Episode · The Book Review · 2024-03-08
Books mentioned on Book Club: Let’s Talk About ‘Erasure,’ by Percival Everett
Gilbert Cruz read Erasure by Percival Everett for a book club. Reggie Ugwe recommended Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart, and discussed American Fiction by Desmond E S. Maxwell. MJ Franklin recommended The Guest by Emma Cline, Yellowface by R. F. Kuang, and The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, and discussed The Trees by Percival L. Everett and others, My Pathology by Lisa Tuttle, My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, and Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh. Joumana Khatib recommended Lightning Rods by Helen de Witt and others and The Sellout by Paul Beatty.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Erasure
Erasure by Percival Everett is a sharp, satirical novel that follows a frustrated African American author whose cynical parody of stereotypical Black literature unexpectedly becomes a massive, mainstream bestseller.
Book club“this is an indepth conversation about pel Everett's book eraser so if you're spoiler reverse beware you have been warned I hope you enjoy the conversation”
Where to get it
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American Fiction
Discussed“so it's one of those things too where it it makes me feel like yeah I wish this book had been bigger although now it's getting a lot more attention obviously but I can certainly see what cour Jefferson saw in it and why it made a movie that has become as successful as American fiction has”
Where to get it
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The Trees
The Trees by Percival Everett is a genre-bending novel that blends biting racial commentary with elements of a buddy cop narrative set in the American South.
Discussed“but before I read it I read the trees by personal Everett which came out what two years ago and it's this kind of like body cop meets like horribly gory like racial commentary in the South so that was in the back of my mind”
Where to get it
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My Pathology
Discussed“let's dive in the alter ego of the writer of this novel called my piology later simply can we say no”
Where to get it
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Lightning Rods
Lightning Rods by Helen Dewitt is a daring, highly satirical novel known for its provocative premise, dark humor, and unconventional narrative structure.
Recommended“I will say lightning rods by Helen dwit”
Where to get it
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Super Sad True Love Story
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart is a satirical, near-term dystopian novel set in an America dominated by a social media-driven, crypto-fascist regime.
Recommended“the one that came to mind for me is super sad true love story by Gary steinard which is not quite in the same high paric mode of eraser”
Where to get it
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The Guest
The Guest by Emma Cline is a contemporary novel that follows a troubled young woman navigating the elite and often unforgiving social landscape of the Hamptons.
Recommended“my satire is the guest by Emma Klein”
Where to get it
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My Year of Rest and Relaxation
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh is a darkly comic and provocative novel about a privileged young New York woman who attempts to hibernate for an entire year using a cocktail of heavy psychiatric pharmaceuticals.
Discussed“I also wanted to mention one person who I think is doing something similar to what monk is doing in the book and that is Essa mbag who wrote my year of rest and relaxation”
Where to get it
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Eileen
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh is a dark, provocative debut novel about a troubled young woman working in a juvenile detention facility who becomes entangled in a sinister disappearance.
Discussed“when eileene came out she gave this wild profile in the guardian where she explained Essa is candid about Eileen being a deliberate exercise and playing with the format of commercial fiction to get attention of big Publishers”
Where to get it
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The Sellout
The Sellout by Paul Beatty is a bold, satirical novel about race and racism in contemporary America that made history as the first American novel to win the Booker Prize in 2016.
Recommended“well we have to talk about the sellout by Paul batty”
Where to get it
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Yellowface
Yellowface by R.
Recommended“and two other titles I wanted to mention very quickly I'm just going to say their titles are the other black girl and yellow face”
Where to get it
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The Other Black Girl
The Other Black Girl is a satirical psychological thriller by Zakiya Dalila Harris that exposes the underlying racial microaggressions and corporate dynamics faced by Black women in the publishing industry.
Recommended“and two other titles I wanted to mention very quickly I'm just going to say their titles are the other black girl and yellow face”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (5) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“eraser was adapted into a movie called American fiction which has been nominated for five Oscars at this year's Academy Awards including best picture”
“this convo also seems fitting because we're on the eve of yet another purseful effort release his new novel James which is a retelling of Huckleberry Finn told from Jim's perspective comes out later in March”
“I want to Pivot to the movie off of that because I think the movie kind of tackles that consideration like head on”
“she wrote The Last Samurai”
“I've only read Lake Success which I really enjoy but I have not read this one”