Paul Beatty's 'Slumberland' Reviewed in Artpress
The French art magazine Artpress reviews Paul Beatty's novel 'Slumberland', published by Éditions du Seuil in the 'Fiction & Cie' collection. The review, written by Olivier Renault, highlights Beatty's caustic humor and critique of identity politics, particularly regarding blackness. The novel's narrator, DJ Darky, seeks the mythical avant-garde jazzman Charles Stone, nicknamed 'the Schwa', after receiving a pornographic video from Germany featuring his music. The search leads Darky to Berlin, where he works at the bar Slumberland and creates a perfect jukebox soundtrack. The story culminates with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Renault praises the novel as an anti-communitarian, funny, and erudite work that serves as a playful encyclopedia of 20th-century music. 'Slumberland' is Beatty's first novel translated into French.
Key facts
- Paul Beatty's novel 'Slumberland' is reviewed in Artpress.
- The novel is published by Éditions du Seuil in the 'Fiction & Cie' collection.
- The review is written by Olivier Renault.
- The narrator is DJ Darky, who seeks the jazzman Charles Stone ('the Schwa').
- The search begins after Darky receives a pornographic video from Germany.
- Darky works at the bar Slumberland in Berlin.
- The Berlin Wall falls during the story.
- The novel is Beatty's first translated into French.
Entities
Artists
- Paul Beatty
- Charles Stone
Institutions
- Éditions du Seuil
- Artpress
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
Sources
- artpress —