ErasureErasure
Score Modern
What it's about
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison is a Black novelist whose difficult, literary books don't sell; publishers keep telling him they're not Black enough. Fed up, especially with the success of a novel he finds exploitative, he writes a savage parody of a ghetto novel under a fake name. It becomes a sensation. Meanwhile, at home, his mother is slipping into dementia and his family is falling apart.
Why it's worth reading
The New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and it became the Oscar-winning film American Fiction. It's a biting satire about race and publishing, and a tender family story.
You'll love it if you liked
James
Invisible Man
The SympathizerGood to know
The parody novel is included in full in the middle of the book and is deliberately crude. The book also plays with form, including imagined conversations between famous artists.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller21 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #307 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #611 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by Percival Everett
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Quick answers
Is Erasure worth reading?
Yes. The New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and it became the Oscar-winning film American Fiction. It ranks #611 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Erasure about?
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison is a Black novelist whose difficult, literary books don't sell; publishers keep telling him they're not Black enough. Fed up, especially with the success of a novel he finds exploitative, he writes a savage parody of a ghetto novel under a fake name. It becomes a sensation. Meanwhile, at home, his mother is slipping into dementia and his family is falling apart.
How long does it take to read Erasure?
About 7 hours (265 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Erasure?
If you liked it, try James by Percival Everett, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison or The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.