introvertsbookclub's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I think Brandon Taylor’s writing is exceptional, so I’m disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did Real Life. There were lots of moments that I loved but altogether the novel felt lacking. In the absence of plot, it needed more substance or an overarching purpose to hold it together, but for me it didn’t deliver. The characters, their voices, the pacing, everything felt repetitive and lacklustre. Each chapter was an intriguing insight into an academic town and the graduates about to leave it, but it didn’t provide a new perspective or enough variety to keep me engaged. I am definitely in a bit of a reading funk which might explain my reading experience, but this novel was very depressing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Sexual violence, and Racial slurs
ukponge's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia
writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.0
The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor 📝 ad/gifted proof courtesy of @jonathancape
🌟🌟🌟🌟
📝 The plot: In Iowa City, a group of lovers, exes and friends go about their lives - attending poetry seminars and dance classes, arguing with their partners, working shitty jobs. They are each on the edge of an uncertain future, a boundary they occupy together though each experiences it entirely alone.
Brandon Taylor is an auto-buy author for me. Real Life, his first novel, is one of my favourite books of all time, and Filthy Animals, his collection of short stories also set in Iowa City, was a five star read for me last year.
What I love about Taylor's writing is that it always strikes me as knife-like: the cold, reflective flat of the blade, the gasp of the sharp edge, the hot pulse of something desperate and living underneath. The Late Americans gives free rein to these skills because it takes you through the lives of several characters, letting you glimpse them through each other's eyes. It allows you to see both their cruelty and their yearning, which isn't something a lot of writers can pull off, to make you hate a character in one moment and ache for them the next.
What held this back from being a five star read for me is simply my own preferences - I loved how deep we travelled into Wallace's head in Real Life, and I love being able to really settle in and focus on one character. This was a beautiful, searching novel though and if you love spending time with an ensemble of complex characters this is the book for you!
📝 Read it if you love short story cycles and especially Taylor's Filthy Animals as this was a similar vibe. Also if you like stories about students on the precipice of quote-unquote "adulthood".
🚫 Avoid if you're steering clear of scenes of sexual assault and violence right now, or if you are deep in the post-grad crisis and are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel, as this is definitely all tunnel lol
#thelateamericans #brandontaylor
🌟🌟🌟🌟
📝 The plot: In Iowa City, a group of lovers, exes and friends go about their lives - attending poetry seminars and dance classes, arguing with their partners, working shitty jobs. They are each on the edge of an uncertain future, a boundary they occupy together though each experiences it entirely alone.
Brandon Taylor is an auto-buy author for me. Real Life, his first novel, is one of my favourite books of all time, and Filthy Animals, his collection of short stories also set in Iowa City, was a five star read for me last year.
What I love about Taylor's writing is that it always strikes me as knife-like: the cold, reflective flat of the blade, the gasp of the sharp edge, the hot pulse of something desperate and living underneath. The Late Americans gives free rein to these skills because it takes you through the lives of several characters, letting you glimpse them through each other's eyes. It allows you to see both their cruelty and their yearning, which isn't something a lot of writers can pull off, to make you hate a character in one moment and ache for them the next.
What held this back from being a five star read for me is simply my own preferences - I loved how deep we travelled into Wallace's head in Real Life, and I love being able to really settle in and focus on one character. This was a beautiful, searching novel though and if you love spending time with an ensemble of complex characters this is the book for you!
📝 Read it if you love short story cycles and especially Taylor's Filthy Animals as this was a similar vibe. Also if you like stories about students on the precipice of quote-unquote "adulthood".
🚫 Avoid if you're steering clear of scenes of sexual assault and violence right now, or if you are deep in the post-grad crisis and are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel, as this is definitely all tunnel lol
#thelateamericans #brandontaylor
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Sexual assault
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