A beautiful American Black comedic tragedy

Witty political fantasy using the strange fruit that hangs from the trees as a focal point for a murder (or should I say murders) mystery that could only happen in the American south. How could you laugh? But I did. Clever and entertaining.

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3 people found this helpful

Superb

Everett is caustic, satirical and brilliant.
This is my first experience of his work.. where the hell have I been?

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1 person found this helpful

Excellent Novel

You have to be ready for some violence, & very racist attitudes & language - not ‘gratuitous’ though, I’d say. If your a Trump supporter or denizen of the USA ‘deep south’ be ready for what you might, by now, be thinking of as stereotyping. Sorry! A short but fantastic novel that says some needful things & is always going off in unexpected directions.

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1 person found this helpful

Thought provoking and disturbing

Not sure how I feel about this novel. Bits I loved, some made me laugh out loud and some made me feel very uncomfortable.
But overall definitely worth a credit.

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1 person found this helpful

A challenging book.

This is a difficult one to review because some areas I loved and others I found quite difficult.

The story is overall quite confusing and convoluted with multiple characters who are never really developed, I didnt feel attached to anybody in the book. The plot itself moves especially in the second half frantically around the U.S and is hard to follow at times with new locations and new characters put into the mix. The book is also written in a style that didn't really appeal to me, I is a distinctive style but a bit jarring in audio form Jim said Ed said etc etc.

The good however was very good the message and the overall tone were fantastic and at times moving. The horror of lynching is put forward in a modern and heartfelt way.

The humour was brilliant in some places especially at the end poking fun at Politicians and Generals. However at the start laughing at redneck poor people felt a bit disconcerting. Yes these people are stupid, racist and funny but they are products of a system that has made them stupid and racist.

Narration was good.

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5 people found this helpful

Couldn’t cope with narration and had to download the book

Loved the book, the notion of a black comedy about lynching is hard to fathom but excellently constructed. The narration failed to deliver humour or drama.

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This would make a great comic book

Interesting and definitely amusing idea that starts and finishes strong but the middle becomes quite repetitive and oh boy could it feel like a slog at times. Narration sounds like an AI voice at times, a lot of characters sound very similar - would like to see this adapted though!

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Not so impressed

I really wanted to like this book, but actually I'm surprised by the positive reviews and general acclaim it has garnered. I tend to regard the word literary, in the context of the phrase 'literary thriller' as synonymous with 'bad', and this is no exception. The subject is terrible and needs constant and unremitting examination - we must never let ourselves forget what happened in the American South. But I don't see this book with its ludicrous premise, thin and stereotyped characterisation and clunky humour, as being a worthy example of the way to memorialise it.

While the narrator brings the flavour of the South to his reading, his characterisation is terrible. Throughout the book, one is never sure until there is a clue in the text whether a new character is black or white. Everyone speaks the same, except on the occasions when the plot takes us outside Mississippi, when the attempts to render a non-Southern accents are comic.

Nearly four hours in, finding no particular progress in the plot or startling insights, I'm afraid I gave up.

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4 people found this helpful

Entertaining

It was entertaining, great dialogue (but sweary), fast paced, funny😊 An insight into tragic history. I didn't want it to end or the conclusion wasn't satisfying - I'm not sure which.
it was sometimes hard to discern which character was speaking🤔

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The impact of unresolved racial crimes

There is a current cost to the unresolved racial crimes committed. We are given important insight to this in a both funny and serious way.

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