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The Brutal Language of Love

Stories

About The Book

Alicia Erian's characters are brave, disarming, affectionate, and deeply flawed. They inhabit the not-so-very-wide space between a good intention and a bad outcome. In "Alcatraz," we meet a middle-school spelling champion who spends her afternoons taking baths with the boy next door. In "Almonds and Cherries," a young woman turns an unexpectedly arousing bra-shopping experience into a short film, with ramifications for everyone around her. In "On the Occasion of My Ruination," a college-bound student plots to lose her virginity to a pizza parlor waiter. The Brutal Language of Love challenges traditional notions of right and wrong with what has become Erian's signature -- an achingly stylish humor and a deep understanding of the brutal truth about human nature. These surprising, provocative, and deeply resonant stories marked the emergence of a major talent

About The Author

Photo Credit:

Alicia Erian is the author of a short story collection, The Brutal Language of Love. Her work has appeared in Playboy, Zoetrope, Nerve, The Iowa Review, and other publications. This is her first novel.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (July 15, 2008)
  • Length: 224 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781416592716

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Raves and Reviews

"Seductive, erotic, smart and tartly humorous, these tales are true gems." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A jumble of contradictions -- silly and smart, truthful and ridiculous, heartless and suddenly, painfully heartfelt. Original and very funny, too." -- Mary Gaitskill, author of Bad Behavior

"This isn't just a book. This is hilarious, heartbreaking torture." -- Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club

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More books from this author: Alicia Erian