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This rich, wide-ranging novel weaves together the legend of John Henry, the steel-driving man, with the modern-day story of J. Sutter, a disenchanted freelance journalist. The novel alternates between the historical and mythical figure of John Henry, and the present-day experiences of Sutter, a cynical, African-American freelance journalist who attends junkets to collect free promotional items and write minimal copy. In this case, he is attending the first annual John Henry Days festival, in Talcott, West Virginia. Sutter's primary goal is to maintain his transient lifestyle and avoid deep emotional or personal engagement. As the story unfolds, however, Sutter's journey becomes intertwined with the myth of John Henry, exploring themes of race, technology, and the human condition. Meanwhile, a few other main characters' stories gradually converge: the other junketeers; the attractive daughter of a John Henry memorabilia collector; Lucien, a slick publicist; and an introverted stamp collector who comes to the event armed.

This bare retelling of the "plot" doesn't begin to describe the ground that this sprawling, riot of a novel covers. It's the second Whitehead book I've read, and it's a real tour de force, a multi-layered, dense, ambitious novel. He's a writer of dizzying intellect, linguistically jabbing and feinting, peppering the pages with dry humor and insights into all the foibles of modern culture. With just a throwaway line ("Sunglasses: where are they? Sunglasses prevent arrest for reckless eyeballing"), Whitehead speaks volumes about the black experience in America. Whitehead's rich, descriptive prose and sharp wit, and his ability to juggle the two timelines of the novel's jagged structure, make it a pitch-perfect critique of the cynicism, commercialization, and superficiality of contemporary society.