The Emperor of Ocean Park
2002 novel by Stephen L. Carter / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Emperor of Ocean Park is a 2002 novel by American author and law professor Stephen L. Carter. It is the first part of Carter's Elm Harbor series; two more novels in the series were published in 2007 and 2008.[3][4] The book was Carter's first work of fiction, and spent 11 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list following its publication. Described as a murder mystery, the novel tells the story of Talcott Garland, a law professor who uncovers a mystery surrounding his father, the titular 'Emperor of Ocean Park'.[5] Written from Tal's first person perspective, the book explores themes of privileged black identity, politics, and law,[6] and contains many allusions to chess.[7]
Author | Stephen L. Carter |
---|---|
Audio read by | Richard Allen[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series | Elm Harbor |
Genre | Thriller, Mystery |
Publisher | Knopf |
Publication date | June 2, 2002 |
Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
Pages | 657[2] |
ISBN | 0224062840 |
Followed by | New England White |
Website | The Emperor of Ocean Park |
Because a number of publishing houses were interested in obtaining the rights to the book, Carter received an exceptionally large advance of $4.2 million. The size of the advance, for a debut novel from an African-American writer, contributed to an important shift for African-American literature, with the book marketed and received as a mainstream work of fiction, rather than one aimed at a specialized audience.[8] The novel was well-reviewed by most critics, with attention being drawn to its then-unusual setting for a murder mystery story, featuring an African-American protagonist and with most of the story taking place in wealthy, predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., and Martha's Vineyard.[2] It won the 2003 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and BCALA Literary Award,[9] and was nominated for several more, including the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Fiction and the New Blood Dagger from the Crime Writer's Association.