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by Micah Nemerever
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
10 recommendations similar to These Violent Delights
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by Donna Tartt
As the definitive dark academia novel, it shares the same focus on intellectual obsession and the dangerous consequences of a tight-knit, elitist group of students. The prose is similarly lush and the atmosphere is heavy with impending doom and moral decay.
by M.L. Rio
This novel mirrors the intense, codependent friendships and the blurring of lines between reality and performance found in Nemerever's work. It explores how deep devotion between young men can spiral into violence and tragedy within an academic setting.
Fans of the psychological manipulation and the 'us against the world' mentality in These Violent Delights will appreciate Tom Ripley's chillingly calculated social climbing and obsession. It captures a similar mid-century aesthetic and a sense of growing dread.
Set in 1980s Poland, this book captures the same lyrical intensity of a forbidden romance between two young men with clashing ideologies. It echoes the themes of intellectual connection and the pressure of societal expectations on personal identity.
by Maria McCann
For readers who were drawn to the toxic and volatile power dynamics between Julian and Paul, this historical novel offers an even darker look at obsession. It is a gritty, uncompromising portrait of a destructive relationship set against the English Civil War.
by Evelyn Waugh
This classic explores the intoxicating nature of an intense youthful friendship and the nostalgia for a lost era. It shares the same sense of atmospheric melancholy and the profound impact of a singular, life-altering relationship.
Set in the same era as These Violent Delights, this novel features a group of wealthy, disaffected teenagers and a creeping sense of psychological horror. It shares the same focus on the performance of identity and the dark undercurrents of youth.
This brief, powerful novel captures the same sense of a secret, transformative first love that haunts the protagonists for decades. Its prose is sparse yet deeply emotional, focusing on the intimacy and the tragedy of a hidden connection.
by Zoë Heller
While different in plot, it mirrors the themes of obsessive friendship and the way one person can systematically dismantle another's life. The narrative voice is sharp and cynical, providing a compelling look at psychological dependency.
by Oscar Wilde
This classic explores the intersection of art, morality, and a corrupting influence between men. It shares the intellectualism and the descent into moral depravity that characterizes the relationship between Julian and Paul.
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