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numbat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is a very cleaver post racial satire catalysed by the post racial discourse of the 2010s. It is unremittingly absurd. Bon Bon attempts to reestablish a his home town, swallowed up by gentrification, by reintroducing segregation. Chock full of puns, references and sub cultural ins and outs this book is about taking things to their illogical conclusion and reading it now it still feels relevant and on point. If anything it feels too tame in a post truth era.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Ableism
abbie_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
All the adjectives you’ve already seen used to describe Paul Beatty’s The Sellout are 100% accurate. Caustic, witty, fierce, brutal, biting, scathing, they and more all hold true to this novel. It’s one of those books where I can’t really say I ‘enjoyed’ it, but I’m glad I read it and it’s definitely unforgettable.
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It’s a scathing (I’m sorry okay, I have a limited repertoire of adjectives) critique of the supposedly ‘post-racial’ America, a satire which rings uncomfortably close to home in many cases. There are so many blistering quotes in The Sellout which cause you to stop and think, thinking that this is not satire but just an accurate portrayal of America today. For instance ‘she should’ve known that while 250 poor colored kids getting inferior educations will never be front-page news, the denial of even one white student access to a decent education would create a media shit-storm.’
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I mentioned in a Story when I started reading that Beatty’s mind works faster than the average reader’s, and he refuses to slow down for anyone. So if you’re planning on reading this, buckle up, strap in, just hold on tight as you rocket your way through Beatty’s firecracker prose. I did think the first half had more momentum than the second. It’s also full to the brim with American pop culture references, which for a non-American interrupts the flow somewhat as I had to keep Googling things.
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This seems to be a love or loathe book and I’m not sure where I fall - just sitting in a corner trying to recover from the force of Beatty’s mind and prose, probably.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Ableism, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Slavery
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