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Published by Magpie
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
A compulsively readable debut novel about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence.
‘An utterly captivating fever dream of a novel.’ Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life
When Paul enters university in early 1970s Pittsburgh, it’s with the hope of moving past the recent death of his father. Sensitive, insecure, and like a stranger to his family, Paul feels isolated and alone. When he meets the worldly Julian in his freshman ethics class, Paul is immediately drawn to his classmate’s effortless charm.
Paul will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy of their friendship. But Julian is as volatile and cruel as he is charismatic, and Paul begins to suspect that he can never live up to what Julian expects of him.
As their friendship spirals into all-consuming intimacy, they each learn the lengths to which the other will go in order to stay together, their obsession ultimately hurtling them toward an act of irrevocable violence. From then on, everything changes…
These Violent Delights is an exquisitely plotted excavation of the depths of human desire and the darkness it can unleash upon us...
'A clever novel of manners.’ New York Times
‘An utterly captivating fever dream of a novel.’ Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life
When Paul enters university in early 1970s Pittsburgh, it’s with the hope of moving past the recent death of his father. Sensitive, insecure, and like a stranger to his family, Paul feels isolated and alone. When he meets the worldly Julian in his freshman ethics class, Paul is immediately drawn to his classmate’s effortless charm.
Paul will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy of their friendship. But Julian is as volatile and cruel as he is charismatic, and Paul begins to suspect that he can never live up to what Julian expects of him.
As their friendship spirals into all-consuming intimacy, they each learn the lengths to which the other will go in order to stay together, their obsession ultimately hurtling them toward an act of irrevocable violence. From then on, everything changes…
These Violent Delights is an exquisitely plotted excavation of the depths of human desire and the darkness it can unleash upon us...
'A clever novel of manners.’ New York Times
Product Details
- Publisher: Magpie (January 16, 2025)
- Length: 480 pages
- ISBN13: 9781836430421
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Raves and Reviews
‘As unsettling as it is enthralling... It shattered me.’ Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire and Mother Daughter Widow Wife
‘A startling debut by a heady talent whose vision of what youthful arrogance and delusion can lead to feels completely on the mark.’ Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times
‘It's only a matter of time before things start to explode in this enthralling, unpredictable thriller.’ Patrick Rapa, Philadelphia Inquirer
‘Nemerever's darkly shrewd debut exists in that hazy liminal space between desire and obsession, where the vagaries of a relationship come shaded with the constant threat of cruelty.’ Michelle Hart, Oprah Daily
'Haunting and beautiful, powerful, and twisted... it will keep you up at night, turning page after page.’ Jen St. Jude, Chicago Review of Books
‘If Tom Ripley went to university with Patrick Bateman it might have gone a little like this. Philosophy, satire, and obsession combine as the violence of the story escalates. A twisted and evocative read.’ Robert Holtom, author of A Queer Case
‘[An]intense and beautiful thriller.’ Literary Hub
‘Few novelists make an impression as quickly and effectively as Micah Nemerever does in his stirring debut, an explosively erotic and erudite thriller.’ Stephenie Harrison, BookPage
‘Readers who need some thrill in their life will find this page-turner very binge-able. Micah Nemerever showcases a lot of skills on the pages, but it is the intricate plotting that propels this novel forward.’ Adam Vitcavage, Electric Lit
‘A gorgeous and wickedly smart novel. I was so seduced by the dazzling love story of these two vulnerable young men I became an unwitting accomplice in their swerve toward violence… A rich, engrossing, and morally complex book.’ Christopher Bollen, author of A Beautiful Crime
‘Extraordinary…vivid writing with psychological depth and an addictive plot.’ Mikey Byrd, Lambda Literary
‘[A] dark, inspired debut.... Fans of Patricia Highsmith will definitely want to take note of this promising writer.’ Publishers Weekly
‘A captivating portrait of alienation and loneliness with the cool gaze of a Highsmith novel. Punctuated by arpeggios of violence and rage, Micah Nemerever has crafted a thrilling page-turner.’ Patrick Cottrell, author of Sorry to Disrupt the Peace
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): These Violent Delights eBook 9781836430421
