Colored Television (A GMA Book Club Pick): A Novel

Novelist Jane is a college writing instructor on sabbatical working to finish her second novel while temporarily living in her friend’s mansion in Los Angeles. After working tirelessly on her “mulatto War and Peace,” it is rejected by her publisher. Next, she tries her hand at television writing, yet this is a new world that she doesn’t exactly fit into. Jane wants to translate her musings about the mulatto identity to the screen, hopeful that a big-name producer can make her a star, or at least help her pay the bills.

This book is billed as a dark comedy, yet I found there was little humor. I would describe it as socially critical and controversial. I appreciated that Jane’s character was deeply developed rather than surface level. However, I found her decisions frustrating. Namely, her lying, avoidance of conflict and general apathy toward changing her financial situation.

I found the writing highbrow and over my head at times. However, the descriptions of domestic life were apt. I liked the evolution of Jane and her husband Lenny’s relationship throughout the novel. Overall, I found the book enjoyable, but it lost me at times and Jane’s antics left me stressed.