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The Sellout
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
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The Sellout
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Publisher's Summary
Winner of the 2016 Man Booker Prize for Fiction
Born in Dickens, Los Angeles, the narrator of The Sellout spent his childhood as the subject in his father's racially charged psychological studies. He is told that his father's memoir will solve their financial woes. But when his father is killed, he discovers there never was a memoir.
Fuelled by despair, he sets out to right this wrong with the most outrageous action conceivable: reinstating slavery and segregating the local high school, which lands him in the Supreme Court.
Critic Reviews
What listeners say about The Sellout
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- andrew
- 15-04-2018
The Sellout is a form of literary induced Ashma
Would you listen to The Sellout again? Why?
My first thought was simply to write 'Breath-Taking' and leave the rest to the imagination, but this author deserves something far less cliched. Paul Beatty has produced a work of effortless wit and borderless courage, which is quite possibly the funniest, and simultaneously insightful, book I've had the joy to read for a decade. Centred precariously on racial themes, and even more incendiary ideas, this book feels as if it was written freely, and without of the restraint that might frame the efforts less audacious writers. The result is an unshackled pleasure, that reads effortlessly from one subtle observation to it's explosive counterpoint. I would read this again, if only to soak up some of the detail I might have missed in my first pass, but also just for the sheer racous pleasure of it.
What other book might you compare The Sellout to, and why?
Vonnegut for it's unconventional irreverence in an overly analytical and judgemental world.Marlon James, for the raw and unrestrained freedom of it's characters to self-destruct, and DBC Pierre, for the sheer reckless fun of it.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
When a slaves's request to be 'beaten' threatens to contradict or even betray the nature of the central character, Beatty effortlessly delivers the funniest and most consistent solution imaginable.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rich
- 10-03-2023
Clever, tricky. Loved it.
A witty story filled with cognitive dissonance, one to challenge any listener, but to really reward the close listener. Very clever, insightful, a pleasure to hear and very well performed.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bradley yates
- 25-04-2019
What just happened
Going to have to re-listen to this a couple more times to get my head around it. Great listening. Thought provoking ideas of class struggle in modern America.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Sharon Russell
- 28-01-2018
absolutely fabulous.
I loved it. Perfectly narrated. so true, I thought, we would never understand. thought provoking.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Zoe
- 26-12-2017
Incredible
Best listen of my life. Incredible. Bought the book just to have it on my bookshelf. Simply amazing
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Scott
- 03-10-2018
quality
a bit of a tough slog for the first few chapters but showed why it won its award. outstanding novel and great narrating.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MICHAEL R CAVANAGH
- 01-07-2021
Loved it!
Some of the most entertaining writing I have come across in a very long time. It's entirely possible that some of the subtext went a little over my head, but it wouldn't be the first time.
BRILLIANT prose and the perfect performance to bring it to life.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew
- 26-11-2016
First time I lol'd since Hitchhiker's Guide
Wittiest book I have ever read. Great performance. Deserving of the Man Booker Prize 2016.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shiv Dutta
- 30-12-2020
This... is something else
In short... this book is excess... The performance the writing story... excess. Avalanches of complicated mildly convoluted satire and wit delivered by Dave Chappelle 😂. The performance absolutely matches the writing... it is hilarious and unique and just... different, most definitely recommend. However, sometimes it can be too much, this story is best listened to concentrated short burst rather than long sitting.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
- Shane Bennett-Connell
- 02-05-2019
Very entertaining
Very well written, witty and funny. Narrator is flawless. Story is odd and I didn't understand what the actual plot was.
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