjoyed! After I finished another book (the Jodi Picoult one - far more satisfying beach read), I decided this was somewhat interesting enough to finish. It finally picked up somewhat around page 300 and remained slightly improved through the end (it unfortunately was 510 pages long).
Here's what I thought was a mess:
1. This book was badly in need of a better editor. When he thanked his "amazing" (or something like that) editor in the Author's Note at the end, I almost laughed out loud. It just felt like it had way too much detail and not enough suspense. He frequently threw in one-line paragraphs, often at the end of chapters, as a cheap technique to compell you onward (ex: boring chapter, ending w/a sentence like, "Two months later, he was murdered").
2. The main problem - He took fictional characters and had them interact with actual historical figures (e.g., Richard Nixon), and influence actual historical events (e.g., Watergate). I have no problem with actual history, nor with historical fiction (see: The Help). But this was not about characters who lived during an interesting time in history and who were influenced by the zeitgeist of the time - he had them actually CAUSE the history. It was like a bad, adult version of those kids books where, like, a mouse goes around in Ben Franklin's pocket and is the real cause of all his inventions. I HATED that aspect of this book. It made it false history, and bad fiction.
3. Related to that - he also reported in the Author's Note that many of the actual pieces of history were anachronisms! - i.e., that he moved some of the more general events a year or so forward or back, to fit w/his story. So even the REAL historical stuff was not accurate, and apparently his story was too important (in his opinion) or complicated and ridiculous (in mine) to conform to the actual facts!
The reason I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1 is that the second half of the book was fairly interesting, as was one of the general themes, which is the existence (for real - not just in the book) of an African American upper class. That DID interact well w/my trip to the Vineyard, b/c while I was there we had started talking about the history of African Americans on the vineyard and how that came about. That was actually addressed somewhat in the book.
Overall, it was fairly okay to read, and though the distortion of history was infuriating to me, I did appreciate the part about African Americans (although probably a whole different, and much better, book could have been written on that topic - or maybe already has been).
I kind of wish we'd read this for book club b/c we like to complain!
As a caveat, he ALSO said in the Author's Note (perhaps I should have read it BEFORE I read the book?) that these characters, or some of them, were in his previous novels - so maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the others? I doubt it.
PS I think got this recommendation from a review in People - you win, Bridget!
Here's what I thought was a mess:
1. This book was badly in need of a better editor. When he thanked his "amazing" (or something like that) editor in the Author's Note at the end, I almost laughed out loud. It just felt like it had way too much detail and not enough suspense. He frequently threw in one-line paragraphs, often at the end of chapters, as a cheap technique to compell you onward (ex: boring chapter, ending w/a sentence like, "Two months later, he was murdered").
2. The main problem - He took fictional characters and had them interact with actual historical figures (e.g., Richard Nixon), and influence actual historical events (e.g., Watergate). I have no problem with actual history, nor with historical fiction (see: The Help). But this was not about characters who lived during an interesting time in history and who were influenced by the zeitgeist of the time - he had them actually CAUSE the history. It was like a bad, adult version of those kids books where, like, a mouse goes around in Ben Franklin's pocket and is the real cause of all his inventions. I HATED that aspect of this book. It made it false history, and bad fiction.
3. Related to that - he also reported in the Author's Note that many of the actual pieces of history were anachronisms! - i.e., that he moved some of the more general events a year or so forward or back, to fit w/his story. So even the REAL historical stuff was not accurate, and apparently his story was too important (in his opinion) or complicated and ridiculous (in mine) to conform to the actual facts!
The reason I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1 is that the second half of the book was fairly interesting, as was one of the general themes, which is the existence (for real - not just in the book) of an African American upper class. That DID interact well w/my trip to the Vineyard, b/c while I was there we had started talking about the history of African Americans on the vineyard and how that came about. That was actually addressed somewhat in the book.
Overall, it was fairly okay to read, and though the distortion of history was infuriating to me, I did appreciate the part about African Americans (although probably a whole different, and much better, book could have been written on that topic - or maybe already has been).
I kind of wish we'd read this for book club b/c we like to complain!
As a caveat, he ALSO said in the Author's Note (perhaps I should have read it BEFORE I read the book?) that these characters, or some of them, were in his previous novels - so maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the others? I doubt it.
PS I think got this recommendation from a review in People - you win, Bridget!
