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sethdmichaels.bsky.social · @sethdmichaels.bsky.social@bridge.neodb.net

Rated Fleishman Is in Trouble 10/10

this is a real knockout of a book - it's compellingly readable, empathetic, works on a lot of levels. it's a portrait of a dissolving marriage, sharply observed and emotionally revealing. there's also some deftly-executed literary criticism; it's explicitly nodding to and critiquing midcentury authors like Mailer, Updike, Roth, etc. You don't need to pay much attention to that angle to enjoy it as narrative, but the fact that it pulls off both is so smart. it's also really great at revealing what's behind the up-front text, playing with narration and information to embed multiple sides of the story. it reminds me a lot of [b:Fates and Furies|24612118|Fates and Furies|Lauren Groff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1434750235l/24612118._SY75_.jpg|43913972], but what that book does in a very formal, structured way, this one does naturalistically. there's a lot to it but it reads fast and it's just great to read an author who's so good at it. it's impressive as hell, very much worth all the attention.

#book

Published 2026-08-18 14:46 UTC · bridged from Atmosphere