Reviews

The Sellout by Paul Beatty

Only show reviews with written explanations

teacherseth's review

Go to review page

challenging dark funny medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wickedly funny and clever satire but of a forgotten time.

tannerbooknaldo's review

Go to review page

funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

thank you mya. books are back on the menu.

catiepursifull's review

Go to review page

It was far more intense and crude than I thought originally. Tons of cussing and the plot went nowhere.

This was a very interesting read, and was written very well in an unusual style. I can't say it wasn't a good book, but I didn't like it that much. There really was no plot line, and felt more like a collection of witty essays and punchlines than anything. The premise was amusing and I think a lot of what Beatty had to say was relevant and insightful into today's society. However, I felt that the book was meandering and repetitive. I'm glad I read it (for a book club), as it isn't something I would probably have chosen myself, and it was a welcome change from the stuff I usually choose for myself.

mansikwatra's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

The Sellout was a first of its kind that I picked up and absolutely adored. Some of the references were hard to get but once I made up my mind to take this book slowly, I stopped wherever necessary and "black-washed" my reading lens. Beatty's work is charismatic and witty, but it does need proper indulgence or you might end up enslaved by your lack of knowledge about American history and black people.

bookishsumaiyah's review

Go to review page

4.0

‘The Sellout’ is an outrageous black comedy by Paul Beatty, intended as a satire on race relations within the US today. Outrageous in its execution as well, the narrator BonBon lands at the centre-front of a Supreme Court trial. Unlike conventional things which would land you in such a trial, BonBon had been disillusioned over the complete erasure of his town Dickens, so BonBon sets out to restore his beloved Dickens’ existence through any shocking means as possible. His adventure includes: getting his ex-girlfriend to help to re-segregate a public bus with a ‘whites only’ sign, create a racially segregated school and has his own personal slave, Hominy. All of these actions, finally give Dickens’ public attention but also, the absolute absurdity lands him in his fateful trial at the Supreme Court.

It’s humour and satirical content has been highly praised, and I understand why. Further, it’s social commentary in the US is invaluable, and perhaps BonBon’s outlandish remarks and actions is a deliberate juxtaposition to American society in which it confronts the racial wealth gap, inadequate health for people of colour and police brutality - and yet, there has been limited substantial change. While its humour is commendable, I do not want people to go into this novel as a light-hearted reading, as this poses an even greater distraction to America’s race issues that has been continuously neglected.

Perhaps what is preventing me from giving this a 5-star rating is that I felt the story had gotten lost in the middle of the book, but It slowly redeemed itself and had gotten back on track. My definition of a 5-star novel, is what I think is faultless. Overall, a worthy winner for the prestigious Booker Prize Award.

abbysalmon's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

jlsjourneys's review

Go to review page

4.0

So interesting. Genius prose that reads like poetry and had me laughing out loud one moment and shocked the next. I really enjoyed this book, seeing it for the satire it is.