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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
i didn't enjoy this as much as i thought i would :/ review coming soon? or not, because i don't even know what to say
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I feel like a hypocrite for not really caring that J.T. LeRoy was a hoax and the author was some middle-aged woman with some very probable mental health issues since I am so against books like 'Go Ask Alice' and 'The Amityville Horror' that operate on the same premise.
But, I really was compelled by the psychological portrait drawn in these stories, sad and twisted at it might be. I can't remember the woman's name, but she is a decent writer and she has to be given some kudos for pulling off a hoax like that in this heavy information age.
But, I really was compelled by the psychological portrait drawn in these stories, sad and twisted at it might be. I can't remember the woman's name, but she is a decent writer and she has to be given some kudos for pulling off a hoax like that in this heavy information age.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF
Honestly, I hard skimmed the last 60 pages (disregarding the seven additional stories not included in the original publication text).
It's not solely due to the fact that the subject matter is truly vile, and at the same time leaving me numb (I've been so desensitized by the worst-of-the-worst films and literature to be affected any more-so); this book is just not written well. The abuse is exploitative and repetitive in its savagery. It's an unrelenting Hell for Jeremiah, but one that feels forced for the sake of being ruthlessly edgy on the author's part.
This book is, as others have expressed, "poverty porn". Sarah is the white trash villainess to little Jeremiah's victim. Again and again, we are hammered over the head with: Sarah being a horrible mother and Jeremiah paying for it in the most violent of ways. But that's it. I never saw any much of an in between for their roles. It was always Sarah being a terrible person, and Jeremiah suffering because of it. It felt too much, again, like a contrived effort at keeping the story more despicable than the next-- and I can almost imagine this book becoming a talking point for many Brooklynite Hipsters: "I just read the craziest book. It's pretty hard to get through- you should try!"
The reason I picked this up was because I heard about the author's story, which was more interesting than this attempt at tackling a difficult subject matter. I wish I had read something else. Abandonment, child abuse, loss of identity... issues that should be treated with better care, and not made to feel exploited and false in an effort to generate a shock factor.
In the end, I am disappointed.
This book...
It's not edgy, it's phony.
Honestly, I hard skimmed the last 60 pages (disregarding the seven additional stories not included in the original publication text).
It's not solely due to the fact that the subject matter is truly vile, and at the same time leaving me numb (I've been so desensitized by the worst-of-the-worst films and literature to be affected any more-so); this book is just not written well. The abuse is exploitative and repetitive in its savagery. It's an unrelenting Hell for Jeremiah, but one that feels forced for the sake of being ruthlessly edgy on the author's part.
This book is, as others have expressed, "poverty porn". Sarah is the white trash villainess to little Jeremiah's victim. Again and again, we are hammered over the head with: Sarah being a horrible mother and Jeremiah paying for it in the most violent of ways. But that's it. I never saw any much of an in between for their roles. It was always Sarah being a terrible person, and Jeremiah suffering because of it. It felt too much, again, like a contrived effort at keeping the story more despicable than the next-- and I can almost imagine this book becoming a talking point for many Brooklynite Hipsters: "I just read the craziest book. It's pretty hard to get through- you should try!"
The reason I picked this up was because I heard about the author's story, which was more interesting than this attempt at tackling a difficult subject matter. I wish I had read something else. Abandonment, child abuse, loss of identity... issues that should be treated with better care, and not made to feel exploited and false in an effort to generate a shock factor.
In the end, I am disappointed.
This book...
It's not edgy, it's phony.
Prison is not enough...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Had I known about the controversy surrounding J.T. LeRoy, I would not have decided to read The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things. I'm glad I gave this book a chance, both for its reputation among literary circles and the full cast audiobook recording that I listened to. Overall, I was not able to separate the history of the book from the author and spent a long time trying to decide what rating I should give a book which was first presented as nonfiction but is now wholly advertised as a work of fiction. The steps this writer took to present LeRoy as a real transgender person, when the writer herself is a cis-gendered white woman, was wholly ridiculous. In addition, The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things is a series of stories which revels in gratuitous trauma. To write a series of stories about LGBT identities which are so focused on pain without knowing the authentic experiences which transgender people experience is a mistake. Don't get me wrong: these stories didn't need to be happy. The intersectional experiences shown in this short story collection was simply not the author's to tell.
I had heard nothing but praise for the quality of writing which surrounded The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things, and had hoped that since the move had been liked well enough by general audiences, the book would especially shine. What I found was a story which felt as though the author honed in on perceptions and problems which surround poor and working class communities and weaponized them in order to create a story which would peak middle class interest. The collection of stories feel like a ceaseless cycle of child neglect and abuse. Setting aside the whole controversy behind the LeRoy persona, the constant focus on trauma and abuse borders dangerously into "torture porn" categories. The abuse feels artificial and only placed for reader shock factor, especially since there is no greater message or purpose tied to the repeated actions. The writing failed to grab at my attention at its slowest moments and horrified me at its most egregious. I found myself asking what the point of this story even was and why people would willingly read a story which festers from the darkest parts of humanity. Had this not been a book I had received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I would not have finished the novel.
I realized early on in the book that its shock factor and controversies is the very reason that this book is a part of literary circles at all--seeing as the only worthwhile discussion this book offers a general audience is what it means for a book to be defined as a fictional work. Unfortunately, this would not be a book club discussion question had LeRoy's identity never been released as falsified, meaning that the book on its own merit has very little to offer. What's left is a disturbing narrative which exploits marginalized people for the sake of a warped middle class audience.
I had heard nothing but praise for the quality of writing which surrounded The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things, and had hoped that since the move had been liked well enough by general audiences, the book would especially shine. What I found was a story which felt as though the author honed in on perceptions and problems which surround poor and working class communities and weaponized them in order to create a story which would peak middle class interest. The collection of stories feel like a ceaseless cycle of child neglect and abuse. Setting aside the whole controversy behind the LeRoy persona, the constant focus on trauma and abuse borders dangerously into "torture porn" categories. The abuse feels artificial and only placed for reader shock factor, especially since there is no greater message or purpose tied to the repeated actions. The writing failed to grab at my attention at its slowest moments and horrified me at its most egregious. I found myself asking what the point of this story even was and why people would willingly read a story which festers from the darkest parts of humanity. Had this not been a book I had received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I would not have finished the novel.
I realized early on in the book that its shock factor and controversies is the very reason that this book is a part of literary circles at all--seeing as the only worthwhile discussion this book offers a general audience is what it means for a book to be defined as a fictional work. Unfortunately, this would not be a book club discussion question had LeRoy's identity never been released as falsified, meaning that the book on its own merit has very little to offer. What's left is a disturbing narrative which exploits marginalized people for the sake of a warped middle class audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Trafficking, Religious bigotry
LeRoy is controversial, and I don't care. LeRoy, as he exists to Albert, is important in all of this, but I don't think you can remove his realness as a persona for her. The Heart is Deceitful Above all Things is soulful, heartbreaking, transgressive... it's beautiful. Don't hate read it. Don't pass on it because of the controversial author. Read it because Jeremiah deserves it, because the narrative is so perfect.