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Filthy Animals
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
22 posts | 20 read | 25 to read
BRANDON TAYLOR IS: "A powerhouse." --Newsweek "An extraordinary cartographer." --Esquire "A striking new voice with a vital perspective." --Harper's Bazaar "A brilliant writer." --Garth Greenwell A group portrait of young adults enmeshed in desire and violence, a hotly charged, deeply satisfying new work of fiction from the author of Booker Prize finalist Real Life In the series of linked stories at the heart of Filthy Animals, set among young creatives in the American Midwest, a young man treads delicate emotional waters as he navigates a series of sexually fraught encounters with two dancers in an open relationship, forcing him to weigh his vulnerabilities against his loneliness. In other stories, a young woman battles with the cancers draining her body and her family; menacing undercurrents among a group of teenagers explode in violence on a winter night; a little girl tears through a house like a tornado, driving her babysitter to the brink; and couples feel out the jagged edges of connection, comfort, and cruelty. One of the breakout literary stars of 2020, Brandon Taylor has been hailed by Roxane Gay as "a writer who wields his craft in absolutely unforgettable ways." With Filthy Animals he renews and expands on the promise made in Real Life, training his precise and unsentimental gaze on the tensions among friends and family, lovers and others. Psychologically taut and quietly devastating, Filthy Animals is a tender portrait of the fierce longing for intimacy, the lingering presence of pain, and the desire for love in a world that seems, more often than not, to withhold it.
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review
BarbaraBB
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

This book of losely connected short stories reads like a novel. In every other story we come back to Lionel, Charles and Sophie. Charles and Sophie are a couple who meet Lionel a week after he did a suicide attempt.
My heart breaks for Lionel again and again. Maybe it‘s my state of mind, I feel a bit down, but this book is so depressing. It is good though.

#tbrtarot #52books22

BarbaraBB @CBee I hope a price tag on the back counts for this month‘s #tbrtarot 🤞🏽 2y
CBee @BarbaraBB absolutely! Awesome job 😊 2y
sarahbarnes Great review. I‘m sorry you‘re feeling down. I feel like reading depressing books is tough when I feel that way. 💙 2y
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CarolynM Hope you‘ve got some weekend jollies planned to cheer you up. Sending love and hugs🤗 2y
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes @CarolynM Thank you dear Sarah and Caroline, these are my autumn-blues. I am staying in my parents‘ beach house and I my father‘s presence is everywhere. He passed away in June and his absence hits hard sometimes. Especially here. 2y
batsy Lots of ❤️ 2y
KarenUK Sending love, my friend. 💕 2y
CarolynM I hear you, my friend. Go gently💕 2y
sarahbarnes Take care of yourself. And I know those autumn blues - I have them, too. 2y
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes Thank you. I hope you‘ll take care of yourself too 🤍🤍 2y
BarbaraBB @batsy @KarenUK @CarolynM Happy to have you in my life ❤️ 2y
Megabooks Hugs to you my dear Barbara. 💕💕 this is a downer book. 2y
BarbaraBB @Megabooks I could have known after Real Life, but I had no idea his short stories would be so powerful as well. Devastating! 2y
Cinfhen Hi friend 💕thinking of you 😘 2y
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen Thanks dear Cindy. I am fine. It‘s just that his absence still hits hard sometimes 💔 2y
Cinfhen I‘m sure 😢 2y
CBee @BarbaraBB I‘m so sorry about your father‘s passing 💔 2y
BarbaraBB @CBee Thank you so much, that means a lot. I just read you lost both your parents recently so you definitely know how it feels. Good times, bad times, happy memories, followed by sadness. I wish you all the best and lots of strength and memories ❤️ 2y
CBee @BarbaraBB I do know 💔 It‘s this mish mash of feelings and every day is different. Thank you for your kindness ♥️ (edited) 2y
65 likes19 comments
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BarbaraBB
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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#WeeklyForecast 44/22

Three books for the challenges that I now want to finish as soon as possible : #Booked2022, #pop22, #ATY22 and #52books!

