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mezzano's review
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? It's complicated
1.0
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, Deadnaming, Violence, Transphobia, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Confinement
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