What do you think?
Rate this book
Tuff
Winston ‘Tuffy' Foshay is a 19-year-old, 24-stone ‘player-king' to a hapless gang in Spanish Harlem, a denizen who breaks jaws and shoots dogs. His best friend is a disabled Muslim man who wants to rob banks, his guiding light is an ex-hippie Asian woman who worked for Malcolm X, and his wife he married over the phone whilst in jail. When the frustrated Tuffy agrees to run for City Council, so begins a zany, riotous concoction of nonstop hip-hop chatter and brilliant mainstream social satire, as the indomitable Beatty again demonstrates why he is hailed as one of the shrewdest cultural commentators and hilarious cutups of his generation.
'Beatty insistently finds poetry in the projects, dignity on the street.' - Guardian
‘Beatty's blunt, impious, streetwise eloquence [is] transfixing' - New York Times
‘The writing here is seamless and teeming with momentum' - New York Times Book Review
'Beatty insistently finds poetry in the projects, dignity on the street.' - Guardian
‘Beatty's blunt, impious, streetwise eloquence [is] transfixing' - New York Times
‘The writing here is seamless and teeming with momentum' - New York Times Book Review
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
106 people are currently reading
3227 people want to read
About the author
Paul Beatty
21 books1,608 followersPaul Beatty (born 1962 in Los Angeles) is a contemporary African-American author. Beatty received an MFA in creative writing from Brooklyn College and an MA in psychology from Boston University. He is a 1980 graduate of El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California.
In 1990, Paul Beatty was crowned the first ever Grand Poetry Slam Champion of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. One of the prizes for winning that championship title was the book deal which resulted in his first volume of poetry, Big Bank Takes Little Bank. This would be followed by another book of poetry Joker, Joker, Deuce as well as appearances performing his poetry on MTV and PBS (in the series The United States of Poetry). In 1993, he was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.
His first novel, The White Boy Shuffle received a positive review in The New York Times, the reviewer, Richard Bernstein, called the book "a blast of satirical heat from the talented heart of black American life." His second book, Tuff received a positive notice in Time Magazine. Most recently, Beatty edited an anthology of African-American humor called Hokum and wrote an article in The New York Times on the same subject.
In 1990, Paul Beatty was crowned the first ever Grand Poetry Slam Champion of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. One of the prizes for winning that championship title was the book deal which resulted in his first volume of poetry, Big Bank Takes Little Bank. This would be followed by another book of poetry Joker, Joker, Deuce as well as appearances performing his poetry on MTV and PBS (in the series The United States of Poetry). In 1993, he was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.
His first novel, The White Boy Shuffle received a positive review in The New York Times, the reviewer, Richard Bernstein, called the book "a blast of satirical heat from the talented heart of black American life." His second book, Tuff received a positive notice in Time Magazine. Most recently, Beatty edited an anthology of African-American humor called Hokum and wrote an article in The New York Times on the same subject.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
June 1, 2025
O satiră plină de umor la adresa unei societăți care se preface că vede și rezolvă problemele celor marginalizați, cartea este cât se poate de serioasă. Winston Duru este un personaj atât de complex și atât de simplu încât nici el nu reușește să se înțeleagă. Dacă cei care candidează la funcțiile publice ar fi la fel de onești precum Winston, soluțiile ar veni mai ușor.
December 15, 2017
“Ms. Dunleavy had been Winston's teacher last fall when he attended the GED preparatory program at the community center. Her notions of English didn't feel right in his mouth. For Winston language was an extension of his soul. And if his speech, filled with double negatives, improper conjugations of the verb "to be", and pluralized plurals (e.g., womens), was wrong, then his thoughts were wrong. And oftentimes her corrections had the effect of reducing him to ethnic errata.”
Tuff is the second novel by Man Booker Prize-winning American author, Paul Beatty. Summer in Spanish Harlem, and Winston Foshay (Tuffy to his friends) is looking for a way to survive the year. He has a wife and son to support, and has seen the inside of a prison cell more than once, so something that doesn’t involve drugs would be good. While his good friends plan something as audacious as it is foolish, Tuffy has acquired a mentor in the Big Brother program, Sheldon Throckmorton, a black rabbi who has arranged for those closest to Tuffy to help him decide his future. Suddenly, against most advice, Tuffy is running for Council in the East Harlem Eighth District of the NYC local council elections, on the promise of financial gain from a patron. Will Tuffy disappoint?
