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Rejection
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
13 posts | 10 read | 12 to read
From the Whiting and O. Henrywinning author of Private Citizens (the first great millennial novel, New York Magazine), an electrifying novel-in-stories that follows a cast of intricately linked characters as rejection throws their lives and relationships into chaos. Sharply observant and outrageously funny, Rejection is a provocative plunge into the touchiest problems of modern life. The seven connected stories seamlessly transition between the personal crises of a complex ensemble and the comic tragedies of sex, relationships, identity, and the internet. In The Feminist, a young mans passionate allyship turns to furious nihilism as he realizes, over thirty lonely years, that it isnt getting him laid. A young womans unrequited crush in Pics spirals into borderline obsession and the systematic destruction of her sense of self. And in Ahegao; or, The Ballad of Sexual Repression, a shy late bloomers flailing efforts at a first relationship leads to a life-upending mistake. As the characters pop up in each others dating apps and social media feeds, or meet in dimly lit bars and bedrooms, they reveal the ways our delusions can warp our desire for connection. These brilliant satires explore the underrated sorrows of rejection with the authority of a modern classic and the manic intensity of a manifesto. Audacious and unforgettable, Rejection is a stunning mosaic that redefines what it means to be rejected by lovers, friends, society, and oneself.
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Augustdana
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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Last day of March Break, and it‘s a dull rainy one. Almost 60% done with this cringy read. The characters are very online?? And I thought I was too, but had some trouble following along. A bit more graphic than my usual, but it‘s a page turner. I like that the people the story follows are connected.

ChaoticMissAdventures I am incredibly online, and reading this I thought that anyone who isn't is going to struggle with the language. That part reminded me a lot of this one that was on the Women's Prize a couple of years ago that people who were not online didn't get 2w
Augustdana @ChaoticMissAdventures ooh I read that one too and couldn‘t tell you what it was about haha!! Both were challenging in their own way 6d
9 likes2 comments
review
ChaoticMissAdventures
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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Pickpick

#ToB25
One day read

This was .. interesting. It for sure will not be for everyone. It will help if you have a very "online" vocabulary - Especially for story "Our Dope Future" which I found to be the funniest and most interesting. I love interconnected stories of messy people and this delivered. Each of the stories are about relationship (romantic or sexual) rejection and people being a bit dim. A pick from ToB for me I found it interesting

BarbaraBB Great review. I loved the first few stories, the second half not so much. 2mo
squirrelbrain Great review! I should be getting this in a few days….. 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB he lost me a bit on the story about the nonbinary Bee, she seemed interesting but that part was written in a style I didn't love and was much too long (IMO). But I did think it was cool the way that each story was handled differently in the style it was told. 2mo
38 likes3 comments
quote
ChaoticMissAdventures
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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"If he's going to be a doormat, he should at least be a welcome mat."

Ohhh boy these characters are a bit bleak!
#ToB25

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ImperfectCJ
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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Mehso-so

Oh...kay. So, this is a...book. Longish, loosely interconnected stories that work to varying, universally cringey degrees, and do a self-consciously meta thing that doesn't really work for me. I'm intrigued by the form, and the characters are definitely complex underneath the stereotypes, so I am curious to read other work from this author, even as this one feels kind of hit-and-miss. #tob25

BkClubCare Longish or just thickly intense?! Yeah, I too gave it a so-so but also glad that I attempted it. If that makes sense. So cringey.😬 2mo
ImperfectCJ @BkClubCare Main Character was longish, I think. Others just kind of felt long. I liked the first three stories, though. 2mo
52 likes1 stack add2 comments
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cariashley
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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Pickpick

Excellent linked stories and a satisfyingly meta experience. It‘s really smartly done, though some of the stories went really over the top, but that was clearly the point. Highly recommend the audio (but make sure to use earbuds or your family may question your reading habits!). Book 4 of #tob25 done - I have a long way to go but am excited to participate this year after skipping last year!

BarbaraBB Glad you‘re into the ToB again! And glad you liked this one, I didn‘t very much 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3mo
cariashley @BarbaraBB I honestly went back and forth while reading/listening to it, and liked the beginning and end much more than the middle. Overall I probably respected it more than liked it! 3mo
squirrelbrain I‘ve pre-ordered this one in print, as it‘s not out here yet. I decided not to do audio as I don‘t like that kind of subject matter on audio - it‘s somehow more cringeworthy/ embarrassing.😳 3mo
See All 6 Comments
cariashley @squirrelbrain that‘s smart. If I hadn‘t liked the various narrators so much, the content in this one would have been better in print. Super cringey. 3mo
Larkken I always have a time trying to decide which on the Tob list I should/can audio. 3mo
cariashley @Larkken me too! I struggle with it outside of the TOB too but given I always have a big hill to climb to get through the full shortlist once it‘s announced, it creates even more pressure! 3mo
48 likes6 comments
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BkClubCare
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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I am trying to DNF this extremely interesting, sex-heavy, weird and kinda icky book. #sigh
Connected short stories? Or thematically-related, I cannot say. But UNCOMFORTABLE comes to mind readily.

