Slumberland

Clever and challenging. But most importantly entertaining and he writes beautifully. And if you have not read The Sell out, treat yourself.

Slumberland is the third novel by Man Booker Prize-winning American author, Paul Beatty. Ferguson W. Sowell, aka DJ D@rky has a talent for DJing, and says “I compensate for a lack of skills and Negritude with a surfeit of good taste and a record collection that I like to think is to DJing what the Louvre is to painting.” He has spent months trying to compose his perfect beat, and it’s almost there: in the parlance, it is “presque parfait”.The Beard Scratchers, members of his record pool, agree. After much analysis, they hit upon the missing element: it needs to be ratified by their ultimate beat break, the elusive Charles Stone, aka the Schwa. Coincidentally (or perhaps not quite?), Ferguson comes across a p0rn tape sound-tracked with music certain to be the Schwa’s. The trail leads to East Germany and, with some help from the Beard Scratchers, Ferguson finds himself engaged as a Jukebox-Sommelier at the Slumberland Bar in Berlin.It is a Berlin about to tear down its Wall, and Ferguson is somewhat surprised to find that others share his love of the Schwa’s music: he is assisted in his quest by a bartender, a journalist, a Stasi agent, a pair of German n3gro sisters, and, eventually, the clientele of the Slumberland. Through a number of quirky characters and some crazy, laugh-out-loud events, Beatty examines the experience of the n3gro in Germany.One World have produced editions of Beatty’s four novel with themed covers and this one has LP discs on the cover. A knowledge and appreciation of jazz is bound to enhance the enjoyment of this story, but is not essential, because the plot and characters are strong enough to draw the reader in. The musical descriptions certainly make the reader wish to hear the Schwa’s music. There’s plenty of wit and black humour in Beatty’s lyrical prose. Original, incisive and funny.

I just kept wading through the dense 'look how clever, well-read and hip' I am prose until I couldn't take it any more and Iobbed it.Out of respect for the author I threw it out of a high-window.I like William Burroughs so I'm no stranger to obscure, dense, cool hip-hop writing. This guy ain't no Burroughs.

For me, this is a better novel than The Sellout. Slumberland reads like a Raymond Chandler novel (except with funnier lines / dialogue) In fact, I'd love to see Beatty write a Philip Marlowe continuation novel. Going off this, he has the skill to pull it off.