December 30, 2008
If you cannot get into the characters within the first few pages, you may not enjoy this as the plot is not as engaging as it may seem, and the focuse of the book is to see how the characters interact/develop.
Other reviews here at the site are quite accurate.
Stephen L. Carter is an excellent author his characters are well drawn, real and easy to become interested in. Also, the subject matter of the small, but often influential African American upper class of the 50s'-60's is interesting and clearly well researched.
The plot quickly raises the reader's curiosity--but WARNING--as others have noted there is not really an "Aha!" moment--questions that were raised with such fanfare earlier on are disposed of in an offhanded way, and are not really explained--as if they no longer really matter. This often leaves the reader feeling disappointed.
Again Carter is clearly a gifted author. Though this is the first book of his I have read, I look forward to reading more.
Other reviews here at the site are quite accurate.
Stephen L. Carter is an excellent author his characters are well drawn, real and easy to become interested in. Also, the subject matter of the small, but often influential African American upper class of the 50s'-60's is interesting and clearly well researched.
The plot quickly raises the reader's curiosity--but WARNING--as others have noted there is not really an "Aha!" moment--questions that were raised with such fanfare earlier on are disposed of in an offhanded way, and are not really explained--as if they no longer really matter. This often leaves the reader feeling disappointed.
Again Carter is clearly a gifted author. Though this is the first book of his I have read, I look forward to reading more.
Read
January 6, 2009This is definitely an entertaining read--it kept me up an hour later than I intended at the close--but I never could suspend my disbelief fully. The protagonist has a little bit of a Forrest Gump tendency to land right in the midst of major historical events which felt contrived. And I don't know if Carter is just a lot smarter than me, but I tend to leave his mysteries going. "Wait. What just happened?" I'm never entirely clear about whodunit.
January 4, 2014
I couldn't get this book over with fast enough. There was waaaayyyy too much going on with this story. Mainly there were too many coincidences which make for a bad mystery and the use of real life historical people as characters wasn't to my liking. Seriously, making the main characters friends with Nixon just wasn't believable. I did however like that the author used some of the same characters from his previous books, and that his characters hail from the middle class.
January 5, 2009
Like others who have read this, I, too, felt this was in need of some serious editing. However, this is still an engrossing book, although I didn't like it as much as New England White. I did lose interest in the characters a bit by the end, and found the ending less than satisfying.
March 31, 2015
Carter has a peculiar style, in that he tells more than he shows, but he's a good storyteller. Palace Council isn't his best work, but it is interesting. Unfortunately, the last audio disk from the library didn't work. I have the book on order from the library, so no, I don't know how it ends yet.
April 9, 2015
A really well written book but at times deeply frustrating and difficult to follow. It is also overly long. My rating for this book is in reality more a 2.5 than a 3.
December 7, 2009
Advice to novelists: Never make the protagonist of your novel a novelist, unless you can be sure that the reader would rather be reading your novel than the ones your character has written.
The protagonist of Stephen L. Carter's third novel, Palace Council, is a novelist who by the end of the story has won at least two National Book Awards and is one of the most famous writers in America. Carter is pretty famous himself. He's the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Yale and the author of seven very serious nonfiction books about religion, morality and the law, though he's better known for his bestselling thrillers, The Emperor of Ocean Park and New England White.
The milieu of Carter's novels is the one inhabited by the upscale professionals -- lawyers, professors and the like -- and the haute bourgeoisie of "the darker nation," a phrase Carter uses for African-Americans. In Palace Council, it turns out that the phrase was coined by the novel's protagonist, Edward Trotter Wesley Jr.
In 1954, Eddie Wesley comes to Harlem to work as a journalist after graduating from Amherst and spending a couple of years in graduate work at Brown; his father is a Boston clergyman and his mother has family connections with the Harlem elite. Before long he has fallen in love with the beautiful Aurelia Treene, but she decides to marry the prince of Harlem society, Kevin Garland. Eddie leaves their engagement party despondently and, while cutting through a neighborhood park, he stumbles over the body of a white man, Philmont Castle, a prominent Wall Street lawyer who had also been a guest at the party.