Beatty gives the reader a cast of characters who all have their individual quirks and foibles. Most get at least a vignette to explain their background, if not a whole chapter. His plot takes a few surprising turns, so sumo wrestling is just one feature that is unexpected. There are quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, and Beatty has a talent for leading his characters into moments of insight and perceptiveness. His extensive knowledge of the era and the social class about which he writes is apparent in every paragraph, and this is a novel that would appeal especially to readers familiar with Spanish Harlem at the cusp of the twenty-first century. This one is even better than The White Boy Shuffle. Funny and clever.
Tuff is the second novel by Man Booker Prize-winning American author, Paul Beatty. Summer in Spanish Harlem, and Winston Foshay (Tuffy to his friends) is looking for a way to survive the year. He has a wife and son to support, and has seen the inside of a prison cell more than once, so something that doesn’t involve drugs would be good. While his good friends plan something as audacious as it is foolish, Tuffy has acquired a mentor in the Big Brother program, Sheldon Throckmorton, a black rabbi who has arranged for those closest to Tuffy to help him decide his future. Suddenly, against most advice, Tuffy is running for Council in the East Harlem Eighth District of the NYC local council elections, on the promise of financial gain from a patron. Will Tuffy disappoint?
Beatty gives the reader a cast of characters who all have their individual quirks and foibles. Most get at least a vignette to explain their background, if not a whole chapter. His plot takes a few surprising turns, so sumo wrestling is just one feature that is unexpected. There are quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, and Beatty has a talent for leading his characters into moments of insight and perceptiveness. His extensive knowledge of the era and the social class about which he writes is apparent in every paragraph, and this is a novel that would appeal especially to readers familiar with Spanish Harlem at the cusp of the twenty-first century. This one is even better than The White Boy Shuffle. Funny and clever.
Read
February 20, 2025N-aș putea spune exact de ce m-a entuziasmat atât acest roman, mai ales că primele rânduri "promiteau" cu totul altceva.
Nu de alta, dar când o carte al cărui titlu sugerează scandal și duritate începe cu trei morți violente în nu mai mult de trei pagini, te poți aștepta mai degrabă la un dezastru îndevenire decât la un roman psihologic, stropit cu o doză generoasă de umor și autoironie.
Și totuși așa este. Winston, un dur de Brooklyn, a făcut aproape toate prostiile posibile și imposibile. N-a muncit în viața lui o zi, a vândut droguri, s-a bătut la greu, a stat la pușcărie (de acolo s-a și însurat cu Yolanda, pentru care are încă o slăbiciune) este departe de a fi un visător.
Dar are și ceva suflet și ceva minte...
Nu de alta, dar când o carte al cărui titlu sugerează scandal și duritate începe cu trei morți violente în nu mai mult de trei pagini, te poți aștepta mai degrabă la un dezastru îndevenire decât la un roman psihologic, stropit cu o doză generoasă de umor și autoironie.
Și totuși așa este. Winston, un dur de Brooklyn, a făcut aproape toate prostiile posibile și imposibile. N-a muncit în viața lui o zi, a vândut droguri, s-a bătut la greu, a stat la pușcărie (de acolo s-a și însurat cu Yolanda, pentru care are încă o slăbiciune) este departe de a fi un visător.
Dar are și ceva suflet și ceva minte...
June 21, 2019
Dacă e să recomand cuiva romanul acesta, îl recomand celor care își doresc să citească un roman viu, colorat, dus la extrem în privința oralității, a culorilor stridente, a kitschului. E un roman despre viața din mijlocul Harlemului: negri, hispanici, evrei și arabi, cu toții puși pe prădat, pe cucerit femei și demonstrat unul-altuia care are o filozofie de viață mai bună.
Duruletz, cum îi spun prietenii, iubește cinemaul, nu prea a dat pe la școală, deși ar avea ceva șanse, e gras, e negru, are o nevastă și un copil și e cunoscut pentru capacitatea de a câștiga orice bătaie zdravănă pe stradă. Nu pare un om grozav de inteligent, însă are inteligența străzii în sânge. Și asta îl ajută să scape cu viață din multe situații limită, dar și să se ferească de sfaturile proaste ale prietenilor.
Paul Beatty e un maestru al oralității, așa că mi-era dor să citesc un roman de genul acesta. Jos pălăria pentru Perdivară, care a făcut o treabă excelentă cu traducerea. Recunosc că mi-aș dori să-l citesc și în engleză, trebuie să fie grozav în scriitură.
Duruletz, cum îi spun prietenii, iubește cinemaul, nu prea a dat pe la școală, deși ar avea ceva șanse, e gras, e negru, are o nevastă și un copil și e cunoscut pentru capacitatea de a câștiga orice bătaie zdravănă pe stradă. Nu pare un om grozav de inteligent, însă are inteligența străzii în sânge. Și asta îl ajută să scape cu viață din multe situații limită, dar și să se ferească de sfaturile proaste ale prietenilor.
