The sellout book club discussion

This thread is for discussing the the sellout by paul beatty. 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. Or, is the team struggling with the last few books youve read. Paul beatty webchat your questions answered on the sellout. Literary fiction book club the sellout by paul beatty.

Topics about this book topics that mention this book. Ill probably see if one of my f2f book clubs is interested and that. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Brooklyn public library loves book clubs, and gathering people around the shared experience of a book is central to our mission. 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. Apr 12, 2015 the sellout is more a your daddy joke. Each member or a team of 23 takes a card and answers the question. An 11yearold boy named michael boards a ship crossing the indian ocean and the suez canal. Winner of the 2015 national book critics circle award in fiction. Is the group on a roll and ready to tackle that long thick book youve been talking about for months. At its heart if satire can be said to have one is the narrators relationship with his dead father. 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.

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. Paul beatty photo courtesy of the macmillan publishers. To help foster the social experience of reading, weve made having a book club easier by establishing. Find resources for your book club, whether it meets in your living room or across cyberspace. 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. At the start of the sellout, one of two american novels which were shortlisted for. Paul beattys version is the slave master spelling of nigger, not the 90s hiphop nigga. Keep the mood of the club in mind when selecting the book. Join the staff of riverstone bookstore for our inaugural book club meeting. How to discuss a book helpful discussion tips generic discussion questionsfiction and nonfiction readthinktalk a guided reading chart 1. 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. Reading as a social activity prompts a deeper relationship with the books we love. Live online directions to join will be sent upon registration.

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. 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. The sellout is the first book by an american author to win the uks prestigious man booker prize. Kick off your literary 2018 with a lively discussion of paul beattys man booker prizewinning novel, the sellout. Jun 11, 2018 i went to the book club discussion for the sellout when i had 50 pages left in the book. 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 makes us question how far equality has come and still. The sellout is a 2015 novel by paul beatty published by farrar, straus and giroux, and in the uk by oneworld publications in 2016. Pageturners book group shadowing the man booker prize. With our book discussion sets, its easy to check out copies for your whole club. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group.

Finding the right book club book is easy when you follow these helpful tips. 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. It challenges the sacred tenets of the united states constitution, urban life, the civil rights. Next months novel is sleeping on jupiter by anuradha roy rated.

I almost made it, but i just couldnt get past the 85% mark on my kindle. Suggested book and reading club discussion questions for the sellout. Literary fiction buy now this book is on reading list for december 2015. Paul beatty has said that he isnt comfortable with labeling the sellout a satire. Dont forget, book club members receive 20 percent off titles for book club. What other readers might take offense at the sellout. The book revolves around the unnamed, black narrator who is coming before the supreme court on charges of slave holding and reinstituting segregation. Big city book club discusses james baldwins another. By then i had caught wind that i wasnt the only one in the book club struggling. Sounds like life of pi, but in this tall tale form the seas, parts of the story are retold in his adult. I gave up underlining the killer bits because my arm began to hurt. Big city book club discusses james baldwins another country. Our book club page for the sellout by paul beatty includes book club discussion questions, author website, book summary, talking. 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.

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. 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. 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. Paul beatty webchat your questions answered on the. 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. 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. To help foster the social experience of reading, weve made having a book. The sellout paul beatty, 2015 farrar, straus and giroux 304 pp. The sellout, paul beatty book club discussion questions. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets.

In order to understand paul beattys the sellout, it is necessary to consider the function of satire. Apr 04, 2012 richard hasnt written a sellout book to make money if only. So, where should we begin our discussion of another country. They read like the most concussive monologues and interviews of chris rock, richard pryor and dave chappelle wrapped in a satirical yet. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. The narrator recounts to the supreme court the events that brought him to the present. This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. Our charity drive benefiting the against malaria foundation begins july 29th please send feedback to rmetanl.

The first book by an american author to win the prestigious man booker prize. Discuss the sellout by paul beatty in an online book club. Home the sellout by paul beatty discussion guide libguides at. 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.

Listen to paul beatty discuss his new book, the sellout, and take questions from the audience. Delve deeper into the books making the charts, and get tips for keeping your reading group engaged. Our guest this month couldnt make it, but anais, maya, and gerald dove in to this dark satire by paul beatty. Raised in the agrarian ghetto of dickensimprobably smack in the middle of downtown l. 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. This year the literary fiction book club meets on one wednesday per month at 5 p. The sellout by paul beatty book club discussion questions. Richard hasnt written a sellout book to make money if only. Satire as a literary device is the practice of making fun of a human weakness or character flaw.

I went to the book club discussion for the sellout when i had 50 pages left in the book. I am sp pleased that i persevered as i enjoyed the book. In the sellout paul beatty manages to pull off something very rare. 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. The sellout is a fastpaced, verbose book, but one particular word crops up again and again. In october 2016, it won the 2016 man booker prize, making beatty the first us writer to. The sellout book club kit arapahoe libraries bibliocommons. 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. 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. He manages to balance social criticism, jokes and some actual humanity. A biting satire about a young mans isolated upbringingread more.

Why was the prologue written in a different style than the rest of the novel. Beatty has stated his motivation for writing the novel was that he was broke. I was however full of cold and my powers of concentration were not at my best. 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.