The Sellout by Paul Beatty (2015)

Toward the end of the book, the narrator says, "Unmitigated Blackness is essays passing for fiction." That pretty much describes the way this "novel" reads, except that instead of dry essays we have what is essentially a series of satiric stand-up comedy routines which cover the same points as an essay might but in political incorrect and bitingly funny yarns. Think Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce. Beatty's wit touches on a myriad of aspects of our crazy American culture, but focuses most on race and racism, from both the white and the black (and the brown and the yellow) viewpoints.

The absurdist plot, which is almost incidental, feature the last surviving Little Rascal, Hominy Jenkins, and the outrageous actions of the narrator to reinstate slavery and school segregation in his home town, actions that land him in front of the Supreme Court. The story makes little sense, but that's beside the point.

This review is totally inadequate to convey how brilliantly hilarious the book is, while it makes some serious points at the same time. I would even compare it favorably to Catch 22, which is high praise indeed. It is a National Book Critic's Circle finalist (winner to be named in March), an ALA Notable Book for 2015, and a strong contender for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize.

P.S. This contains more uses of the N-word than Huckleberry Finn, so if that offends you mightily, don't read it.