francesca_o's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
hellolasse's review against another edition
4.0
En bid af virkeligheden
En bid af det rigtig liv
eller i hvert fald, hvordan man tolke på den :)
Jeg beundrede den bog.
En simpel fortælling, men hvor simpel var den når det kom til stykket?
Selvom kontekst USA vs Danmark ikke ligne hinanden.
Så var der mange elementer man kan nikke og tænke over.
En smuk og langsom fortælling <3
En bid af det rigtig liv
eller i hvert fald, hvordan man tolke på den :)
Jeg beundrede den bog.
En simpel fortælling, men hvor simpel var den når det kom til stykket?
Selvom kontekst USA vs Danmark ikke ligne hinanden.
Så var der mange elementer man kan nikke og tænke over.
En smuk og langsom fortælling <3
eliross's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.5
jennabythestacks's review
5.0
This was a wonderful novel, hitting all the marks for me:
✓ Interesting main character who has layers and is both lovable and frustrated
✓ Beautifully written prose
✓ Slow moving plot, driven by characters
✓ Sections that left me thinking about how it applies to my own life.
Going into this book I only knew that the main character is a gay black graduate student from Alabama. I did a quick google search and found the book described to be about love, loneness, and race. In reading, I tabbed these ideas and was blown away with how Taylor intertwined these ideas.
Within the idea of love my favorite section stated, "This is perhaps why people get together in the first place. The sharing of time. The sharing of the responsibility of anchoring ones self to the world."
It was interesting to see the push and pull of love between characters. There was an weaving of love and loneness throughout the novel. Often I found that.
The concept of being lonely while having/around friends was interring and relatable. The most related scene was . I loved the ending because
The description of "good white people" was exactly what this white person needed to read (311). The idea that Wallace worked for his place and not to be judged but then was hated for the hard work was striking (pg. 98).
Finally, the concept of the power of words and impact of words was incorporated in so many instances: When are people using their words and when are they choosing not to talk out or share?
Overall, 10/10 read. I cannot wait for a re-read.
✓ Interesting main character who has layers and is both lovable and frustrated
✓ Beautifully written prose
✓ Slow moving plot, driven by characters
✓ Sections that left me thinking about how it applies to my own life.
Going into this book I only knew that the main character is a gay black graduate student from Alabama. I did a quick google search and found the book described to be about love, loneness, and race. In reading, I tabbed these ideas and was blown away with how Taylor intertwined these ideas.
Within the idea of
It was interesting to see the push and pull of love between characters. There was an weaving of love and loneness throughout the novel. Often I found that
Spoiler
the most romantic moments were int he shadow of lonelinessThe concept of being
Spoiler
the debating about spending time with friends or not when Taylor writes about "a pantomime of intimacy, a cold of happiness, a cult of friendship" (pg. 126).Spoiler
it showed the vast difference in the reality in friendships and the hope and excitement with a new friendship starts.The description of "good white people" was exactly what this white person needed to read (311). The idea that Wallace worked for his place and not to be judged but then was hated for the hard work was striking (pg. 98).
Finally, the concept of the power of words and impact of words was incorporated in so many instances:
Spoiler
when his friends don't speak up against racist comments, when his mom doesn't know what to say about what is happening to him, when he doesn't want to talk about Miller does about the violent event, when he choses to disclose about his father's death and when his friend uses words to tell everyone, when he announces about the potential cheating at the dinner party, when he tells Miller about his own trauma and when Miller tells him back, and when his lab mate uses her words against him in a way that could be career/life altering.Overall, 10/10 read. I cannot wait for a re-read.
devpewpew's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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
ecruikshank's review against another edition
4.0
Oof. This book was a gut punch.
Real Life takes place over a single weekend and is a minutely observed character study of Wallace, a gay Black biochemistry PhD candidate at a nameless predominantly white school in the Midwest. Wallace is a remarkably fully realized character. He is deeply lonely and full of self-doubt; he suffers from imposter syndrome, exacerbated by the racist micro and macroaggressions directed at him by most people in his professional orbit, and he questions his place in his friend circle. He’s thoughtful and generous and he tries so hard in so many areas of his life, in scenes that can be painful to read. But he’s not a silently suffering martyr—he’s self-absorbed and at times impulsive, and he lashes out when he is feeling wounded. He’s a complete human being.
In addition to writing a fantastic protagonist, Taylor also creates a three-dimensional world full of complicated and contradictory people and striking scenery. He writes so clearly about the pressures of academia and the competition, entitlement, frustrations, and self-doubt it engenders; he also offers brilliant observations about the kinds of intelligence we tend to privilege and how those who are perceived as having the “right” kind of intellect are given infinite chances to fail upward. Taylor depicts Wallace’s friends with similar nuance: They are caring and generous and genuinely embrace Wallace, but they are also totally insensitive to his emotional state and fail to stand up for him when he is subjected to racist vitriol.
One other thing Taylor writes extraordinarily well is social anxiety. Watching Wallace convince himself to participate in social situations, obsessively iterate over every interaction in his mind, persuade himself that his friends genuinely want him around—it was all intensely and uncomfortably relatable. It hit close to home, but it was almost a relief to have someone so skillfully put into words what those experiences feel like. Also, for whatever reason I am particularly sensitive to reading about gentle people being bullied or humiliated or having their cautious optimism disappointed, and a few scenes touched that particular nerve.
I opened this book a few months ago and was put off by some terribly clunky writing in the first paragraph, so I was apprehensive about the writing quality when I returned to the book. That concern was quickly put to rest. The descriptive writing is lyrical and evocative, and the dialogue is pitch perfect. At times the book felt over-written—there were some similes that didn’t convey any new information and occasional places (like the first paragraph) where the ambitious language didn’t work at all. But this book is on the whole gorgeously written, and I highly recommend it.
Real Life takes place over a single weekend and is a minutely observed character study of Wallace, a gay Black biochemistry PhD candidate at a nameless predominantly white school in the Midwest. Wallace is a remarkably fully realized character. He is deeply lonely and full of self-doubt; he suffers from imposter syndrome, exacerbated by the racist micro and macroaggressions directed at him by most people in his professional orbit, and he questions his place in his friend circle. He’s thoughtful and generous and he tries so hard in so many areas of his life, in scenes that can be painful to read. But he’s not a silently suffering martyr—he’s self-absorbed and at times impulsive, and he lashes out when he is feeling wounded. He’s a complete human being.
In addition to writing a fantastic protagonist, Taylor also creates a three-dimensional world full of complicated and contradictory people and striking scenery. He writes so clearly about the pressures of academia and the competition, entitlement, frustrations, and self-doubt it engenders; he also offers brilliant observations about the kinds of intelligence we tend to privilege and how those who are perceived as having the “right” kind of intellect are given infinite chances to fail upward. Taylor depicts Wallace’s friends with similar nuance: They are caring and generous and genuinely embrace Wallace, but they are also totally insensitive to his emotional state and fail to stand up for him when he is subjected to racist vitriol.
One other thing Taylor writes extraordinarily well is social anxiety. Watching Wallace convince himself to participate in social situations, obsessively iterate over every interaction in his mind, persuade himself that his friends genuinely want him around—it was all intensely and uncomfortably relatable. It hit close to home, but it was almost a relief to have someone so skillfully put into words what those experiences feel like. Also, for whatever reason I am particularly sensitive to reading about gentle people being bullied or humiliated or having their cautious optimism disappointed, and a few scenes touched that particular nerve.
I opened this book a few months ago and was put off by some terribly clunky writing in the first paragraph, so I was apprehensive about the writing quality when I returned to the book. That concern was quickly put to rest. The descriptive writing is lyrical and evocative, and the dialogue is pitch perfect. At times the book felt over-written—there were some similes that didn’t convey any new information and occasional places (like the first paragraph) where the ambitious language didn’t work at all. But this book is on the whole gorgeously written, and I highly recommend it.
ktkate's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Vomit, Sexual content, and Rape
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Eating disorder, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Misogyny
chaoscat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
softstarrynights's review
2.0
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2020, Real Life follows Wallace, a black PhD student in a predominantly white programme, over the course of one weekend. On paper, I thought I was going to love this book but when I finished it I struggled to come up with one aspect that I liked. I did not actively dislike the book, at least for the most part, but there was no emotional connection between me, as the reader, and this book. Every time Brandon Taylor seemed to be on the verge of exploring something I thought was interesting he seemed to go in the opposite direction. The penultimate chapter made me very uncomfortable, but not in a good way, and tainted the rest of the book for me. It is because of that particular chapter I couldn't recommend it. I don't feel like what happens in that chapter is properly resolved and I'm left with a bad taste in my mouth. The characters are unlikable, but I'm not sure whether that is intentional. I can see why the book could have an impact on some readers, but unfortunately, I am not one.