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Real Life

by Brandon Taylor
Real Life
Real Life

Intimate coming-of-age in a Midwestern crucible.

"Real Life" is a resonant read for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of identity, self-discovery, and the desire for connection. Its deep dive into the protagonist Wallace's struggles within a homogenous community makes it particularly poignant for those who've felt like outsiders. Brandon Taylor's narrative is immersive, granting a visceral look into a young man's confrontations with his past and present, making it a compelling exploration of human resilience and the yearning for authenticity.

  • Booker Prize Nominee (2020)
  • New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award Nominee (2021)
  • Lambda Literary Award Nominee for Gay Fiction (2020)
  • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction and for Debut Novel (2020)
  • Society of Midland Authors Award Nominee for Adult Fiction (2021)
  • Alabama Author Award for Fiction (2022)
  • Aspen Words Literary Prize Nominee for Longlist (2021)
  • The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Nominee for Longlist (2020)
  • The Publishing Triangle Award Nominee for Debut Fiction (2021)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Real Life

by Brandon Taylor
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780593418512
Authors: Brandon Taylor
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Date of Publication: 2020-10-27
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Contemporary, Literary Fiction
Related Topics: LGBTQ+, Race
Goodreads rating: 3.78
(rated by 36725 readers)

Description

A finalist for the 2020 Booker Prize, a New York Times Editors' Choice. A novel of startling intimacy, violence, and mercy among friends in a Midwestern university town, from an electric new voice. Almost everything about Wallace is at odds with the Midwestern university town where he is working uneasily toward a biochem degree. An introverted young man from Alabama, black and queer, he has left behind his family without escaping the long shadows of his childhood. For reasons of self-preservation, Wallace has enforced a wary distance even within his own circle of friends—some dating each other, some dating women, some feigning straightness. But over the course of a late-summer weekend, a series of confrontations with colleagues, and an unexpected encounter with an ostensibly straight, white classmate, conspire to fracture his defenses while exposing long-hidden currents of hostility and desire within their community. Real Life is a novel of profound and lacerating power, a story that asks if it’s ever really possible to overcome our private wounds, and at what cost.
 

Intimate coming-of-age in a Midwestern crucible.

"Real Life" is a resonant read for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of identity, self-discovery, and the desire for connection. Its deep dive into the protagonist Wallace's struggles within a homogenous community makes it particularly poignant for those who've felt like outsiders. Brandon Taylor's narrative is immersive, granting a visceral look into a young man's confrontations with his past and present, making it a compelling exploration of human resilience and the yearning for authenticity.

  • Booker Prize Nominee (2020)
  • New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award Nominee (2021)
  • Lambda Literary Award Nominee for Gay Fiction (2020)
  • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction and for Debut Novel (2020)
  • Society of Midland Authors Award Nominee for Adult Fiction (2021)
  • Alabama Author Award for Fiction (2022)
  • Aspen Words Literary Prize Nominee for Longlist (2021)
  • The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Nominee for Longlist (2020)
  • The Publishing Triangle Award Nominee for Debut Fiction (2021)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.