THE QUEEN OF HARLEM

Jackson's latest novel is the story of a young man who retreats from wealth and privilege in order to discover his true self. As an African-American raised in mostly white Southern suburbs, Mason feels out of place surrounded by people his own color. Determined to change that, he rebaptizes himself Malik and adopts a new persona in an attempt to experience "real" black culture. He moves to Harlem, lies about waiting tables while living off a generous allowance, engages in unsophisticated philosophizing and absorbs life lessons from Carmen England, an enigmatic society diva who seems to be something of a fabrication herself. Of course, Mason's duplicity leads to complications he never anticipated, and he realizes that he cannot be himself while playing at being someone else. But Mason's original motivation is never explored in any depth, and his abandonment of his false identity has more to do with winning an affluent young woman than with any new wisdom or contrition. Discovering one's true self by experimenting with an invented self is not a new idea; Jackson's innovation is to take his protagonist to Harlem, but setting alone is not enough to carry a novel. Mason resides in Harlem, but he never really lives there. The representation of this rich, storied neighborhood is no more enlightening than the view out-of-towners have from a tour bus. Jackson was widely praised for the honesty and emotion of The View from Here and Walking Through Mirrors. Perhaps those qualities will make a comeback in his next novel. Agent, Faith Hampton Childs. (Apr. 16)