Brandon Taylor's 'The Late Americans' is a novel set in Iowa City, revolving around a group of graduate students at the university and townies connected to them. The story delves into the lives of these characters, exploring their struggles, relationships, and the dynamics of a modern grad school crowd. The book captures the essence of young adults transitioning from college age to adulthood, portraying their neurotic behaviors, discussions about politics and art, and the challenges they face in crossing this bridge.
The narrative in 'The Late Americans' reads like linked short stories, focusing on the interconnected lives of the characters involved. The novel is described as mean and observant, emphasizing micro interactions and showcasing the experiences of a new generation of young adults born around the turn of the century. It addresses themes of sexuality, acceptance, and survival, juxtaposing the harsh and abrasive nature of these characters with their openness towards each other.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of mental health struggles, substance use, and references to trauma.
Has Romance?
There is a moderate presence of romance and sexual interactions among characters, depicting their complex relationships.
From The Publisher:
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY VOGUE , ELLE, OPRAH DAILY, THE WASHINGTON POST, BUZZFEED AND VULTURE
"Erudite, intimate, hilarious, poignant . . . A gorgeously written novel of youth's promise, of the quest to find one's tribe and one's calling." -Leigh Haber, Oprah Daily
The Booker Prize finalist and widely acclaimed author of Real Life and Filthy Animals returns with a deeply involving new novel of young men and women at a crossroads
In the shared and private spaces of Iowa City, a loose circle of lovers and friends encounter, confront, and provoke one another in a volatile year of self-discovery. Among them are Seamus, a frustrated young poet; Ivan, a dancer turned aspiring banker who dabbles in amateur pornography; Fatima, whose independence and work ethic complicate her relationships with friends and a trusted mentor; and Noah, who "didn't seek sex out so much as it came up to him like an anxious dog in need of affection." These four are buffeted by a cast of artists, landlords, meatpacking workers, and mathematicians who populate the cafes, classrooms, and food-service kitchens of the city, sometimes to violent and electrifying consequence. Finally, as each prepares for an uncertain future, the group heads to a cabin to bid goodbye to their former lives-a moment of reckoning that leaves each of them irrevocably altered.
A novel of friendship and chosen family, The Late Americans asks fresh questions about love and sex, ambition and precarity, and about how human beings can bruise one another while trying to find themselves. It is Brandon Taylor's richest and most involving work of fiction to date, confirming his position as one of our most perceptive chroniclers of contemporary life.
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The Late Americans?
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