Paul Beatty e un maestru al oralității, așa că mi-era dor să citesc un roman de genul acesta. Jos pălăria pentru Perdivară, care a făcut o treabă excelentă cu traducerea. Recunosc că mi-aș dori să-l citesc și în engleză, trebuie să fie grozav în scriitură.
January 16, 2010
Frickin' hilarious. Laugh out loud funny. I loved this book, his writing is so witty. Love the characters, their dialogue. About to read Slumberland next.
July 17, 2020
Voglio un'estate politicizzata
Ho scelto questo libro perchè volevo qualcosa di divertente e per conoscere una realtà diversa: mi immaginavo una famiglia Malaussène a New York. L'inizio è scoppiettante, ma procedendo perde un po' di smalto.
Racconta un proletariato nero sempre sul confine dell'illegalità: qualcuno politicizzato che cerca di smuovere i molti non interessati. Le donne meglio degli uomini, nel tentativo di costruire qualcosa di buono per i figli.
Beatty riesce bene a rappresentare personaggi speciali, come il nero borghese che si offre come Fratello Maggiore per ragazzi in difficoltà, onde incontrare casi umani e farci articoli di giornale. Non basta: è un nero borghese che si fidanza con una compagna di college coi capelli rossi, si converte all'ebraismo indotto dalla fidanzata, conversione che richiede molto studio per essere accettati: e poi rimane solo, ma con l'ebraismo.
Il padre Pantera Nera che fa i recital di poesie brutte ma acclamate dai progressisti-buonisti, l'angelo custode Signora Nomura, gli amici tutti neri tranne uno, irlandese (ma l'aveva conosciuto prima di compiere 5 anni, età limite per la formazione della coscienza di razza). L'amico Fariq con handicap e cervello fino, che nei casi urgenti si può sollevare di peso e scappare insieme (è magrolino). Ci sono immagini indirettamente toccanti, come le bambinette sul marciapiede che sognano di far soldi mettendo su un gruppo musicale, concentrandosi sul nome e sui balletti, tanto non importa saper cantare, oppure il primo amore, rincontrato per la via, nel cui viso consumato dall'eroina Tuff e forse solo lui riconosceva la bellezza di un tempo.
Molte cose sono piacevoli e interessanti e vere, il limite del libro è la difficoltà di unire i bozzetti con un filo conduttore più robusto, combinando la giusta dose di impegno e divertimento, così che il libro è senza drammi ma anche con poco spessore. E' lievemente documentario. Poteva essere migliore.
Ho scelto questo libro perchè volevo qualcosa di divertente e per conoscere una realtà diversa: mi immaginavo una famiglia Malaussène a New York. L'inizio è scoppiettante, ma procedendo perde un po' di smalto.
Racconta un proletariato nero sempre sul confine dell'illegalità: qualcuno politicizzato che cerca di smuovere i molti non interessati. Le donne meglio degli uomini, nel tentativo di costruire qualcosa di buono per i figli.
Beatty riesce bene a rappresentare personaggi speciali, come il nero borghese che si offre come Fratello Maggiore per ragazzi in difficoltà, onde incontrare casi umani e farci articoli di giornale. Non basta: è un nero borghese che si fidanza con una compagna di college coi capelli rossi, si converte all'ebraismo indotto dalla fidanzata, conversione che richiede molto studio per essere accettati: e poi rimane solo, ma con l'ebraismo.
Il padre Pantera Nera che fa i recital di poesie brutte ma acclamate dai progressisti-buonisti, l'angelo custode Signora Nomura, gli amici tutti neri tranne uno, irlandese (ma l'aveva conosciuto prima di compiere 5 anni, età limite per la formazione della coscienza di razza). L'amico Fariq con handicap e cervello fino, che nei casi urgenti si può sollevare di peso e scappare insieme (è magrolino). Ci sono immagini indirettamente toccanti, come le bambinette sul marciapiede che sognano di far soldi mettendo su un gruppo musicale, concentrandosi sul nome e sui balletti, tanto non importa saper cantare, oppure il primo amore, rincontrato per la via, nel cui viso consumato dall'eroina Tuff e forse solo lui riconosceva la bellezza di un tempo.
Molte cose sono piacevoli e interessanti e vere, il limite del libro è la difficoltà di unire i bozzetti con un filo conduttore più robusto, combinando la giusta dose di impegno e divertimento, così che il libro è senza drammi ma anche con poco spessore. E' lievemente documentario. Poteva essere migliore.