Palace Council has a lot in common with Carter's earlier novels: The Emperor of Ocean Park centered on the Garland family, and New England White began with the accidental discovery of a body. And in all three books the protagonist is plunged into the middle of a mystery not of his or her making. But where the mysteries in Carter's earlier books unraveled over the course of months, it takes Eddie more than 20 years to figure out what the murder of Philmont Castle has to do with almost everything else that happens to and around him.
By the time the novel ends, the United States has gone through the turmoil of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and the protest against it, Watergate and Nixon's resignation. Eddie's sister, Junie, has disappeared into the revolutionary underground of the 1960s; he has been investigated by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI and written speeches for John F. Kennedy; he has been kidnapped and tortured while reporting in Saigon; he has befriended Richard Nixon. And he has foiled a secret plot to seize control of the U.S. government.
What is original in all of Carter's novels is his focus on the "darker nation," on the role played by African-Americans in recent American history, and on the way the unique social institutions that the black upper class constructed in the age of segregation were changed by the fractures in racial barriers. In a year that has seen the emergence of the first truly viable African-American presidential candidate, that ought to be a rich theme for a writer to exploit.
But Palace Council keeps getting hung up on the intricacies of its rather improbable plot, which deals with a conspiracy based on, of all things, Milton's Paradise Lost. Between the thriller plot and the love story -- Eddie's infatuation with Aurelia continues through the book -- the several interesting things that Carter has to say keep getting lost.
The book does demonstrate that Carter is capable of clever writing. He gives us, for example, an aspiring Democratic presidential candidate named Lanning Frost who seems to be an amiable dunce manipulated by an intensely ambitious wife. Frost's public utterances are couched in a kind of Bushian bafflegab. For example, when asked about the student protests on campuses, "Lanning nodded importantly. 'Well, naturally, none of us really want our once-proud universities run by the kind of situation where anybody reaches the level of controversy we need to attain,' he announced.
"The crowd cheered."
But Carter is no satirist. Palace Council is a curiously toneless book, as if Carter the law professor were unwilling to let Carter the novelist betray a strong feeling or attitude toward anything. This is a novel in which J. Edgar Hoover, John and Robert Kennedy, and Richard Nixon appear, and are all treated with a bland even-handedness and given dialogue that barely characterizes them at all. (Nixon, in fact, speaks in choppy sentence fragments that sound like the elder George Bush.) At its worst, the novel sinks to cliché, as when Eddie meets a shadowy, implacable hired killer who greets him with a line that was tired when Ernst Stavro Blofeld first purred it to James Bond: "I think it's time we had a little talk."
Eddie Wesley becomes a successful novelist by writing books like Field's Unified Theory, about an African-American physicist's quest for the goal that eluded Einstein; Blandishment, the coming-of-age story of a black student at a New England college; and Netherwhite, about a social climber rejected by the black upperclasses. Is it inappropriate to say that all of these sound more interesting than yet another political-conspiracy thriller with an overcomplicated plot?
The protagonist of Stephen L. Carter's third novel, Palace Council, is a novelist who by the end of the story has won at least two National Book Awards and is one of the most famous writers in America. Carter is pretty famous himself. He's the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Yale and the author of seven very serious nonfiction books about religion, morality and the law, though he's better known for his bestselling thrillers, The Emperor of Ocean Park and New England White.
The milieu of Carter's novels is the one inhabited by the upscale professionals -- lawyers, professors and the like -- and the haute bourgeoisie of "the darker nation," a phrase Carter uses for African-Americans. In Palace Council, it turns out that the phrase was coined by the novel's protagonist, Edward Trotter Wesley Jr.
In 1954, Eddie Wesley comes to Harlem to work as a journalist after graduating from Amherst and spending a couple of years in graduate work at Brown; his father is a Boston clergyman and his mother has family connections with the Harlem elite. Before long he has fallen in love with the beautiful Aurelia Treene, but she decides to marry the prince of Harlem society, Kevin Garland. Eddie leaves their engagement party despondently and, while cutting through a neighborhood park, he stumbles over the body of a white man, Philmont Castle, a prominent Wall Street lawyer who had also been a guest at the party.
Palace Council has a lot in common with Carter's earlier novels: The Emperor of Ocean Park centered on the Garland family, and New England White began with the accidental discovery of a body. And in all three books the protagonist is plunged into the middle of a mystery not of his or her making. But where the mysteries in Carter's earlier books unraveled over the course of months, it takes Eddie more than 20 years to figure out what the murder of Philmont Castle has to do with almost everything else that happens to and around him.
