The Sellout

A Novel

By: Paul Beatty

Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi

Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, 2016

A biting satire about a young man's isolated upbringing and the race trial that sends him to the Supreme Court, Paul Beatty's The Sellout showcases a comic genius at the top of his game. It challenges the sacred tenets of the United States Constitution, urban life, the civil rights movement, the father-son relationship, and the holy grail of racial equality: the black Chinese restaurant.

Born in the "agrarian ghetto" of Dickens - on the southern outskirts of Los Angeles - the narrator of The Sellout resigns himself to the fate of lower-middle-class Californians: "I'd die in the same bedroom I'd grown up in, looking up at the cracks in the stucco ceiling that've been there since the '68 quake."

Raised by a single father, a controversial sociologist, he spent his childhood as the subject in racially charged psychological studies. He is led to believe that his father's pioneering work will result in a memoir that will solve his family's financial woes. But when his father is killed in a police shoot-out, he realizes there never was a memoir. All that's left is the bill for a drive-thru funeral.

Fuelled by this deceit and the general disrepair of his hometown, the narrator sets out to right another wrong: Dickens has literally been removed from the map to save California from further embarrassment. Enlisting the help of the town's most famous resident - the last surviving Little Rascal, Hominy Jenkins - he initiates the most outrageous action conceivable: reinstating slavery and segregating the local high school, which lands him in the Supreme Court.

©2015 Paul Beatty (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Winner, The Man Booker Prize, 2016


• 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award Winner, Fiction

"Narrator Prentice Onayemi embodies Bonbon, along with the novel's many unique characters: a former 'Our Gang' understudy, a former girlfriend who is now a city bus driver, the denizens of the neighborhood, and the white surfer dudes whom Bonbon regularly confuses at the beach. There's even a small part for Justice Clarence Thomas, which Onayemi does in style, and street Spanish, which, when required, flows perfectly." ( AudioFile magazine)

Funny Book

With the nature of race relations in the world today, it's refreshing to listen to something that brings out the humor in the ridiculousness.

One of the Best Books I've Read in a Long Time

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hominy: A fictional "last surviving Little Rascal" whose considers himself a slave while not really being very subservient to his "owner." The character manages to bring a good bit of nostalgia into the novel via his reminiscing on his days with The Little Rascals.

Any additional comments?

This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've read (listened to) in a long time. A biting satire about race and race relations that is intelligent, funny and thought provoking. A rare book that doesn't take itself too seriously while tackling very serious issues. And the case of characters is phenomenal. (How can you not like a fictional former "Little Rascal" as a primary character?)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

A Feat of Satiric Endurance

I'm kicking myself for waiting as long as I did before listening to this one. Beatty's novel earned him the distinction of being the first US writer to win the Man Booker Prize, drew as many comparisons to Pryor and Chappelle as Vonnegut and Twain in its brazen honesty and laugh-out-loud dissection of contemporary American society, and made plenty "Best of" lists last year. But it was hearing narrator Prentice Onayemi that finally convinced me to start Beatty's comic send-up of race and identity in America. Onayemi captures the manic, unceasing energy of Beatty's writing and performs a feat of satiric endurance, moving between characters with the vocal dexterity of a comedian and impressionist rolled in to one. And just as Beatty plays with social taboos and preconceived notions, you can hear Onayemi playing around similarly with his characterizations and, in turn, playing with the listener's expectations.

A Critical and Comic Masterpiece

I say "critical" because this book offers a brilliantly unique take on "post-racial" America. I can't think of a single kind of person who wouldn't find something to love about this book—except for maybe an exceptionally prude SJW with no imagination. The book makes a joke out of every political message you've ever heard about race in America and leaves you wanting to help pave the way to a more understanding society, but realizing just how tough that's liable to be, given the sheer idiocy at work behind every institution.

This book does what only the best comedy—think Dave Chappelle, Aziz Ansari, Louis C.K.—can do: push your buttons and make you question your worldview and what's going on in the world around you. And at times, the team of Beatty and Onayemi are on par with those greats, with rich, unique characters and situations that read like you're watching Chappelle's Show sketches with commentary from a sociology professor.

I listened to this entire book in one sitting. It's that good. My one complaint is the lull near the middle of the book. The action slows, the jokes dry up, and we spend a lot of time listening to recounted personal histories and anecdotes that lack some of the punch of the early pages. Don't let that keep you from reading this book, though. Where others would preach their message about how we all need to get along, Beatty grabs you by the shoulder and laughs with you, recognizing that we're all a bit too human for that.

Excellent story telling!

This novel is great, but what really catapults it is the narration. I'm still looking for another audio book as enjoyable as this one!

Unbelievably Good.

Excellent performance of a funny, shocking, brilliantly written book. Don't hesitate to add this to your collection!

Brilliantly written and brilliant read

I loved this book. It was humorous and thought provoking, and I highly recommend it!

Absolutely love this book

This book is relatable and very funny. The narrator does a great job as well.

Fascinating Satire

This was a fascinating social satire. Well worth a read or listen. However,
as much as I love listening to books, this one might be better read because of the density of the right-on satirical verbiage. It went by pretty fast in the audiobook.

Beautiful

Brilliantly and cleverly written. The characters were rich, diverse, and full of personality. I really enjoyed listening to this.