#Dec2024 Book 118
“… affirmations to the sky full blast: I am ill! I am chill! I am phat! I am fly! I am clutch! I am fetch! I am based! I am bae! I am slae! I am cray!…”

(Prefer Mrs. Nash: I am a delight.) IF you read this, eBook is best 👇

BkClubCare because then you can more easily check back for how these connect. Imo 3mo
fredthemoose I recently finished this one and was texting my sister about it being wacky 3mo
BkClubCare @fredthemoose - definitely outside my typical fare 3mo
BarbaraBB Uncomfortable indeed. I dnf some of the stories. 3mo
34 likes1 stack add5 comments
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BkClubCare
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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A foggy frosty drive home from Nebraska but we are warming up as we travel southward. Started this last night for #ToBshortlist; was NOT aware it is a story collection (or forgot) and yowza! That first one is scary/unsettling. Not at all festively holiday-themed LOL but I did encounter a pie reference, so there‘s that.

squirrelbrain This doesn‘t come out here until mid-Feb but I was gifted vouchers for Christmas so will pre-order it, in time to read before the Tournament. Safe rest of your trip! 3mo
BkClubCare @squirrelbrain - thank you! Happy Holidays! I have full intention of being a Completist this year, and might even have time reread a few I didn‘t fully “get” (All Fours) 3mo
squirrelbrain Happy Holidays to you too! I‘m hoping to be a completist too, although there are 3 not out yet in the UK. I‘m also reading as much of the #ToBlonglist as I like the look of but there‘s a few on there I don‘t fancy. Currently reading Cuckoo and just started an ARC of Model Home. 3mo
BkClubCare @squirrelbrain - yes, I am enjoying ALL your reviews. I have kept Model Home on my library holds but canceled a LOT. Best to both of us, ALL of us ToB readers 3mo
tpixie Merry Christmas 🎄📘🎁 3mo
47 likes1 stack add5 comments
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fredthemoose
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 What a trip… Separate short stories of rejection (feminist dudebro no women want to sleep with, woman romantically obsessed with a friend, etc.) that veer into the very explicit, and then into someone creating an online bot universe? Finishes with a “rejection letter” to the author about the book‘s flaws. I liked some, some went maybe farther than necessary, and the end got too navel-gazey for me. Soft/equivocal pick. #ToB25 #Tob2025

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Chelsea.Poole
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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Pickpick

This book keeps popping up in best of the year lists. I was dreading reading it because it‘s a collection of stories. But I have FOMO on these lists and knew I‘d be forcing myself to read it. HOWEVER! I‘m shocked to say this was a total winner for me! Loved the original concept and vivid characters. The connected stories were just enough to carry on the thread but still be completely unique. Cringy but thought provoking. I accept “Rejection”! ⬇️

Chelsea.Poole Bonus as it‘s also on the #tob25 longlist. Really worked for me! 4mo
BarbaraBB Glad you liked it. I did too, the first few stories. Later on I didn‘t any longer 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4mo
Lesliereadsalot I‘m not that crazy about short stories either, but will give it a try. I do like ones that connect. 4mo
Clare-Dragonfly How wonderful when a book is a pleasant surprise! 4mo
69 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Hooked_on_books
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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Pickpick

This collection of connected short stories is a bit of a doozy. It‘s by turns gross, funny, disturbing, and thought-provoking, sometimes all in one story. There are parts of it I didn‘t like, but ultimately I think it‘s incredibly creative and unique and I expect it to stick with me.

NBA longlist, fiction

BarbaraBB Great review. I agree with you mostly yet thought the first stories were better than the latter so when I finished I ended up being a bit underwhelmed 6mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 6mo
45 likes2 comments
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BarbaraBB
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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Mehso-so

This book contains loosely connected stories, all of them about people who‘ve been rejected in one way or another.
I enjoyed some a lot, some less. Be prepared for very explicit sex, going on for pages and pages, and some extreme bullying.
So it‘s not an easy or very pleasant book but it‘s written very well. I hope it‘s fiction - as it states on the cover.

TrishB Great review- don‘t think it‘s going top of the list! 6mo
sarahbarnes That does sound like a tough read. Great photo though. 😊 6mo
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes Thanks 🩷 6mo
See All 6 Comments
squirrelbrain Doesn‘t sound like my kind of book…. 🤷‍♀️ 6mo
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain No it isn‘t I think. 6mo
Suet624 Ugh. 6mo
57 likes1 stack add6 comments
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BarbaraBB
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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#WeeklyForecast 40/24

I just started a book from Percival Everett‘s backlist and it has drawn me in immediately, as usual.
Next will be either the tagged one, from the NBA longlist, or Irena Rey, which I have been interested in ever since it was longlisted for #CampLitsy24.

Ruthiella I admire your focus when reading a favorite author‘s backlist. 😃 6mo
squirrelbrain I keep considering reading Irena Rey, then getting sidetracked…. 🤷‍♀️ 6mo
BarbaraBB @Ruthiella I am always so happy to find a new author I love lol! 6mo
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain Yes me too! Hopefully this week! 6mo
65 likes4 comments
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Rhondareads
Rejection: Fiction | Tony Tulathimutte
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Short story writing at its best.

13 likes1 stack add