By the time the novel ends, the United States has gone through the turmoil of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and the protest against it, Watergate and Nixon's resignation. Eddie's sister, Junie, has disappeared into the revolutionary underground of the 1960s; he has been investigated by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI and written speeches for John F. Kennedy; he has been kidnapped and tortured while reporting in Saigon; he has befriended Richard Nixon. And he has foiled a secret plot to seize control of the U.S. government.
What is original in all of Carter's novels is his focus on the "darker nation," on the role played by African-Americans in recent American history, and on the way the unique social institutions that the black upper class constructed in the age of segregation were changed by the fractures in racial barriers. In a year that has seen the emergence of the first truly viable African-American presidential candidate, that ought to be a rich theme for a writer to exploit.
But Palace Council keeps getting hung up on the intricacies of its rather improbable plot, which deals with a conspiracy based on, of all things, Milton's Paradise Lost. Between the thriller plot and the love story -- Eddie's infatuation with Aurelia continues through the book -- the several interesting things that Carter has to say keep getting lost.
The book does demonstrate that Carter is capable of clever writing. He gives us, for example, an aspiring Democratic presidential candidate named Lanning Frost who seems to be an amiable dunce manipulated by an intensely ambitious wife. Frost's public utterances are couched in a kind of Bushian bafflegab. For example, when asked about the student protests on campuses, "Lanning nodded importantly. 'Well, naturally, none of us really want our once-proud universities run by the kind of situation where anybody reaches the level of controversy we need to attain,' he announced.
"The crowd cheered."
But Carter is no satirist. Palace Council is a curiously toneless book, as if Carter the law professor were unwilling to let Carter the novelist betray a strong feeling or attitude toward anything. This is a novel in which J. Edgar Hoover, John and Robert Kennedy, and Richard Nixon appear, and are all treated with a bland even-handedness and given dialogue that barely characterizes them at all. (Nixon, in fact, speaks in choppy sentence fragments that sound like the elder George Bush.) At its worst, the novel sinks to cliché, as when Eddie meets a shadowy, implacable hired killer who greets him with a line that was tired when Ernst Stavro Blofeld first purred it to James Bond: "I think it's time we had a little talk."
Eddie Wesley becomes a successful novelist by writing books like Field's Unified Theory, about an African-American physicist's quest for the goal that eluded Einstein; Blandishment, the coming-of-age story of a black student at a New England college; and Netherwhite, about a social climber rejected by the black upperclasses. Is it inappropriate to say that all of these sound more interesting than yet another political-conspiracy thriller with an overcomplicated plot?
October 3, 2017
Excellent book about the 1960s and Harlem. A political novel intertwined with race and family and a mysterious group. I have had his book on my shelves for some time and glad I pulled it to read it.
April 15, 2013
A Slow Ramble Through The Sixties, (2012)
Carter, Stephen L. (2008). Palace Council. New York: Vintage.
The characters are interesting and well-rounded in this saga of a prominent black community in Harlem, from the mid-1950’s to the mid-1970’s. Eddie Wesley is a black (“Negro”) writer who achieves sudden early fame and prosperity, which admits him into the upper echelons of rich black society. He loves Aurelia, but she marries someone else for money and status. Her relationship with Eddie nevertheless smolders throughout the novel.
A cryptic prologue establishes that there is a committee of prominent black, and white men, called The Palace Council, and they are secretly plotting something socially dangerous, possibly revolutionary. One of its members is found dead in the park, by Eddie. He investigates, but discovers little. When his sister goes missing, he has reason to believe it is related to the secret society. The rest of the 500 pages are consumed by him trying to find his sister, along the way, discovering new people and places .
The intrigue of the Palace Council starts out more mysterious than it ever gets later. Eddie is hauled in front of J. Edgar Hoover and threatened and cajoled to be a spy in the black community. Hoover hints that if he ever hopes to see his sister again, he will cooperate. Meanwhile, Aurelia’s rich husband is apparently involved in the Palace Council. She is so well-connected, Richard Nixon takes her calls, as she tries to help Eddie find his sister. Eddie, however, is a speechwriter for JFK. Hoover’s men try to get Eddie to spy on JFK. Frightened, Eddie quits the White House instead, and seeks advice from his Harlem neighbor, Langston Hughes.
