Black Buck

Paperback Published on: 06/01/2022
Price: £8.99
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Bookseller Reviews

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Black Buck
Brilliant Debut
Darren, Starbucks barista becomes “Buck”, star salesman at a hip New York start-up in this hugely enjoyable satire on the American dream.
Julie at Hatchards

Synopsis

'Askaripour's satire of the tech industry . . . will appeal to fans of Paul Beatty's Booker-prizewinning novel "The Sellout" and Jordan Peele's film "Get Out"' The Economist

'Mesmerizing. . . a high wire act full of verve and dark, comic energy.' Colson Whitehead, author of The Underground Railroad

'I love this so much. It's effortlessly funny, smart and satisfyingly self-aware' Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie

Meet Darren. An unambitious twenty-two-year-old living with his mother and working at Starbucks. All that changes when a chance encounter with Rhett Daniels, the silver-tongued CEO of NYC's hottest tech startup, results in Darren joining Rhett's elite sales team.

On his first day Darren realizes he is the only Black person in the company, and when things start to get strange, he reimagines himself as 'Buck', a ruthless salesman, unrecognizable to his friends and family. Money, partying, and fame soon follow Buck, and wherever he goes more is never enough. But when tragedy strikes at home, Buck begins to hatch a plan to help young people of colour infiltrate America's sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.

An earnest work of satire, Black Buck is a hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of office culture; a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream.

'A crackling satire of corporate America' Guardian

'A wonderful, riotous romp. A razor sharp, humorous examination of American workplace dynamics in the tech industry' Irenosen Okojie

Publisher information

  • Publisher: John Murray Press
  • ISBN: 9781529376746
  • Number of pages: 400
  • Dimensions: 198 x 128 x 28 mm
  • Weight: 280g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Black Buck
A dark satirical read
Before reading the first word of Black Buck, close your eyes, breathe deeply, then recite this definition to yourself: Satire = The use of humour, irony, ... READ MORE
Karen Dear
Black Buck
A hyper-real journey through modern day racism in the workplace
Wowwwww!!! A hyper-real novel, with believable and very real characters going through events that whilst plausible, are heightened and pushed to their extr... READ MORE
Nicole Burstein
Black Buck
A book to devour and discuss
Some books are pleasant to read. Some are thrilling. And some make you think and question and stay with you long after the last page has been turned. Black... READ MORE
Louise Barber
Black Buck
Different
I’m really not sure whether I enjoyed this book - it intrigued me, the plot was fast and well written but I struggled with the second half in particular. ... READ MORE
Joanne McWilliam
Black Buck
Fast-paced, funny and sharp
Fast-paced and funny, Black Buck pulls you and then drags you merrily along for the ride. It reminded me of a novel version of the film, Sorry to Bother Yo... READ MORE
Bookophile
Black Buck
Endlessly quotable and makes you think as you're laughing...
My initial reaction, certainly for the first half of the book, was 'this book should be taught in schools!'. There are some mighty fine tips and advice for... READ MORE
Keely
Black Buck
Thrilling and hyper-real satire
Wowwwww!!! A hyper-real novel, with believable and very real characters going through events that whilst plausible, are heightened and pushed to their extr... READ MORE
Nicole Burstein
Black Buck
A wild ride
A wild ride of a book. Our hero, Darren, nicknamed Buck, will teach you how to sell. And selling is everything he tells us, in work, life, politics, everyt... READ MORE
Hilly
Black Buck
Funny and powerful debut
Funny, satirical and insightful look at the world of tech start ups and sales through the lens of race. The first half is definitely funnier than the rest... READ MORE
Kathleen
Black Buck
Darkly sparkling satire of the American dream and start-up life
Thanks to John Murray and Netgalley for ARC. Darren has an ok life, living with his mother in his old neighbourhood, close to childhood pal Jason and be... READ MORE
Pauline McGough
Black Buck
Endlessly quotable and makes you think while you're laughing...
My initial reaction, certainly for the first half of the book, was 'this book should be taught in schools!'. There are some mighty fine tips and advice for... READ MORE
Keely
Black Buck
Not for me
I read this book through my Book Club. It is not my usual genre of book, but I thought I would give it a go. Unfortunately, although I finished it, it too... READ MORE
Joan Moir
Black Buck
Thriller/comedy
Darren was the smartest boy in his school but didn't go to college and now works in Starbucks. An impromptu piece of salesmanship prompts a businessman buy... READ MORE
Aidan Dunn
Black Buck
Great for fans of The Other Black Girl and Such A Fun Age
Fans of The Other Black Girl and Such A Fun Age will enjoy Black Buck. Everyday racism and casual micro-aggressions are flipped into this satirical, exciti... READ MORE
Sahar Jamfar
Black Buck
Multi layered satire about a black guy in the white corporate world of NY
This is a novel unlike any other I have ever read, and I have read thousands. It is the debut novel of a young Black writer, Mateo Askaripour, who has sa... READ MORE
Denis
Black Buck
ARC
Meet Buck. But before Buck was the Muhammad Ali of sales, floating like a butterfly and selling like a demon, he was Darren: an unambitious twenty-two-year... READ MORE
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