Erasure

A Novel

By: Percival Everett

Narrated by: Sean Crisden

Percival Everett's blistering satire about race and publishing, now as the Oscar-nominated film, American Fiction, directed by Cord Jefferson and starring Jeffrey Wright and Tracee Ellis Ross.

Thelonious "Monk" Ellison's writing career has bottomed out: his latest manuscript has been rejected by seventeen publishers, which stings all the more because his previous novels have been "critically acclaimed." He seethes on the sidelines of the literary establishment as he watches the meteoric success of We's Lives in Da Ghetto, a first novel by a woman who once visited "some relatives in Harlem for a couple of days." Meanwhile, Monk struggles with real family tragedies—his aged mother is fast succumbing to Alzheimer's, and he still grapples with the reverberations of his father's suicide seven years before.

In his rage and despair, Monk dashes off a novel meant to be an indictment of Juanita Mae Jenkins's bestseller. He doesn't intend for My Pafology to be published, let alone taken seriously, but it is—under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh—and soon it becomes the Next Big Thing. How Monk deals with the personal and professional fallout galvanizes this audacious, hysterical, and quietly devastating novel.

©2001 Percival Everett (P)2023 Tantor

Great performance of a great book

The vocal performance is perfect and the satire is hilarious. I highly recommend this book before you see the movie…

Authentic Storytelling

Erasure was thoughtful, funny, and sensitive. I enjoyed how the writer shared the balancing act he has navigating his expected and desired life and the lives of his loved ones past and present.

Didn’t see the movie… loved the book!

I wish I’d known about this book years ago. It would’ve saved me a lot of anguish.

The Parody itself…

I liked the display of intelligence and versatility of the protagonist. The juxtaposition of Monk’s family ( with all the family’s shortcomings and failings) against the gross parody of “Van Go’s”life and those of other black lives. The lumping, the stereotypical grouping that supports “ the suspension of disbelief “ for white folks. In most cases so that “hands can be washed clean”
I liked this book very much!!

A masterpiece

Best novel of the 21st century? Maybe! American Fiction is an excellent adaptation - but not nearly as heavy hearted as this novel, which is both unbearably sad and laugh-out-loud hilarious - occasionally at the same time.

The wicked wit and humor, great irony !

the protagonist is so endearing ...I was so sad when the book was over !

Good but

This book was published in 2011 and given the subject matter it felt dated even a dozen years later. The Academy’s fascination with the abstraction and elitism of Postmodern discourse is mostly worn out, thank goodness! The use of exchanges between dead philosophers, visual artists, and writers, was confusing to me, not that I didn’t enjoy some of them. The strongest interpersonal elements in the book were the relationship between the protagonist and his mother, and the subplot about his sister. I did find the book hilariously satirical. So all-in-all, four stars. I haven’t seen the movie American Fiction yet. I’m interested in how they compare.

Amazing Narrator, Awesome Story

Erasure has a wonderful film adaptation out in the world (the movie is called American Fiction for those who may not know), and this audiobook narrated by Sean Crisden also does it justice.

This is a story that is bound to hold relevance as long as US Mainstream Publishing exists, and authors who happen to be Black may always find themselves in a position that will be relatable to that of the Thelonious Monk Ellison.

A master class from a true literary master.

Must Listen!

This novel is fantastic and the narration is phenomenal. I believe the book to be better than the movie

Such a blast

Really loved this one. Lots of great devices and really biting satire. Sean Crisden's reading is great.