A review by merrilywereadalong777
Erasure, by Percival Everett
4.0
really more of a 4.5 because barring those random dialogue bits with Hitler and Rothko (which, straight up, I had NO idea what those were about or what any of that meant but thankfully they were all super short) this was an astonishing novel.
It's fitting that, at least in my edition that I bought, this book is forwarded by the great Brandon Taylor because I found, ultimately, this book evoked the same (or very similar) feelings of extreme isolation which Taylor was getting at in Real Life with Wallace. The loneliness and defeat particularly when confronting a white audience that is utterly incapable (or more in the case here just oblivious as all hell) of having any understanding of the experience of being black in America. Admittedly, Erasure is a completely different style and genre of book but even with it's wild satiric premise those last 20-30 pages I found quite devastating. It may have a simple prose at first glance and be easy and engrossing enough to devour quickly but my God this book is doing so many things and working on so many layers at once. It's really masterful to witness. This was my first Everett book and I immediately ordered several others which I can't wait to get into because I really loved the writing here. Sharp as a tack and STINGINGLY funny in the most delicious dark way that really left me impacted. Fantastic read.
It's fitting that, at least in my edition that I bought, this book is forwarded by the great Brandon Taylor because I found, ultimately, this book evoked the same (or very similar) feelings of extreme isolation which Taylor was getting at in Real Life with Wallace. The loneliness and defeat particularly when confronting a white audience that is utterly incapable (or more in the case here just oblivious as all hell) of having any understanding of the experience of being black in America. Admittedly, Erasure is a completely different style and genre of book but even with it's wild satiric premise those last 20-30 pages I found quite devastating. It may have a simple prose at first glance and be easy and engrossing enough to devour quickly but my God this book is doing so many things and working on so many layers at once. It's really masterful to witness. This was my first Everett book and I immediately ordered several others which I can't wait to get into because I really loved the writing here. Sharp as a tack and STINGINGLY funny in the most delicious dark way that really left me impacted. Fantastic read.