May 22, 2025
Winston “Tuffy” Foshay grows up embroiled in the “ghetto” lifestyle of drugs and violence in Harlem. Without close rearing from either his mother or father, his life has been adrift and he almost finds himself a victim gunned down as the novel commences. The incident sets him thinking how he needs to change his life. Already married with a son, Winston decides to contact the Big Brother program where he befriends a Black Jewish rabbi as a mentor. Along with a wild cast of other memorable and oddball characters, Tuff is mostly an urban-style, coming-of-age adventure with Winston finding a purpose by eventually running for city council.
Beatty’s comedic genius is always simmering, and he is a master of blistering satire to tackle injustice, racism, and poverty. Tuff captures the streetwise culture of Harlem and the narrative has both hilarious and touching scenes, highlighted with Beatty’s gritty prose and often ribald dialogue that can leave you shaking your head with disbelief at what is said. However, the novel is not quite as clever with its outlandish and scathing indictments of society’s shortcomings as his masterpiece The Sellout or his first novel The White Boy Shuffle. Regardless, if you’re a fan of Beatty, you have to read Tuff to experience its brilliant moments of wit and irreverence.
Beatty’s comedic genius is always simmering, and he is a master of blistering satire to tackle injustice, racism, and poverty. Tuff captures the streetwise culture of Harlem and the narrative has both hilarious and touching scenes, highlighted with Beatty’s gritty prose and often ribald dialogue that can leave you shaking your head with disbelief at what is said. However, the novel is not quite as clever with its outlandish and scathing indictments of society’s shortcomings as his masterpiece The Sellout or his first novel The White Boy Shuffle. Regardless, if you’re a fan of Beatty, you have to read Tuff to experience its brilliant moments of wit and irreverence.
November 27, 2025
This was a very good read. Amusing and excellent dialogue. Made me want to visit NYC again but that’s not happening anytime soon with the current president.
Would read more by this author. A wry look at an unwilling politician set in Harlem. Captured what is so great about the city.
Would read more by this author. A wry look at an unwilling politician set in Harlem. Captured what is so great about the city.
January 14, 2022
In letzter Zeit greife ich sehr gerne auf gesellschaftskritische Romane zurück, wenn ich merke, dass ich mal eine kleine Pause von Thrillern sowie Krimis brauche. Diesmal habe ich mich für den neu erschienenen Roman „Tuff“ von Paul Beatty entschieden.
In Beattys neuen Roman geht es nach New York, East Harlem. Mitten in der Großstadt treffen wir auf den neunzehn Jahre alten, afroamerikanischen und 150kg schweren Winston, der unter seinen Freunden auch unter dem Spitznamen „Tuffy“ bekannt ist. Sein Leben war bisher nicht sehr einfach, sodass er sich zurzeit auch nur knapp über Wasser halten kann. Dann wird ihm 20.000€ angeboten, falls Tuffy für den Stadtrat kandidieren wird. Er akzeptiert das Angebot und so startet der Protagonist eine der ausgefallensten Wahlkampagnen der Geschichte. Eine Wahlkampagne, an die sich viele erinnern werden.
Ich habe mich sehr auf dieses Buch gefreut, da es nach New York geht, wo ich vor zwei Jahren einen richtig tollen Urlaub hatte. Ich finde, dass es dem Autor sehr gelungen ist, das New York zu der Handlungszeit darzustellen. Sehr detaillierte Beschreibungen und eine tolle Atmosphäre. Man merkt die gesellschaftlichen Unterschiede vor Ort sowie die damit verbundene Gesellschaftskritik.
Als Leser begibt man sich anhand kleinen Alltagsmomenten auf eine kleine Reise durch New York an der Seite von Tuffy und seinen Freunden. So lernt man Spencer, einen Rabbiner; Fariq, einen gehandicapten Muslim mit einem Faible für Bankraub; Inez, eine ehemalige Mitarbeiterin von Malcolm X und zuletzt Tuffys Frau Yolanda. Die Figuren sind mit sehr viel Liebe zum Detail gezeichnet und man hat im Buch viel Zeit sich mit den Figuren auseinanderzusetzen. Auch wenn die Figurengestaltung nicht unterschiedlicher sein könnte, haben die Figuren eins gemeinsam: Sie träumen von einem Leben jenseits der bestehenden Verhältnisse. Die Gespräche unter den Figuren sind mit viel Humor gehalten, können aber auch darüber hinaus eine tiefgründige Seite offenbaren.
Die Sprache ist in dem Buch sehr locker gehalten, sodass es auch des Öfteren zu einer vulgären sowie einfachen Sprache kommt. Zudem benutzen einzelne Figuren Wörter, die heute in unserer Gesellschaft als rassistisch angesehen werden, jedoch zur damaligen Zeit gang und gäbe waren. Da selbst Tuffy und die anderen Figuren auf eine derartige Sprache untereinander zurückgreifen, wirkt das Buch noch viel authentischer.
