A review by joshhornbeck
Erasure by Percival Everett

challenging dark funny reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is an absolutely outstanding work of literary and experimental fiction, satirizing white liberal expectations for Black creatives. The central character is prickly and complicated, and the narrative doesn’t leave us with easy answers or simple moralizing. It forces us to wrestle with  questions of identity and our own bias, even as the author finds his ability ground his identity further and further out of reach due to issues within his family. The digressions and formal choices made throughout the novel are brilliant, and the book is absolutely hilarious at times. A wonderful, wonderful novel.
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