Rating: 
Summary: The Man Upstairs
Review: There is the man upstairs and the man in the basement. Both have a story to tell. We learn more about the man upstairs than the man in the basement. Mosley has interesting questions he wants to explore in "The Man in My Basement". But the short book asks more questions than it answers. Mosley is a fine writer. He's books are always worth reading. This one may leave you wondering more than understanding what Mosley was after. That is not necessarily a bad thing. I just wish Mosley had written a longer book and explored his questions in more depth.
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Summary: A 5 star novel of guilt and consequence
Review: This being the first Walter Mosley novel that I've ever read, I was quite suprised how well this novel was written. It's a complex look at guilt and consequence as well as the choices that you make in everyday life. It also explores family heritage as the right in which Charles Blakey struggles to define in the novel as whether to sell his family heirlooms found in the basement or turn them into a heritage museum preserving his families legacy. I found the relationship between Charles Blakey and Anniston Bennet complex, intriguing, and suspenseful as they both explore there reasons for living as well as the consequences of past actions. The Man In My Basement is unique, original, and should be one everyone's must read list. Definitely one of the top 10 best books of 2004.
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Summary: Sex, lies, and crime & punishment
Review: This book left my head spinning! It's a fascinating exploration about power in its many forms -- and the price that must be paid for wielding that power. We hear about power-in-action on a grand scale from one of the world's powerbrokers; we see it on a small scale between two men.As I read the book, it raised more and more questions. Assumed roles are reversed. Situations are turned on their heads, as are morals and ethics. Apparently, for the world to work, in order for citizens of free countries to enjoy comparative wealth and freedom, those from less fortunate parts of the world must suffer. So, while we altruistically teach our children that it's wrong to lie, hurt people and steal, it turns out that lying, killing and stealing (not love) make our world go 'round. At another time, in another country, "The Man in My Basement" probably would've been banned. To tyrannical Powers That Be, this is the most frightening of books: It makes you think. Almost forgot. There's plenty of sex in it, too!
Rating:
Summary: Black and white, smoke and mirrors
Review: This book was my first excursion into the prose of Walter Mosley, and I found it good. His style is punchy and direct. No flowery prose or ponderous passages here, just the direct emotions and impressions and events, which make for a solid impact on the reader. The story is both simple and complex: the narrator, who is black, is pretty much down, but not yet out. He clings to a bit of family pride even though he's been beaten down over the years by his awful uncle, who never lost an opportunity to tell him how utterly worthless he was. And circumstances and misdemeanors have taken their toll on him too. But then, down to his last pennies, he meets a bizarre little white man who simply rings the front door bell and expresses a burning desire to "live" in his basement for the summer, and to pay handsomely for the privilege of being imprisoned there.
The two characters mirror their respective self-imposed imprisonments, but the wonder of the story is in the telling.
This is a quick and a catchy read and will leave you thinking.
Rating:
Summary: I read it in ONE sitting!!!
Review: This is a page turner for sure! Walter Mosley takes ordinary men and turns them into passionate fascinating heroes. This book was awesome! This book is FIYAH!!!! He needs to do a sequel. I loved this character and this book!
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting... You must read this... Among his best.
Review: This is an intriging story of two men. One trapped in a self imprisoned deteriorating world of adult immaturity. The other seeking a self-imposed imprisonment to escape his hell-hounds.
You should not miss the collision of these two worlds. This story leaves great clarity to the Walt Kelly adage,"We have met the enemy... and he is us."
Rating: 
Summary: A book deeper than its cover or title
Review: This is my third book of Walter Mosley's. I read two of his Easy Rawlins books, liked them, and looked forward to this work when it was suggested by my black literature discussion group. The ladies in the group didn't like the book, but the men did. After a slow start, characters start developing. Charles Blakey is a ne'er do well, who is easy to dislike. Anniston Bennet, who wants to stay in Blakey's basement, is so tangibly irritable to the reader. The junk in Blakey's cellar, which he decides to clean out to prepare for Bennet, turns out to be familial treasure. All of what is important occurs in this basement. The title is the key in this highly symbolic work. The basement symbolizes so much: the inner person, as well as the whole world. In this basement, a free white man learns slavery, and a vapid black man develops a will. Outside the basement, with significant others, Blakey is bound, and cannot tell of the ordeal occurring "within" him. Inside the basement's cell Bennet dares to come to grips with what his freedom has wrought. The book is tantalizing in its touching upon the Great Ideas that have moved and formed civilization. I recommend this big work in a small book.
Rating:
Summary: Journey or Vaction
Review: This story had me from the "small white man"...I read it in one sitting. I have been a long fan of Walter Mosley, but he lost me at Blue Light. Reading this novel brought me back to why I was really interested in his writting. This story holds you on the edge of your seat, and stays with you long after you've finished reading it.
This book isn't meant to be skimmed, read it when you have time to savor the story. I would recommend it to anyone seeking a good short read.
Rating:
Summary: Black and White, Smoke and Mirrors
Review: This title was my first excursion into the prose of Walter Mosley, and I found the journey to be a good one. His style is punchy and direct. No flowery prose or ponderous passages here, just the direct emotions and impressions and events, which make for a solid impact on the reader. The story is both simple and complex: the narrator, who is black, is pretty much down, but not yet out. He clings to a bit of family pride even though he's been beaten down over the years by his awful uncle, who never lost an opportunity to tell him how utterly worthless he was. And circumstances and misdemeanors have taken their toll on him too. But then, down to his last pennies, he meets a bizarre little white man who simply rings the front door bell and expresses a burning desire to "live" in his basement for the summer, and to pay handsomely for the privilege of being imprisoned there.
The two characters mirror their respective self-imposed imprisonments, but the wonder of the story is in the telling.
This is a quick and a catchy read and will leave you thinking.
Rating:
Summary: excellent...nuff said
Review: unlike many of the other reviewers, I'll leave a brief REVIEW and not a BOOK REPORT that hits all the major plot points and gives away the flow of the novel. (god bless the internet and its accesibility) the writing is excellent, pulls you in from page one. the writer has a way of drawing flawed characters and making them human and makes the reader empathize with their plight, even if they are characters, for the most part, we wouldn't want to spend time with in the real world. Walter Mosley gets to the heart and soul of his characters, something that many writers fail to do. He's not afraid to show you the unprettiness of his characters and this country. What amazes me is how many reviewers are genre-stuck and not able to grade a story on its on merit. "it's not a mystery.." DUH. This novel is another expample that shows why Mosley is great. it's not about race or genre. He's an excellent writer, period.
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