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kimothay's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is my first Brandon Taylor read! Short story collections are usually not my favorite because I very much need detailed, direct character development to thoroughly get invested in a story. However, I enjoyed many of the stories in this collection and I’m interested to read more of Taylor’s work. This is definitely a dark read with lots of content/trigger warnings; however, since the main theme of the book is how humans seek connection but resort to violence, it was to be expected. I would have liked to see more character development or addressing of core problems, but overall, I enjoyed the collection. The standout for me was Anne of Cleves.
Potluck: 4/5
Potluck: 4/5
Little Beast: 4/5
Flesh: 3.5/5
As Though That Were Love: 3.5/5
Proctoring: 4/5
Filthy Animals: 3/5
Mass: 2.5/5
Anne of Cleves: 4.5/5
Apartment: 3/5
What Made Them Made You: 4/5
Meat: 3/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Grief, and Outing
anawest's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, and Homophobia
mmatti300's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was so close to a five star in a lot of ways, except for the fact that I actually hated the central story. I found Lionel, Charles, and Sophie’s story to be way too similar to real life and with more of the subtle abuses (to the point where it was so subtle that others may not have seen their relationship as inherently abusive). However, Anne of Cleves, What Made them Made You, and Mass were all 5 stars for me, and if Lionel and Charles had been more like those this would have been a 5 star collection. I also was not expecting it to have a central story like it did. Instead of a short story collection, this is more of a novella with short stories that branch off of it attached. What Brandon Taylor does do really well, and shows in this book, is offering a glimpse into real life and the betrayal and filthy nature of real people. And I really appreciated how, because each story was like a snapshot of one persons life, it ended in a vague spot — open to countless questions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Outing, and Sexual harassment
katyisreading's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
FILTHY ANIMALS was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer and it did not disappoint.
Thank you to Riverhead for my advanced copy. This short story collection is out this Tuesday, 6/22!
TW: suicide attempt, abuse, death, illness
In FILTHY ANIMALS, every other story follows Lionel, who was recently released from the hospital after a suicide attempt, and Sophie and Charles, two dancers who are in an open relationship. The thread of their story—which explores intimacy, cruelty, frailty, longing, and the interconnection of all of those things—is both beautifully written and uncomfortably tense. The rest of the stories are one-off character studies, including my favorite from the collection, "Anne of Cleves." I think what draws me to Brandon Taylor's writing is his ability to describe the weight of the everyday; a look between a mother and child, a moment spent lounging in the sun with a lover, the tension between two teenagers on a hill getting high. The entire collection is beautiful and melancholic and I highly recommend it, with the caution that it's not for the faint of heart (there's a reason I kicked this off with trigger warnings).
A side note: one of the things that I loved about REAL LIFE and now FILTHY ANIMALS is how Brandon Taylor writes about Madison. As someone who lived there as a straight, white, middle-class undergrad, reading Brandon Taylor's books has given me the opportunity to experience the town through the lens of so many different eyes. I loved following Lionel, Sophie, and Charles around campus, through the buildings where I took dance and English classes, and then jumping into a story that takes place in the spaces beyond campus; suburban homes, out in the "country," "up north." The book felt like a snapshot of all the diverse lives that can be lived simultaneously in a single space.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt