Real Life

“Better to imagine his friends happy than to see their unhappiness up close. And unhappy they certainly would be - that has been the lesson this when, hasn't it? The misery of other people, the persistence of unhappiness, is perhaps all that connects them. Only the prospect of greater unhappiness keeps them within the circumscribed world.”

This book is one that sits heavy and makes you wish you could close your eyes and read at the same time. It's a painfully realistic and raw look at loneliness in a crowded, friend-filled life and the pain that comes with trying to live authentically. Taylor's work makes you realize the hindrance that can sometimes come with being self-aware. Many moments are written with beautiful clarity and intent. The lacking scenes are those that are paced questionably. Overall, a deeply hollowing look at where a life without self-esteem can lead.