Reviews

The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor

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elksy's review against another edition

3.5

I wanted to love this, and I did love aspects of it. Taylor is clearly an astute observer of human behavior and motivation, how we perceive each other and ourselves. I adore novels following an ensemble of loosely related characters. But there was something distant about this story. Perhaps because my own academic experience was so wildly different? Usually that's a great joy of reading: seeing the world from a separate perspective. But these people were interested in art and learning in a way foreign to me, and inscrutable.

Not quite what I expected. I look forward to reading more of the author's work knowing the vibe beforehand.

bananas_books's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I love Brandon Taylor but this is too many orgasms

blkcullensister's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

sharkwife's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-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

2.25

I had high expectations going into this book because it had been so well-reviewed, and because I have enjoyed the author’s cultural criticism on various podcasts. But this novel was petty repetitive and I couldn’t get into it. The strongest sections were the ones written from the point of a pretty unlikable poet, who kept pissing off the women in his seminar. That at least felt specific. The rest of the characters blended together.