Fazit: „Tuff“ war meiner Meinung nach, ein interessanter, humorvoller sowie gesellschaftskritischer Roman, der besonders durch eine tolle Figurenausarbeitung sowie –Darstellung mich gut unterhalten hat. Folglich bewerte ich das Buch mit starken vier Sternen.
In Beattys neuen Roman geht es nach New York, East Harlem. Mitten in der Großstadt treffen wir auf den neunzehn Jahre alten, afroamerikanischen und 150kg schweren Winston, der unter seinen Freunden auch unter dem Spitznamen „Tuffy“ bekannt ist. Sein Leben war bisher nicht sehr einfach, sodass er sich zurzeit auch nur knapp über Wasser halten kann. Dann wird ihm 20.000€ angeboten, falls Tuffy für den Stadtrat kandidieren wird. Er akzeptiert das Angebot und so startet der Protagonist eine der ausgefallensten Wahlkampagnen der Geschichte. Eine Wahlkampagne, an die sich viele erinnern werden.
Ich habe mich sehr auf dieses Buch gefreut, da es nach New York geht, wo ich vor zwei Jahren einen richtig tollen Urlaub hatte. Ich finde, dass es dem Autor sehr gelungen ist, das New York zu der Handlungszeit darzustellen. Sehr detaillierte Beschreibungen und eine tolle Atmosphäre. Man merkt die gesellschaftlichen Unterschiede vor Ort sowie die damit verbundene Gesellschaftskritik.
Als Leser begibt man sich anhand kleinen Alltagsmomenten auf eine kleine Reise durch New York an der Seite von Tuffy und seinen Freunden. So lernt man Spencer, einen Rabbiner; Fariq, einen gehandicapten Muslim mit einem Faible für Bankraub; Inez, eine ehemalige Mitarbeiterin von Malcolm X und zuletzt Tuffys Frau Yolanda. Die Figuren sind mit sehr viel Liebe zum Detail gezeichnet und man hat im Buch viel Zeit sich mit den Figuren auseinanderzusetzen. Auch wenn die Figurengestaltung nicht unterschiedlicher sein könnte, haben die Figuren eins gemeinsam: Sie träumen von einem Leben jenseits der bestehenden Verhältnisse. Die Gespräche unter den Figuren sind mit viel Humor gehalten, können aber auch darüber hinaus eine tiefgründige Seite offenbaren.
Die Sprache ist in dem Buch sehr locker gehalten, sodass es auch des Öfteren zu einer vulgären sowie einfachen Sprache kommt. Zudem benutzen einzelne Figuren Wörter, die heute in unserer Gesellschaft als rassistisch angesehen werden, jedoch zur damaligen Zeit gang und gäbe waren. Da selbst Tuffy und die anderen Figuren auf eine derartige Sprache untereinander zurückgreifen, wirkt das Buch noch viel authentischer.
Fazit: „Tuff“ war meiner Meinung nach, ein interessanter, humorvoller sowie gesellschaftskritischer Roman, der besonders durch eine tolle Figurenausarbeitung sowie –Darstellung mich gut unterhalten hat. Folglich bewerte ich das Buch mit starken vier Sternen.
April 24, 2020
Just a bit funnier than it is sad, a bit more charming than offensive, but it’s plenty fun. I thought the plot got a bit clunky and for me personally it was hard having the characters I wanted to like the most be the most difficult to like. In particular I felt like the Black Rabbi could have been more sympathetic, the old Black Panthers... just leave them out completely, would have been my advice. And Ms. Nomura? Beatty thanks Yuri Kochiyama at the start of the book, so I guess she was cool with it, but I can’t really laugh at a legend like her. So that is all on me, I am the one too hung up on the sixties for those jokes, I guess.
It’s interesting to think about Winston’s run for office in light of all that’s happened since this book came out. Not only Obama but Ilhan Omar and AOC and all. It just feels like there is more possibility for people from a neighborhood like East Harlem to win office, and more room for black nerds in pop culture than there was when this came out... for sure Beatty and his books are part of the reason for that... but it makes this 20 year old book feel 20 years old.
It’s interesting to think about Winston’s run for office in light of all that’s happened since this book came out. Not only Obama but Ilhan Omar and AOC and all. It just feels like there is more possibility for people from a neighborhood like East Harlem to win office, and more room for black nerds in pop culture than there was when this came out... for sure Beatty and his books are part of the reason for that... but it makes this 20 year old book feel 20 years old.
Read
August 7, 2008this is such a good urban satire, Paul has all the chops. his poetry is over my head, i am pretty bright but there's definitly a ceiling on my perception level, so I was glad that he wrote a novel in a genre I understand better. Wise funny sad true.
May 10, 2013
I loved this consistently funny book full of outrageous dialogue and flawed characters. As a 300+ pound drug dealing thug, Winston "Tuffy" Foshay is an unlikely hero. Yet, in the end, his self-assurance, loyalty, and honesty win the reader and ultimately, much of his 'hood.
July 1, 2025
While a bit of an improvement on his first novel The White Boy Shuffle, I think Paul had yet to totally master the art of the novel even here, in his second attempt. There are--as in The White Boy Shuffle--flashes of genius, beautiful passages, touching passages, and many, many wildly funny, witty, and deliciously absurd passages, but somehow their mix and the overall pacing just don't quite fall together to totally satisfy.
My theory with The White Boy Shuffle, which I heard Paul read from (the stunning first chapter) at Saint Mark's Poetry Project way back in the day, was that this stellar opening chapter got him an agent and a book deal before he was totally ready and they must have rushed him through the writing to a deadline as that novel begins very strongly and then feels more and more rushed and unsatisfying as you go. Tuff, I see, was published four years later, and looks to have had sufficient time for its genesis. I found it more even throughout, but still clunkier toward the finish line, and without much of an ending, although I think that's also part of the point of the story it tells; less a story and more a character study really, capturing a time and a place, even if, being contemporary, Paul didn't know he was capturing the era (the late '90s), he was, I'm sure, doing his homework on East Harlem and the neighborhood characters he describes here, since he's a California product and a college boy, neither New Yorker nor neighborhood big boy drug dealer.
Which brings us to the problem some people seem to have with Beatty's books, that they're either too black or not black enough, that he's too intellectual and connected to write about the ghetto, etc etc. All this shit gets loaded onto us writers these days due to the obviously well meaning identity politics of the last 40+ years. It's a shame. But I have to note that it's the racists who brought identity politics into being as a necessity, so it's all on them--wokeness too. If the asshole right wing would just shut the fuck up and let people be, the left would be pretty chill I imagine. The left only gets violent when pushed, the right, however, believing might makes right, is endlessly preaching strength (code for violence basically).
I rather see Paul's novels as heir to an early hero of both of us (we're the same age and from the same state and I knew him to speak too back in my own brief New York City residency and always found him witty and friendly) Richard Pryor. I think Paul is more humorist than realist, more character-creator and Bob Kaufman American surrealist than anything you'd want to try to hold to some credible standard for a neo-realist political reading. Not that there aren't political elements to this novel's plot, to its characters, and to the writing, but they're completely on the author's terms, not on yours, or your political party's--and that's also a thing Tuff sits through in the novel, each party seeking to enroll him in their agenda, and these scene probably represent Paul's response to that approach to his writing.
I enjoyed Tuff. It's brilliant in spots, but unevenly paced and toned and the ending, while not bad, is still mostly a fizzle, and he obviously did much better later with The Sellout, but I'm glad I found this remaindered first edition in a suburban Barnes n Noble and saved it from the shredder--even if it took me nearly 20 years to get around to reading it.
My theory with The White Boy Shuffle, which I heard Paul read from (the stunning first chapter) at Saint Mark's Poetry Project way back in the day, was that this stellar opening chapter got him an agent and a book deal before he was totally ready and they must have rushed him through the writing to a deadline as that novel begins very strongly and then feels more and more rushed and unsatisfying as you go. Tuff, I see, was published four years later, and looks to have had sufficient time for its genesis. I found it more even throughout, but still clunkier toward the finish line, and without much of an ending, although I think that's also part of the point of the story it tells; less a story and more a character study really, capturing a time and a place, even if, being contemporary, Paul didn't know he was capturing the era (the late '90s), he was, I'm sure, doing his homework on East Harlem and the neighborhood characters he describes here, since he's a California product and a college boy, neither New Yorker nor neighborhood big boy drug dealer.
Which brings us to the problem some people seem to have with Beatty's books, that they're either too black or not black enough, that he's too intellectual and connected to write about the ghetto, etc etc. All this shit gets loaded onto us writers these days due to the obviously well meaning identity politics of the last 40+ years. It's a shame. But I have to note that it's the racists who brought identity politics into being as a necessity, so it's all on them--wokeness too. If the asshole right wing would just shut the fuck up and let people be, the left would be pretty chill I imagine. The left only gets violent when pushed, the right, however, believing might makes right, is endlessly preaching strength (code for violence basically).
