Caleb

The battle royal section (chapter one) is a masterpiece and maybe the greatest thing I've ever read. I honestly can't believe that this was published in the 50s. Everything about this book is so groundbreaking, from the ideas it presents to the style of writing and storytelling itself. Much of the story feels almost dreamlike, especially the battle royal section which is almost surreal in its telling. That section is just so powerful, disturbing, and visceral, I cannot give it justice. Can't say enough great things about this book, it is a new favorite for me.

Took me a little while to get into this but once i got into it I was very into it. The whole thing is very harrowing but the last third is especially hard hitting. Sarah's story is particularly tragic just because she never really fully understands what's happening to her. Also her “treatment” is by far the most disturbing part of the book.

The dialogue isn't split up at all which took some getting used to but selby gives each character such a unique voice that after awhile it gets pretty easy to tell who's talking. His dialogue for black characters can seem very stereotypical at times but I think part of that is done to differentiate the voices of the characters.