Cinfhen I‘m SO excited to hear your thoughts on 2y
Liz_M "...as soon as popsicle" ??? I love autocorrect! 2y
See All 11 Comments
squirrelbrain I loved the Green and I‘m really looking forward to The Marriage Portrait. Have a good week! 2y
sarahbarnes I really loved The Marriage Portrait! 2y
TrishB I need to get to the O‘Farrell too soon! 2y
Librariana I have The Anthropocene Reviewed on my shelves and need to get to that one soon! Hope you enjoy all your picks 😊 2y
BarbaraBB @Liz_M I didn‘t even notice 😱 am going to change it NOW! 2y
Megabooks These are all excellent books! 2y
BarbaraBB @Megabooks Heavily inspired by you! 2y
Megabooks 😘😘😘 2y
64 likes11 comments
review
Kgaudiuso
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
Mehso-so

I know this book was well reviewed, and maybe I‘m a superficial reader, but it didn‘t give me what I expected from it. Too many chapters on too many people, instead of focusing on a few different storylines. I would have loved to have gotten closure on a few of the people, so feel dissatisfied. I think I‘m just feeling overall disappointed because this book was my choice for my book club, and I fear many will hate it, or be disinterested in it.

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perfectlywinged
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Just like his novel, the writing is so so good already in these somewhat connected short stories.

13 likes1 stack add
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Abailliekaras
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

Wonderful, connected short stories. I love being in Brandon Taylor‘s world as he describes the small details, intimate moments and nuances in relationships between groups of friends in their 20s. Well-paced, the writing is lively but the characters have space to breathe & he leaves the reader thinking about issues like race, class and sexuality. I can‘t wait for his next book!

40 likes2 stack adds
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sakeriver
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
Pickpick

I feel like if there‘s a through-line to Brandon‘s work, it‘s the silences that exist between people, what isn‘t said but is still loudly present. Small viciousnesses and small graces alike. What is desired but unasked for, and what is asked for but dismissed. And always this question of what we are really asking of each other, and what we owe each other. What an extraordinary writer.

4 likes1 stack add
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amma-keep-reading
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
Pickpick

I'm not going to give this book a numerical rating. Each story made me think and feel: sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes confused but overall the writing was beautiful. My main gripe is feeling like it ended abruptly. I think I need one more story where somehow, all of the characters make an appearance.

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sakeriver
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Next

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Floresj
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

This collection of short stories were well written. I especially enjoyed when characters resurfaced in another story to add depth to the collection. My complaint is that the plot lines felt a little repetitive with the relationships in each story. Overall, good reas if you enjoy short stories.

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AlizaApp
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

Interconnected short stories. I love the way Taylor writes, especially about bodies in relation to each other. Every character reads like a fully breathing person, filled with the violence of being alive.

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Pinta
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Mehso-so

Same story told again and again: the outsider, sudden violence, sex, embarrassment, bad teeth, awkward parties, unspoken desire, running for release, lost academics, queerness, desperation, shame, choking, punishments, flirtation, wanting to be wanted, holding back of self, escape to nature, sticky bodies, smugness, the gaze. And dancers! And suicide. Some stories thread together, all feel a bit too the same. Warm-ups for “Real Life?” 2021

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Hooked_on_books
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

Brandon Taylor is just phenomenal. I hesitated a little with this one, as I‘m not always convinced I want to read short stories, but I‘m so glad I took the plunge! I especially liked the linked stories and want to know even more about those characters! The audio is well done and I literally said out loud, “wait, what?” since I was shocked the book was over. I can‘t wait to see where he goes next!

Megabooks He‘s fantastic! I can‘t wait to see what‘s next either. This is one of my favorite collections this year so far. 3y
46 likes1 stack add1 comment
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mcctrish
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

Short stories, some are connected. BT writes powerfully about love and loneliness and a sort of sub basement level of humanity. People are cruel, pushing boundaries. It‘s raw and beautiful at the same time
This book made me feel uncomfortable, people were mean to others, it never felt like love in any of the relationships, the characters were naked in all senses of the word. The feelings/emotions BT evokes with his words have so much presence

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mcctrish
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Time for some short stories

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ChaoticMissAdventures
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

Brandon Taylor can WRITE. This is dark, moody, twisted and so good. There is a range of stories, some are just messed up, some are sweet. All with realistic and complex characters.

21 likes1 stack add
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ChaoticMissAdventures
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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I understand now why people keep saying this short was their favorite.
If you had to pick which wife would you be?

I would hope I am a Catherine Parr personally. Stick it out in the end and make sure the girls get their rightfully place.

17 likes1 stack add
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kbuggle
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

Brandon Taylor writes so, so well. These stories intertwine with repeating characters in the majority, which ended up feeling more like a full novel, with some additional stories thrown in? I wish it would have leaned further in one direction or the other, but that‘s the only complaint here.. worth reading.

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MicheleinPhilly
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

I will read anything Brandon Taylor writes. He is such an exceptional talent.

