Rating: 
Summary: READ IT AND WEEP!
Review: What a way to begin a vacation! I read this book in two days, and just came in from our porch crying both on the outside and in. This is not just a book for black people to read, but for ALL people, especially ALL MEN! I just hope the next one, FATHER FOUND, is a continuation of this marvelous story. I felt deeply for both father and children, as well as wives, in this book. Although I agree the women could have been a bit more developed, it was enough for me to sympathize with them while caring so much for all the men in the story. A RARE find from the male perspective about a difficult subject. I grew up in a middle-class white family where the dad was physically there but emotionally absent, not much better than an absentee dad, and maybe even worse because no matter how hard I tried on a daily basis I never got to know him at all. My parents eventually divorced, and my dad died filled with regrets while I was in college. Such missed opportunities...there but not, and then gone!I know there are a lot of guys out there of the boomer generation who can relate. This book, beautifully written and fast moving, will reach the depths of the male soul and stay forever...have your wife read it too, its that important! Can't wait for the next. Great debut by an important writer in the making!
Rating:
Summary: I could really feel for the characters in this book!
Review: The Harris Men was refreshing and well written. It is the first novel that I have read in a long time where I really felt for the characters. You have men trying to be good men and sisters supporting them in their efforts. It is realistic and it deals with issues that are vital to the African-American community - key among them - is the absence of the African-American father. It is a subject that affects families of all races. I really enjoyed The Harris Men.
Rating: 
Summary: I enjoyed it!
Review: I enjoyed this book. It was different. In the beginning, it started off slow but once it picked up...I couldn't put it down. Although I enjoyed the dialogue, the ending could have been much better. Good luck to Mr. Johnson on his writing career.
Rating:
Summary: A novel that is long overdue!
Review: Being a male of African decent, I felt there was a change needed in the type of novels that were being published and making their way to the shelves of book stores. Crowded were the shelves with books with titles like "Sista This", and "Sista That". It was refreshing to finally find a book written by a black man, about black men. A number of my female friends have read this book and many have enjoyed and a few have not. What I have to say to some women is, stop being so spoiled! Most of the recent commercial fiction titles published for African Americans are about women. This book is entitled The Harris Men! So people who open the pages should expect a story about men, not about men catering to women, or finding themselves because of the aid of a woman, or men making themselves whole to the credit of a woman, or whatever else women desire. This novel should be seen for what it is. If you want necks rolling, fingers popping, beauty shop talk, and the term "sistergirl" dropping out of every characters mouth each time they part their lips to speak, then go in the book store blindfolded, toss a dart in the Afro American book section, and purchase the book that dart lands on, because they're quite easy to find. Bottom line, this is a fine novel, one that should be appreciated for what it is and the purpose that it serves. That purpose being, to give readers an insight into the black males psyche. Unbiased insight, not filtered through the mind of anyone but that writer. That has been accomplished here, and I would personally like to than RM Johnson for his gift. And I, like so many of my friends eagerly await his next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Realistic and Refreshing!
Review: This book was outstanding. It started a little slow but later I felt that it helped in the character development. I liked the realism relative to the Father-Son relationships. Mainly I liked the wit and the refreshing approach to a neglected subject. It is nice to know that men can be given a forum to reflect more than one or two sides. Keep up the good work. I must admit, the endorsement from E.Lynn Harris motivated me to give the book a try.
Rating:
Summary: Unique perspective, well thought out, a must read!
Review: RM Johnson very elegantly describes a very real and sometimes painful experience that many families face-children growing up without their father. What makes this book so intriguing is that it is written from a male perspective. The story unfolds as Julius, the father who abandoned his children 20 years ago, learns that he has cancer. Coming to grips with his own mortality, he realizes that he must attempt to reach out to the sons that he left many years ago. Those three children, now men, are having their own challenges in life. Austin, Marcus, and Caleb, grapple with their own invidual circumstances and the challenges that are posed from living life. Now, these men are faced with a personal and extremely emotional dilemma--whether or not to forgive and allow their father to re-enter their lives. This book was extremely well written, enjoyable and thought provoking in its subject matter and I truly enjoyed every minute reading it!
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing new here
Review: I spotted this book while browsing and with the endorsement by E. Lynn Harris on the back cover, I decided to give it a try. It was refreshing to see a book based on 3 men instead of the standard 2 0r 3 women as so many African-American novels seem to be. However, the story line was flat and a little too neatly resolved for my taste. For instance, Caleb's chance meeting with Benning on the bus was a little far-fetched. The whole deal with Caleb and Jim in the alley and then the incident with the computer code was ridiculous!! Julius' desire to meet his sons again was admirable but the way that it was resolved in the end was weak. I hated Austin's character; more thought should have been given to character development; especially in his marital conflicts with Trace. The only characters worth remembering were Sonya and Julius' girlfriend. Both displayed strong will and determination when faced with adverse siuations. I wish Mr. Johnson luck in his writing career but I won't be as quick to purchase his work next time
Rating:
Summary: Good plot, well-rounded characters, but too much dialogue
Review: "The Harris Men" is an insightful story about three boys (men) abandoned by their father. It is a wonderful concept which needed to be told; so many books of this kind are written from women's points of view. It was a welcome respite from other one-dimensional novels ("Scenes from a Sistah," "Single Mom" and all of T. McMillan's novels) which ignore the past as a contributing factor to the present. Who and how and where you were raised does have an impact on your future views, career and relationships. However, too many pages are dedicated to dialogue which reminded me of "Waiting to Exhale" (which I didn't like). It is apparent by the cover photo that Johnson's story is a personal one (Marcus?), but more "showing" than "telling," metaphors and flashbacks, would have helped the creativity of the story. It reads more like a screenplay than a novel. While it is set in Chicago, the ambience that is Chicago is missing. Trace, Reesie and Sonya are strong, but too perfect and appear to be the same character (I believe in standing by your man, but all of them?!). In addition, as someone abandoned by her father, who also knows other people in similar situations, the reason for Julius' abandonment is weak. Many men who leave start new families, dispelling the myth that men leave because they are overwhelmed.
Rating:
Summary: The Harris Men
Review: This is an all-too-familiar story of what can happen to a family when a parent walks away. These guys struggle with their own demons while trying to forget about the pain their father's abandonment caused for them. Though I was interested in finding out how this family makes out in the end and whether or not they could heal the rift between them, it was a struggle to get through. Caleb was my least favorite character but he seemed to be the star of the story, which bored me to no end.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good Conversation Book
Review: I wanted to like this book...I really did. But I'm having the hardest time figuring out how to give a fair review without slamming the whole story. The characters are one-dimensional, almost to a fault. Especially Caleb. He made me want to beat his a&# with his 'the world owes me something cause my father walked out on me, my mother died, and my big brother treats me like crap' attitude. Were the women in the story clones of one another? Did we ever truly understand the dynamics that made Austin walk out on his family other than needing his 'space' or his wife not cooking for him one night? I don't think so. Marcus was just a complete wuss. Everything was so predictable. I can understand the writer wanting to shed some light on the epidemic of fatherless children and the emotional turmoil that it entails but in my opinion he falls way short of that mark. A very disappointing and time-wasting read.
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