LONG DIVISION

Sometimes metafiction--shape shifting, self-referential, time bending--can seem like a party favor. While it possesses many meta elements, this satisfying audiobook is at once a comic romp, a satire of fame in the Internet Age, and a look at race--set in rural Mississippi. This is the 2021 revision of the debut novel from Laymon, whose more recent memoir, HEAVY, was much lauded. The performances are masterful--persuasive, well paced and convincing. Ruffin Prentiss delivers the more linear first part, which includes a comic meltdown by protagonist City Colson on a televised quiz show. Jaime Lincoln Smith delivers the second part, in which the protagonist time travels with a mysterious book entitled LONG DIVISION in hand. Laymon is smitten with language, and this metafiction is fun. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2024]