I rather see Paul's novels as heir to an early hero of both of us (we're the same age and from the same state and I knew him to speak too back in my own brief New York City residency and always found him witty and friendly) Richard Pryor. I think Paul is more humorist than realist, more character-creator and Bob Kaufman American surrealist than anything you'd want to try to hold to some credible standard for a neo-realist political reading. Not that there aren't political elements to this novel's plot, to its characters, and to the writing, but they're completely on the author's terms, not on yours, or your political party's--and that's also a thing Tuff sits through in the novel, each party seeking to enroll him in their agenda, and these scene probably represent Paul's response to that approach to his writing.
I enjoyed Tuff. It's brilliant in spots, but unevenly paced and toned and the ending, while not bad, is still mostly a fizzle, and he obviously did much better later with The Sellout, but I'm glad I found this remaindered first edition in a suburban Barnes n Noble and saved it from the shredder--even if it took me nearly 20 years to get around to reading it.
February 10, 2019
Tuff by Paul Beatty (2000)
Winston “Tuffy” Foshay is what some would call a product of his environment. Tuffy grew up in the streets of Spanish Harlem. He’s feared, respected and somewhat of a legend in the streets. But Tuff is now a father and he wants to be successful and take care of his wife and one year old son. After barely escaping death during a drug deal gone bad Tuff decides its time for a change.
Tuff reaches out to a big brother program and gets assigned a mentor. With the help of his mentor and his second mother Inez; Tuff decides to run for a seat on city council.
When Tuff kicks off his campaign he begins to recognize the systemic racial injustices that POC deal with within his community. Throughout the book Tuff deals with his broken relationship with his father who was incarcerated. Tuff has a few encounters with the police and even gets arrested. Beatty uses the campaign to shine light on the electoral process and voter suppression in black communities. I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Winston “Tuffy” Foshay is what some would call a product of his environment. Tuffy grew up in the streets of Spanish Harlem. He’s feared, respected and somewhat of a legend in the streets. But Tuff is now a father and he wants to be successful and take care of his wife and one year old son. After barely escaping death during a drug deal gone bad Tuff decides its time for a change.
Tuff reaches out to a big brother program and gets assigned a mentor. With the help of his mentor and his second mother Inez; Tuff decides to run for a seat on city council.
When Tuff kicks off his campaign he begins to recognize the systemic racial injustices that POC deal with within his community. Throughout the book Tuff deals with his broken relationship with his father who was incarcerated. Tuff has a few encounters with the police and even gets arrested. Beatty uses the campaign to shine light on the electoral process and voter suppression in black communities. I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
October 25, 2021
Hilarious early novel by the author of The Sellout. The protagonist, Winston Foshay, an enormous African American resident of Spanish Harlem, finds himself out of work after the drug dealers he was supposed to be guarding get gunned down, so he decides to run for New York City Council. What follows is a series of very funny set pieces, as he tries to get signatures for his ballot petition, which is difficult as most passersby think "City Council" is the name of his rap group. Meanwhile, his campaign staff is plotting an elaborate bank robbery that goes so spectacularly wrong that the bank doesn't even realize someone was trying to rob them. Somehow along the way Winston also gets involved with an African American rabbi and is nearly recruited to be a professional sumo wrestler. Beatty keeps things moving uproariously, and even though he doesn't really tie it all together at the end, what a blast.
October 24, 2025
The book started off so promising and then it totally lost me. I didn't read for 2 days because I was dreading picking this book back up and enduring it. But don't get me wrong, it was a fun first third, the rest got gradually worse.
I can't really put my finger on what exactly stopped working, but all I know is that I lost interest after Spencer's role dragged on and didn't seem to be too relevant, then I really lost interest with the city council stuff because Winston genuinely DGAF about winning or being a voice of his community. Others pushed him towards this choice.
I didn't care if he won or lost the election because the whole thing felt futile. There were no stakes. There was no conflict. He wasn't going to lose anything or really be any better off regardless of the outcome. There was no reason to care. Yes, the writing is good, it's unique, the opening scene slapped, and I LOL'd on a few occasions, but that's not enough.
2.5/5
I can't really put my finger on what exactly stopped working, but all I know is that I lost interest after Spencer's role dragged on and didn't seem to be too relevant, then I really lost interest with the city council stuff because Winston genuinely DGAF about winning or being a voice of his community. Others pushed him towards this choice.
I didn't care if he won or lost the election because the whole thing felt futile. There were no stakes. There was no conflict. He wasn't going to lose anything or really be any better off regardless of the outcome. There was no reason to care. Yes, the writing is good, it's unique, the opening scene slapped, and I LOL'd on a few occasions, but that's not enough.
