The Sellout by Paul Beatty
This satirical novel follows the story of an African-American man living in a small, agrarian town on the outskirts of Los Angeles. After his father's death, he attempts to reinstate slavery and segregation in his town as a means of creating a sense of identity for himself and his community. The novel explores themes of racial identity and equality in America, challenging societal norms and expectations through its provocative narrative.
The 837th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 471
This book was first published in 2015
21 Lists
- score: 67 -- 100 Best Books of the 21st Century - 2024 (Weight: 173)
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- score: 60 -- The Great American Novels - 2024 (Weight: 166)
- score: 52 -- The 30 best fiction books of the last 30 years - 2025 (Weight: 130)
- score: 48 -- A Premature Attempt at the 21st Century Canon - 2018 (Weight: 160)
- score: 31 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature - 2021 (Weight: 105)
- score: 27 -- The 20 Best Novels of the Decade (2010s) - 2020 (Weight: 90)
- score: 26 -- TrueLit's Top 100 Favorite Books (2023) - 2023 (Weight: 80)
- score: 23 -- The 100 Best Novels Of All Time (Runners-Up) - 2026 (Weight: 60)
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- score: 16 -- The 10 Best Books Through Time - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 79)
- score: 16 -- Truelit's 100 Best Books of the Quarter Century - 2024 (Weight: 40)
- score: 8 -- Viet Thanh Nguyen's Book Choices from "The Writer's Library" - 2020 (Weight: 30)
- score: 1 -- Booker Prize - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 7)
- score: 1 -- Best Fiction Books of the 21st Century (So Far) - 2025 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- National Book Critics Circle Award - Fiction - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Best Books of the Decade(2010-2020) - 2019 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 70 Classic Booker Prize-Nominated Novels, Recommended by our Readers - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- This is the Canon: Decolonize Your Bookshelves in 50 Books - 2021 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Best Fiction Books of the 2010s - 2020 (Weight: 1)