The Brutal Language of Love - by Alicia Erian (Paperback)

About the Book

In these nine stunning stories, Erian explores that peculiar part of the psyche that makes people do things when they know better. The powerful, unsettling stories in "The Brutal Language of Love" mark the emergence of a major new talent.

Book Synopsis

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

Review Quotes

"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

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

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

About the Author

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