Reviews with content warning for Rape - The Late Americans

I thought this book was really interesting. I love stories that just emulate the human form. I wish I had a better grasp of the characters themselves, I got them mixed up a lot and had a difficult time distinguishing them. I picked this book because I enjoyed the writing but I can't help but understand the actual connection Seamus had to the other characters at the end. Maybe I read too fast but nonetheless, I loved the writing. I didn't appreciate the mention of women in the synopsis and then the only mentions of them to be so short and vapid.

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goldenaces00's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

It starts like a train, full steam ahead, and had me ferociously reading for about the first half. However, new (not as charismatic) characters are introduced, the plot is lost, and the ending left me deeply unsatisfied. It was a really strong, visual, and intimate story that read like poetry at some parts, but overall felt more like a collection of short stories with loose connections than a single novel with a plot. If you like stories about complicated artists that like to have sex, this is a great read. I just wish Taylor would have made his ensemble smaller, focused on character development, and given the readers a more powerful takeaway at the end. There are various subplots that go nowhere and are either tied up too early or never at all.

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schnooglefaceduthie's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.0

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lauren_werts's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-paced

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

2.0

Maybe I was not in the right headspace for this…or maybe this book isn’t for me, but I did not enjoy this book. I only finished it because I purchased it full price.

I was interested in this because I saw a review that said it switched from solo to group perspectives to tell an interesting story. And while it does shift perspectives it did not seem to be in a worthwhile way. Like the last chapter is from a completely new perspective and gave me zero closure for the other characters I was invested in.

I also think to call this a novel is a stretch. It’s more like a collection of short stories that just happen to involve related people and happen somewhat chronologically. But there’s no build up to something bigger, no reason to hear snippets of different perspectives.

I also felt the author was trying to hard to make a statement on too many different topics so instead of leaving me thinking about one topic I just felt like he was as pretentious and performative as the poets in Seamus’s workshop that he was criticizing.

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