Paul beatty photo courtesy of the macmillan publishers. Ill probably see if one of my f2f book clubs is interested and that. I was a bit nervous about the ending of the book being ruined or spoiled in some way, but i learned later that there wasnt much to. Social criticism has the tendency to take all the air out of a room, because when poorly done everything becomes self serious in the worst. Winner of last years man booker prize for his blistering us satire, the sellout, the novelist answered questions on lee morgan, enjoyable authors, eric clapton and beans on a fry up. I am sp pleased that i persevered as i enjoyed the book.
For offtopic chat, join the community in the pinned discussion thread we welcome people of all political persuasions as long as civility standards are observed. Finding the right book club book is easy when you follow these helpful tips. I almost made it, but i just couldnt get past the 85% mark on my kindle. Apr 04, 2012 richard hasnt written a sellout book to make money if only. To help foster the social experience of reading, weve made having a book club easier by establishing. He manages to balance social criticism, jokes and some actual humanity. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. The sellout book club kit arapahoe libraries bibliocommons. Literary fiction book club the sellout by paul beatty. The sellout by paul beatty book club discussion questions. Find resources for your book club, whether it meets in your living room or across cyberspace. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors.
A biting satire about a young mans isolated upbringing and the race trial that sends him to the supreme court, it challenges the sacred tenets of the united states constitution, urban life, the civil rights movement, the fatherson. In order to understand paul beattys the sellout, it is necessary to consider the function of satire. Im new to the book club, so it felt important to read the sellout from cover to cover so that i could prove myself a worthy member of my new book club. Is the group on a roll and ready to tackle that long thick book youve been talking about for months. After messing up her ballet performance and accidentally hurting another girl in her class, natasha is happy to be leaving suburban new jersey to spend the summer with her grandmother, tilly, in the urban environment of harlem. Readers turned off by excessive use of the nword or those who are easily offended by stereotypes may find the book tough going, but fans of satire and blatantly honestand often laughoutloud funnydiscussions of race and class will be rewarded on each page. The sellout, paul beatty book club discussion questions. This thread is for discussing the the sellout by paul beatty. What other readers might take offense at the sellout. Satire as a literary device is the practice of making fun of a human weakness or character flaw. Next months novel is sleeping on jupiter by anuradha roy rated.
Suggested book and reading club discussion questions for the sellout. Delve deeper into the books making the charts, and get tips for keeping your reading group engaged. We discussed how it sometimes made us uncomfortable to read, how insane it is that the little rascals really was a thing and if we could really think of this book as a satire or if we should take it more seriously. With our book discussion sets, its easy to check out copies for your whole club.
Beatty has stated his motivation for writing the novel was that he was broke. We do not hear the result, but the weather forecast comes onto the tv and the temperature for dickens is given dickens is back on the map and the. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. Discuss the sellout by paul beatty in an online book club.
Cass proclaims but rather because sellout quality writing is really all he is capable of, lacking as he does the depth and complexity to do better. Paul beatty webchat your questions answered on the. How to discuss a book helpful discussion tips generic discussion questionsfiction and nonfiction readthinktalk a guided reading chart 1. Sounds like life of pi, but in this tall tale form the seas, parts of the story are retold in his adult. So, if youre looking for a book that will provide diverse discussion for your book group, then this one will most certainly fit the bill. In october 2016, it won the 2016 man booker prize, making beatty the first us writer to.
Paul beatty has said that he isnt comfortable with labeling the sellout a satire. Kick off your literary 2018 with a lively discussion of paul beattys man booker prizewinning novel, the sellout. The first book by an american author to win the prestigious man booker prize. I went to the book club discussion for the sellout when i had 50 pages left in the book. Paul beatty webchat your questions answered on the sellout. The narrator recounts to the supreme court the events that brought him to the present.
Brooklyn public library loves book clubs, and gathering people around the shared experience of a book is central to our mission. Each member or a team of 23 takes a card and answers the question. They read like the most concussive monologues and interviews of chris rock, richard pryor and dave chappelle wrapped in a satirical yet. Why was the prologue written in a different style than the rest of the novel. Im glad i read it for a book club read, otherwise i might have been tempted to give up and that would have been a shame as perseverance showed me that there is a lot of thought provoking commentary. The sellout was our book club pick in may and a challenging but very interesting read. Our book club page for the sellout by paul beatty includes book club discussion questions, author website, book summary, talking. I was a bit nervous about the ending of the book being ruined or spoiled in some way, but i learned later that there wasnt much to ruin in the final pages. Or, is the team struggling with the last few books youve read. The sellout by paul beatty paul beattys the sellout showcases a comic genius at the top of his game. Winner of the 2015 national book critics circle award in fiction. Jun 06, 2017 winner of last years man booker prize for his blistering us satire, the sellout, the novelist answered questions on lee morgan, enjoyable authors, eric clapton and beans on a fry up. Home the sellout by paul beatty discussion guide libguides at.
Paul beattys version is the slave master spelling of nigger, not the 90s hiphop nigga. The sellout makes us question how far equality has come and still. Listen to paul beatty discuss his new book, the sellout, and take questions from the audience. The sellout, by paul beatty, is an africanamerican novel of satire on race relations in the united states. Jun 11, 2018 i went to the book club discussion for the sellout when i had 50 pages left in the book. The sellout is a 2015 novel by paul beatty published by farrar, straus and giroux, and in the uk by oneworld publications in 2016. A biting satire about a young mans isolated upbringingread more. I was however full of cold and my powers of concentration were not at my best.
This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. To help foster the social experience of reading, weve made having a book. Apr 12, 2015 the sellout is more a your daddy joke. At the start of the sellout, one of two american novels which were shortlisted for. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. An 11yearold boy named michael boards a ship crossing the indian ocean and the suez canal. It is a comic masterpiece, but its much more than just thatits one of the smartest and most honest reflections on race and identity in america in a very long time. In the sellout paul beatty manages to pull off something very rare. The sellout paul beatty, 2015 farrar, straus and giroux 304 pp.
To participate in a book club conversation, just read the book and join us on the red couches in the lobby of the poetry center. Raised in the agrarian ghetto of dickensimprobably smack in the middle of downtown l. The book revolves around the unnamed, black narrator who is coming before the supreme court on charges of slave holding and reinstituting segregation. This year the literary fiction book club meets on one wednesday per month at 5 p. Dont forget, book club members receive 20 percent off titles for book club. Social criticism has the tendency to take all the air out of a room, because when poorly done everything becomes self serious in the worst possible way. Its like they belong to a private club thats public. A biting satire about a young mans isolated upbringing and the race trial that sends him to the supreme court, paul beattys the sellout showcases a comic genius at the top of his.
At its heart if satire can be said to have one is the narrators relationship with his dead father. Join the staff of riverstone bookstore for our inaugural book club meeting. The first 100 pages of paul beattys new novel, the sellout, are the most caustic and the most badass first 100 pages of an american novel ive read in at least a decade. Keep the mood of the club in mind when selecting the book. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. Our charity drive benefiting the against malaria foundation begins july 29th please send feedback to rmetanl. Our guest this month couldnt make it, but anais, maya, and gerald dove in to this dark satire by paul beatty. So, where should we begin our discussion of another country. The sellout, by paul beatty paul beatty takes no prisoners in this tale of two men trying to save their dying town through provocative moves like reinstituting segregation. A biting satire about a young mans isolated upbringing and the race trial that sends him to the supreme court, paul beattys the sellout showcases a comic genius at the top of his game. By then i had caught wind that i wasnt the only one in the book club struggling.
The sellout isnt just one of the most hilarious american novels in years, it also might be the first truly great satirical novel of the century. Pageturners book group shadowing the man booker prize. Big city book club discusses james baldwins another. Richard hasnt written a sellout book to make money if only. The sellout is a fastpaced, verbose book, but one particular word crops up again and again. Reading as a social activity prompts a deeper relationship with the books we love. Literary fiction buy now this book is on reading list for december 2015.
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