And that’s the kind of book it is, an exploration of wealthy African-American life in “the sixties,” with lots of ambiance, with prominent political and social figures, and scenery ranging from New York and Washington to Saigon and Hong Kong. The mystery of the Palace Council, which you thought the book would be about, diffuses into the background and becomes almost irrelevant. The author tries to keep the mystery alive with Da Vinci Code-like, cryptic, pseudo-religious clues, but since there is nothing at stake, there is no dramatic tension, and that story becomes an unnecessary sub-theme.
It’s fun to see the changes in America over two decades, although that is usually accomplished with name-dropping and newspaper headlines, not sociological exploration. Also, since the main characters are all extremely wealthy, well-educated and socially and politically connected, it’s hard to remember they are black, and because of their demographics, that isn’t very important to the story anyway. So I wouldn’t say the story is “about” black experience. These are just ordinary Americans of no particular ethnicity, rambling through a period of history. The characters are mildly interesting, but their stories have virtually no point. The writing is above average, scenes are well-drawn, dialog rings emotionally true. If you enjoy good writing, you will probably keep turning the pages.
Carter, Stephen L. (2008). Palace Council. New York: Vintage.
The characters are interesting and well-rounded in this saga of a prominent black community in Harlem, from the mid-1950’s to the mid-1970’s. Eddie Wesley is a black (“Negro”) writer who achieves sudden early fame and prosperity, which admits him into the upper echelons of rich black society. He loves Aurelia, but she marries someone else for money and status. Her relationship with Eddie nevertheless smolders throughout the novel.
A cryptic prologue establishes that there is a committee of prominent black, and white men, called The Palace Council, and they are secretly plotting something socially dangerous, possibly revolutionary. One of its members is found dead in the park, by Eddie. He investigates, but discovers little. When his sister goes missing, he has reason to believe it is related to the secret society. The rest of the 500 pages are consumed by him trying to find his sister, along the way, discovering new people and places .
The intrigue of the Palace Council starts out more mysterious than it ever gets later. Eddie is hauled in front of J. Edgar Hoover and threatened and cajoled to be a spy in the black community. Hoover hints that if he ever hopes to see his sister again, he will cooperate. Meanwhile, Aurelia’s rich husband is apparently involved in the Palace Council. She is so well-connected, Richard Nixon takes her calls, as she tries to help Eddie find his sister. Eddie, however, is a speechwriter for JFK. Hoover’s men try to get Eddie to spy on JFK. Frightened, Eddie quits the White House instead, and seeks advice from his Harlem neighbor, Langston Hughes.
And that’s the kind of book it is, an exploration of wealthy African-American life in “the sixties,” with lots of ambiance, with prominent political and social figures, and scenery ranging from New York and Washington to Saigon and Hong Kong. The mystery of the Palace Council, which you thought the book would be about, diffuses into the background and becomes almost irrelevant. The author tries to keep the mystery alive with Da Vinci Code-like, cryptic, pseudo-religious clues, but since there is nothing at stake, there is no dramatic tension, and that story becomes an unnecessary sub-theme.
It’s fun to see the changes in America over two decades, although that is usually accomplished with name-dropping and newspaper headlines, not sociological exploration. Also, since the main characters are all extremely wealthy, well-educated and socially and politically connected, it’s hard to remember they are black, and because of their demographics, that isn’t very important to the story anyway. So I wouldn’t say the story is “about” black experience. These are just ordinary Americans of no particular ethnicity, rambling through a period of history. The characters are mildly interesting, but their stories have virtually no point. The writing is above average, scenes are well-drawn, dialog rings emotionally true. If you enjoy good writing, you will probably keep turning the pages.
May 21, 2012
In the last of Carter's "Elm Harbor" series, he surely saved the best for last. Not as 'thick' as the other two books, Carter still takes us on a great ride to discover murderers, kidnappers, and the place the 'darker nation' (his word, not mine) has in the US political scene from the 1950s to mid-70s. From the inauguration of Eisenhowser in '53 through to the shameful departure of Nixon in '74, Carter weaves a tale a generation in the making to put some of the key pieces together, as they relate to the secretive PALACE COUNCIL.
