Manbooker Review: Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

PURCHASE~GOODREADS

OK, honestly, I was thrown when Eileen made the short-list. It wasn't disappointing, it was highly suspenseful, but I found the ending forced and highly anti-climaxed. Still, the writing was good, the anal imagery pervading the writing was unusual and interesting. Here's my review on Instagram, 'followed by my congratulations for making the short-list' photo:

Would it make Tomorrow's MANBOOKER shortlist? 😐 Well, Eileen was something else. Eileen the book takes patience to read, the narrative is slow. A short story of a few two hundred pages that focuses on one single event: her escape from her small-town. 😕 While I thought an amazing work was done on character development of Eileen, her drunkard father who emotionally abuses her, the prison guard she's romanticized and loves from afar, the woman, Rebecca, who eventually leads her to her escape, the characters are not exactly likable. All very quirky like the lead Eileen. This is a very strange book with lots of unsettling (bordering on disgusting) imagery. I wished the narrative was fast. The writing was good enough and its main character detestable enough to keep me reading. 😈 Photo Info: #AfricaThroughABook, it's rumoured that in Ghana you could get designer shades for as little as ten cedis, that's a $3. But if you hold a good bargain, you could get two that price. 👓 #Eileen #Manbooker #bookstagram #ottesamofegh #bookish #bookporn #bookworm #bibliophile #bookish #literary #fiction #sunglasses #Africa #trade #manbookerprize

A photo posted by Kobby Ben Ben (@bookworm_man) on Sep 12, 2016 at 1:43am PDT

Partying bookworms are nothing without their books! A Toast to Eileen for making the shortlist! (Everyone who knows me knows I hate wearing #white! So I stand out almost everytime!) 😍 Photo courtesy: Albert @ghana_undiscovered, #manbookerprize2016 #manbookerprize #drinks #partying #bookworm #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookish #bookporn #alcohol #blackmen #menwhoread #readingissexy #fun #happy #toast #wine #Eileen #ottesamoshfegh

A photo posted by Kobby Ben Ben (@bookworm_man) on Sep 15, 2016 at 3:29am PDT

Manbooker Review: The Sellout by Paul Beatty

PURCHASE~ GOODREADS.

When the Manbooker shortlist, came out, I was unsurprised to see The Sellout on the list, although it was one of two books I'd read from the longlist. So, yes, I believed it would make the short-list because of its unusual style. And yes, I believe you should all read it. Here's my post about it on instagram.

"You stupid overmedicated bitch. If you don't back that fucking jalopy out of my space, I swear to God, I'm going to punch you in your anti-ageing-cold-cream face and permanently reverse five hundred years of white privilege and five hundred thousand dollars of plastic surgery!" 😂 OMG! To have a father like that! 👆 This book is all kinds of crazy! In fact, if there's a word to describe this book, it would be bat-shit-crazy! 😀 A satire that would stay forever in the hallmarks of Black American Literature, and I even envision this becoming a classic studied by schools on post-racism literature! I loved, loved it so much, I found myself deducing what all those absurd situations represented in real-life and what structures the writer was criticizing. There are two ways you could read this book: the first and ugliest is laughing only to the humorous bits and its highly absurd scenes, closing it and not taking any lessons because you just thought it was a funny book. The second and best way, is to consider this a literary masterpiece—because that's what it is, as you ask yourself the reason the main character is pressing for the cause of segregation when some of America's best memories are not from that era, or the existence of Hominy, the self-imposed slave who expects the main character to whip him, who only is afraid of abolitionists. 😯 5 stars and highly recommend! ⭐ @ns510reads that guy in the background is dressed up as Hominy, so I immediately took this pic. 😉 @ttchume I listened to your convo with Nana about slavery and racism in America, and I know you'd love this! 😁 #thesellout #funny #hilarious #satire #literary #blacklivesmatter #paulbeatty #bookstagram #bookporn #bookish #manbooker2016 #Africa #Accra #slavery #racism #sharp.

A photo posted by Kobby Ben Ben (@bookworm_man) on Aug 31, 2016 at 12:13am PDT