2.5/5
September 10, 2019
Net als in "The sellout" weet Paul Beatty te wervelen met een verhaal over een uitzonderlijk Afro-Amerikaans personage, ditmaal een zwaarlijvige, streetwise en verstandige jongeman uit East Harlem (New York). Hij wil het rechte pad op en als vanzelf rolt hij in een wel heel vreemd avontuur dat totaal niet bij hem lijkt te passen: hij stelt zich kandidaat voor de gemeenteraad. Of hij het haalt of niet, is niet zo belangrijk in dit boek, wel het portret van het hoofdpersonage (en de nevenpersonages, die even vermakelijk en bijzonder zijn) en diens visie, diens heldere kijk die het streetwise combineert met gezond verstand en verrassend veel culturele bagage. Het resultaat is dan ook een boek dat je als een sumoworstelaar (een metafoor die ik niet zomaar kies) vloert...
March 14, 2022
This was awesome but I expected nothing less from Paul Beatty. I've read the Sellout and the White Boy Shuffle so I looked forward to reading this second novel of his which unlike the other two I had read, was not a first person narration. i think this might be my favorite Beatty - as other reviewers have said on goodreads, the satire is not as overt. the story and characters are a bit more realistic maybe? while still losing none of the humor. i laughed out loud several times for sure. Especially when *spoiler alert* a character is suddenly revealed to be wearing $140 clogs.
September 24, 2024
Un roman glauque sur un quartier qui l’est tout autant. Une ambiance qui balance entre une pochade et un drame philosophique.
Des amis incroyables, une femme formidable, voilà le cadre dans lequel évolue Tuff un drôle d’homme noir, jeune et très intelligent.
Mais car il y a un mais, tout est gangréné par le manque d’argent, de moyens, d’envie et la drogue.
Une écriture efficace qui ne manque pas de poésie.
À mon sens beaucoup moins drôle que moi contre les États Unis d’Amérique mais malgré tout drôle ou plutôt grinçant.
Des amis incroyables, une femme formidable, voilà le cadre dans lequel évolue Tuff un drôle d’homme noir, jeune et très intelligent.
Mais car il y a un mais, tout est gangréné par le manque d’argent, de moyens, d’envie et la drogue.
Une écriture efficace qui ne manque pas de poésie.
À mon sens beaucoup moins drôle que moi contre les États Unis d’Amérique mais malgré tout drôle ou plutôt grinçant.
January 2, 2025
No better way to kick off the new year than a book from 25 years ago. Despite references to beepers, this book topically reads like it could have been released yesterday. The plot serves only as a vehicle to showcase the vibrant/inane cast of characters, which itself is worth the price of admission. Didn't expect to learn as much as I did about sumo wrestling or classic film. Not bad!
May 22, 2018
I think this book was a 3.5 star one for me. I enjoyed the book, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations after having read The Sellout. If I'd read them in the reverse order, I think there's a chance I'd be raving about this one. I definitely still want to read the rest of Beatty's work.
May 18, 2024
3.5, good story, some very funny moments. i understand most of the actions of the characters and i realize that that’s just how they have grown up, but it wasn’t particularly nice to read about some of the nastiness that happens that doesn’t benefit anyone, from any of the main characters
April 18, 2025
I was such a fan of the other books but this one just seemed like a cacophony of disjointed events with minor satirical and comedic inserts that didnt achieve any particular objective. not for me but perhaps for another type of reader.
February 4, 2018
So damn good.
June 23, 2024
Paul Beatty is one of my new favorite writers. I've read 4 of his books now and this is how I would rank them including this book
The Sellout
Tuff
White Boy Shuffle
Slumberland
The author comes up with things that literally make me laugh out loud. Tuff did not disappoint in this category. Winston was a complex and intelligent character, and Beatty's use of the English language, both from the street, and from the thesaurus was, as always, superb.
The Sellout
Tuff
White Boy Shuffle
Slumberland
The author comes up with things that literally make me laugh out loud. Tuff did not disappoint in this category. Winston was a complex and intelligent character, and Beatty's use of the English language, both from the street, and from the thesaurus was, as always, superb.
February 1, 2025
Absurd yet believable. Grimy, bloody, and hilarious.
November 4, 2025
3 og hálf? 4? Ég er þræll stjörnugjafarinnar en næ engu sambandi við hana lengur. Hvað þýðir þetta eiginlega?
December 16, 2025
Laugh-out-loud funny with an incredible cast of characters. Subverts so many stereotypes of the inner-city, “hip-hop culture” Harlem youth - UGHH it’s just so brilliant idek what to say
July 23, 2024
Jouissif, foutraque, drôle et déglingué. Les américains sont vraiment des martiens (les juifs, les blancs et les noirs).
September 11, 2025
My expectations were high after having read The Sellout, and while the opening salvo was classic Beatty wit and punch, it quickly petered out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews