The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor

 

This novel is about a group of grad students in an Iowa university, all in the creative arts.  Some are dancers, some are poets but all are attempting to make something new and unique in the arts and all are unsure if they are succeeding and if, in fact, it is even something worth doing.  We learn of each character's background and what brought them to this place and their inner thoughts.  Almost all of the characters are male with the exception of one female dancer.  The characters fall together and apart, some for an afternoon while others have longer relationships.

Brandon Taylor's first book, Real Life, was nominated for the Booker Prize.  Unfortunately, this one seems like a repeat in many ways of that one.  Both have the academic setting, the varied cast of characters who fall together and then apart and the apathy and depression he assigns to everyone.  These are an identifiable type of person, but not the reality of everyone.  There are optimistic people in the world, those who set out upon a goal and feel only pride and success when reaching it.  There are also those who fall in love and have a long and strong relationship but it seems that this author doesn't know any of those people.  Readers who are triggered by graphic sexual relationships should be aware that that occurs in this work and again, often the sex is brutal and unloving.  The writing itself is crisp and engaging and the reader is brought into the lives of the characters.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.