Not Sidney Poitier, the main narrator in Percival Everett's book, "I Am Not Sidney Poitier" is one of the funniest characters I've read in a long time. After being in the womb for two years, Not Sidney Poitier is born and goes through a tremendous amount of adventure. "I An Not Sidney Poitier" is a road novel that does not get anywhere. Anytime he leaves home, bad things happen, bad things that slightly resemble the plots to Sidney Poitier movies. I caught "In the Heat of the Night", "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" and "Lilies of the Field," but I'm sure I've missed a few since I haven't seen many Poitier movies. I find that this idea, that Not Sidney actually follows Sidney Poitier's roles of being Not Sidney but someone else, very interesting. For that, Percival Everett has done a great thing. If you don't know why you should read this novel, I can say for Ted Turner's dialogue alone. Instead of trying to become a real Ted Turner, Everett has made his character into such a sham that it is acceptable. Ted does not hold a conversation. He rambles about whatever is on his mind. He asks nonsensical questions. This makes for satire that is not damaging to the real person but such a characterization that it doesn't matter. Everett also has Not Sidney go to Morehouse college where he is instructed by a writer named Percival Everett. Without giving so much away, Everett on paper can't be very close to the Everett in real life either.I have read another one of Everett's books, but I can't remember exactly what it was or what it was about. Having read "I Am Not Sidney Poitier," I would be remiss to say that Percival Everett might be in the same catagory as Kurt Vonnegut. His ability to twist nothing into something not only palatable to tasty is something that many "humorist" "satirist" "whatever label you want to make" fail to achieve. For this "I am Not Sidney Poitier" is a major work. This is another 3.5 book. But Ted Turner's dialogue gets 5 stars.You know, I don't know what to say. This is an ambitious novel, and some interesting tricks are being used here, but I'm not sure how well they're working. Everett's novel relies on the reader being capable of catching the references to actual Sidney Poitier novels, as Not Sidney winds up in situations straight out of In The Heat of the Night, The Defiant Ones, etc. otherwise there's a lot of running to google. But even if you get the references, Not Sidney's dream sequences go on for way too long, and can become quite dull.That's...really all I have to say. Really. I could go on about the humor, or maybe talk about the weird magical conceits that crop up unexpectedly. But it doesn't really feel worth it. Maybe another book I'll revisit someday.
What do You think about No Soy Sydney Poitier (2009)?
Percival Everett, where have you been all my life???? You are everything I want from an author...
—jhall1234
I Am Not Sidney Poitier: A Novel by Percival Everett (2009)
—leonidilyevsky
Sorry for stealing your library book, Rae.
—scifskinner