As a personal preference, I choose to read series in order, though sometimes wonder if it is best to read them in character rather than publication chronology. In this case, although the 'first' in the series, it is best read last. Some startling discoveries come to light whose mention are never made in the first two books, but that can really made you think 'so THAT's why they did that!' and leave you shake your head. I love the nuances that Carter inserts and the characters that pop up in all three books, forcing you to remember their place in works written previously. Carter seems to be a master, much like Connelly, at adding people in and expecting the reader's mental filing cabinet to pop open as they read.
Examining controversial issues such as the place of African Americans in the political system, the struggle with the Vietnam War, and the backroom deals that brought the Nixon White House to its knees, Carter offers a stunning commentary on the times, while also pushing through an excellent piece of fiction.
Easily the best of his Elm Harbor series, Carter receives all my kudos, and perhaps some of yours!
As a personal preference, I choose to read series in order, though sometimes wonder if it is best to read them in character rather than publication chronology. In this case, although the 'first' in the series, it is best read last. Some startling discoveries come to light whose mention are never made in the first two books, but that can really made you think 'so THAT's why they did that!' and leave you shake your head. I love the nuances that Carter inserts and the characters that pop up in all three books, forcing you to remember their place in works written previously. Carter seems to be a master, much like Connelly, at adding people in and expecting the reader's mental filing cabinet to pop open as they read.
Examining controversial issues such as the place of African Americans in the political system, the struggle with the Vietnam War, and the backroom deals that brought the Nixon White House to its knees, Carter offers a stunning commentary on the times, while also pushing through an excellent piece of fiction.
Easily the best of his Elm Harbor series, Carter receives all my kudos, and perhaps some of yours!
October 18, 2019
This book's title should have been "The Theory Of Everything" for it attempts to use its plot as a way connect and explain the key events of almost a quarter of a century of American history (1952-1975).
Palace Council isn't a bad book, it's an easy read, the prose flows smoothly, some of the characters are nicely developed (especially the protagonist); it's just that there's way too much in it.
There is some Da Vinci Code type of mystery, a life-long search for a missing sister, secret CIA and FBI plots, a political backdrop which is too granular and too important to be just a backdrop, the Harlem society of the 50’s, the publishing and academic world, the racial tensions of the 50’s and 60’s, the assassination of JFK, RFK and MLK, the Vietnam war, the Watergate....
So, in the end, the book is still readable and ultimately somewhat enjoyable; its main weakness is that its ambitious construct ("the theory of everything") makes the goal of bringing everything together rather hard, with rather implausible solutions and a few loose ends.
Palace Council isn't a bad book, it's an easy read, the prose flows smoothly, some of the characters are nicely developed (especially the protagonist); it's just that there's way too much in it.
There is some Da Vinci Code type of mystery, a life-long search for a missing sister, secret CIA and FBI plots, a political backdrop which is too granular and too important to be just a backdrop, the Harlem society of the 50’s, the publishing and academic world, the racial tensions of the 50’s and 60’s, the assassination of JFK, RFK and MLK, the Vietnam war, the Watergate....
So, in the end, the book is still readable and ultimately somewhat enjoyable; its main weakness is that its ambitious construct ("the theory of everything") makes the goal of bringing everything together rather hard, with rather implausible solutions and a few loose ends.
July 11, 2009
Heavy-going conspiracy. Plan by 20 powerful men to manipulate the US, it tells us on the jacket. Good thing too, because you have to get 400 pages in before you have any idea what the Palace Council might be up to. Writer Eddie Wesley stumbles on a dead body and into a deadly intrigue. Shortly after, his sister Junie disappears, apparently having joined an underground terrorist group. The two events are linked to the Palace Council. Action spans 20 years and includes figures such as JFK, Richard Nixon and J Edgar Hoover but we're so in the dark through most of it that it's easy to lose interest. There's a difference between keeping readers hooked and leaving them floundering for hundreds of pages. And what's so unusual about a group of wealthy men wanting to control the country? Happens every day, surely.
June 11, 2013
Based on my experience with this author in the past, I expected this book to be very accessible and engaging. It was both. The central mystery is very Dan Brown, and that's not a bad thing when you want a page-turner. The descriptions of Harlem Society provided some depth, and some of the character portrayals were multifaceted enough to elevate things. It was especially fun to read a different take on Richard Nixon than what we usually get and to have him be so present throughout the story. I suspect that Carter was trying to lampoon GW Bush with one of his characters, but I kept reading that particular character's speeches in Sarah Palin's voice which was also a laugh riot. The loose ends get tied up rather quickly at the end of the book which was a bit dissatisfying and also confusing, but I would recommend this as a fun summer read.