Megabooks Agreed!! 3y
Suet624 I can‘t wait to read this! 3y
45 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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KarenUK
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

Loved this collection of linked short stories. We begin at a pot luck where Lionel, Charles and Sophie meet, and these characters feature throughout, though not in all the stories. Some are linked through themes of trauma, identity and loneliness. Each story felt so intimate, some melancholy and quiet, others more visceral and brutal. Each inner life is captured with subtly, and mundane moments feel so significant. Really loved the writing 💕

ChaoticMissAdventures I just started this and am so excited. His writing is always so gorgeous. 3y
47 likes1 stack add1 comment
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mdemanatee
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

This short story collection, anchored by interconnected stories, feels like a thematic continuation of Taylor‘s debut Real Life (disillusionment with grad school) while being it‘s own thing. While Real Life explores tight and controlled rage simmering below the surface, this explores characters almost seeking to shake from their numbness. As one of the stories says, “pain is always the way you know something is true” https://youtu.be/3bJ0YJj3FZ0

Megabooks Great review! 3y
mdemanatee @Megabooks thanks! Glad to see you enjoyed Real Life too! 3y
14 likes2 comments
review
Megabooks
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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Pickpick

The connected stories follow a group of dancers at UW-Madison, and the open relationship between Charles and Sophia. In the first story, Charles takes home skittish Lionel, and 4/6 connected stories deal with that night, and Sophia‘s need to assert dominance.

My fav story was the title one about teenage masculinity and queerness. I also enjoyed Anne of Cleeves about a woman taking control of her sexuality and life after a bad relationship. ⬇️

Megabooks ⬆️ It reminded me of Bryan Washington‘s short story collection Lot, in that both deal with masculinity (or gender expectations), queerness, and race. Both have every other connected, too, and have a more literary (as opposed to contemporary) feel. (edited) 3y
Cinfhen So you think this is my jam?? It sounds like my type of short story collections I enjoy (edited) 3y
vivastory Thanks for the tag. I will definitely be reading this! I love that Taylor published a book of lit fic with a Home Alone reference in the title. Also, the cover is fantastic (edited) 3y
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Megabooks @Cinfhen I‘m not confident it is your jam. This standalone stories are like hardcore short stories in the way I don‘t think you personally enjoy. I think this is a #BorrowNotBuy for you. 3y
Megabooks @vivastory yes! And the teens in that story discuss Home Alone. It is a fabulous reference. 👍🏻 3y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB I can see you possibly liking this. 👍🏻💜 3y
BarbaraBB I can see that too! Thanks for thinking of me! I have his Real Life waiting for me first though 😅. Have your read that one? 3y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB I have not, but I plan to now! 👍🏻 3y
Hooked_on_books Hmmm, I was slightly disappointed by Lot, but I absolutely loved Real Life, so I‘ll still plan on reading this one. 3y
Megabooks @Hooked_on_books it‘s more of a general themes thing re: Lot rather than specific content/writing style, FWIW. I haven‘t read Real Life yet, but it‘s on my TBR now! 3y
Cinfhen Thanks for the heads-up!! Ill go the #BorrowNotBuy route 😉 3y
mdemanatee I‘m reading this right now too! Excited there‘s a story called “Anne of Cleves.” Based on his Twitter I‘d LOVE to see him dabble in historical whether fiction or nonfiction too. 3y
Megabooks @mdemanatee yes! It‘s a great story. I hope you enjoy it. 😊 3y
Hooked_on_books Well that‘s good to know. I definitely liked the themes in Lot. I think you‘ll really enjoy Real Life. It‘s so good and I love that it‘s set in a science doctoral/post-doc setting, which I think will work for you, too. 3y
Megabooks @Hooked_on_books I just checked my libraries, and neither had Real Life, but I was interested enough to use an audible credit. It‘s up soon now! 3y
82 likes4 stack adds15 comments
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Megabooks
Filthy Animals | Brandon Taylor
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I got #bookmail on the 4th! 🎉📖💥🇺🇸 And I definitely have #CoverLove 😍😍

vivastory This is a great cover. I was bummed out I didn't see it at Target earlier when I had to stop for nacho & margarita ingredients. Of course I still found a couple of other books 😂📚 3y
Cinfhen Ohhhh, nice 👍🏻 3y
Megabooks @vivastory of course! Target is a dangerous place for impulse buys! 3y
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Megabooks @Cinfhen I‘m excited about it! 3y
Hooked_on_books I‘m excited for this one after his outstanding novel. I look forward to your review! 3y
Megabooks @Hooked_on_books I‘m 83 pages (three stories) in, and they are really solid literary short stories. If anything, I want him to elaborate a bit more, which I rarely say about stories. I‘m excited to see where he goes with the interconnected ones. 3y
87 likes6 comments