October 14, 2017
I wanted to like this much more than I actually did. This is an intricate, sprawling novel of conspiracy, mystery and intrigue spanning approximately two decades, from the mid 1950s to 1975, positively littered with historical figures and events lending the main characters a Forrest Gumpish experience. They knew everyone and appeared to be at nearly every major event of the times. Some of that I found interesting, some of it was just too contrived and implausible. It was slow going for me. I put it aside and read another novel before making myself finish it. I don't know if tighter editing would have helped or if this just wasn't the book, or maybe the right time, for me. I've been watching The Vietnam War by Ken Burns so much of the politics were fresh in my mind but despite sounding fascinating something here just didn't quite work for me.
March 6, 2009
This novel is ambitious and pulled me in from the beginning, but ultimately left me unsatisfied. Perhaps I would have liked it better if I had read it on a beach somewhere, but it certainly did not live up to either of Carter's other novels. This book continues his theme of looking at the racial issues faced by upper class African-Americans, but instead of doing it through the prism of the lives of Ivy League law professors, it uses the prism of a 20-year long conspiracy theory which touches on real life figures such as Langston Hughes and Richard Nixon along with events such as the Vietnam war, the voting rights act, and Watergate.
January 1, 2009
one word:
confusing
There are so many characters and the novel spans two decades. I found it really hard to follow and even at the end I wasn't exactly sure what had happened throughout the story. Also confusing was the fact that some of the "characters" are actual historical figures - Kennedy, Nixon, Langston Hughes, etc.
It was still ok, and interesting if you enjoy Carter's first two stories - some of the characters in his earlier novels are "born" during this one. I loved his first two novels but this one was not quite as good.
confusing
There are so many characters and the novel spans two decades. I found it really hard to follow and even at the end I wasn't exactly sure what had happened throughout the story. Also confusing was the fact that some of the "characters" are actual historical figures - Kennedy, Nixon, Langston Hughes, etc.
It was still ok, and interesting if you enjoy Carter's first two stories - some of the characters in his earlier novels are "born" during this one. I loved his first two novels but this one was not quite as good.
February 5, 2012
Once again, the brillian Stephen Carter writes a hard, but rewarding novel in which you learn about upper class African American life as much as you are entertained by the thriller. The plot is so complicated that I won't attempt to explain it, except to say that terrorism, journalism, writing, solidarity, and paranoia play large parts, as does love of one's family, romantic love, and love of/obsession with one's muse. It's an exciting book, with lots going on, and thus not an easy read, but I found it well worth the time.
November 23, 2008
I really like how smart Stephen Carter's books are. He combines mystery with history and explores upper class African American communities that are not widely written about. That said, I found this book a bit slow. It has such a large scope, spans several decades, and has many characters. I had a difficult time getting into the book and caring what happened to the characters. I have enjoyed other Carter books and really wanted to like it but I found it a challenge to finish.
March 27, 2009
Another great book from one of my favorite authors. Terrific legal fiction set between 1954 and 1974. Intelligently written, it is full of historical figures, conspiracy theories and intrigue. It has plenty of twists and turns. Eddie Wesley and Aurelia Treene are complex, fully developed characters.
This is definitely a page turner, but "The Emperor of Ocean Park" is still my favorite. Make no mistake though, this is no light read. I highly recommend.
This is definitely a page turner, but "The Emperor of Ocean Park" is still my favorite. Make no mistake though, this is no light read. I highly recommend.
July 18, 2008
Carter is a very literary "legal thriller" author whose books are dense reads about the African-American upper class. This new addition continues the twists and turns of his suspenseful novels. I really enjoyed how he includes famous people such as Nixon and Langston Hughes as some of his characters in this interesting read which spans the years of 1952-1974.
February 26, 2010
I loved this book. A Black political thriller is hard to come by. This book opened my eyes to a genre of fiction that I have never paid attention to. It made me think, laugh, worry, sigh...every chance I got, I read this book. Mr. Carter has once again presented a brilliant piece of literature that has the ability to take his readers on a wild roller coaster ride.
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