The Brutal Language of Love

by Alicia Erian

Alicia Erian, whose work has appeared in The Iowa Review, Zoetrope, and Nerve, casts aside traditional notions of right and wrong and conjures up situations that are at once familiar and unsettling. Her characters—flawed, brave, disarming, affectionate—inhabit the not-so-very-wide space between a good intention and a bad outcome. In “Alcatraz,” we meet a middle-school spelling champion who spends her afternoons taking baths with the boy next door. In “Almonds and Cherries,” a young woman turns an unexpectedly arousing bra-shopping experience into a short film, with ramifications for everyone around her. These surprising, provocative, and deeply resonant stories mark the emergence of a major new talent.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Alicia Erian is an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and film director.

Reviews

[George Ilsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very strong collection from a writer who manages to pull off a variety of distinctive voices. Erian's characters are slightly surreal and yet still compelling. It's funny and strange at the same time.

All in all, a very impressive collection.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Towelhead and completing this collection of short stories, Alicia Erian is fast becoming my new favorite writer. Her writing style and the themes she tackles are very similar to my own writing, except my stories are usually from a gay POV.

When I read a short story collection my favorite stories are usally the ones I remember when I'm finished. In this case, the two best stories for me were On the Occasion of my Ruination about a 19 year old girl who works in a mall at a Victoria's Secret type store. She's leaving for college in a month, is a virgin, and sets her sites on losing her virginity to the hunky guy who works the mall pizza joint and takes off his gloves before handling her food. However, things don't turn out the way that she hopes.

And Still Life with Plaster about a girl and her brother who live with their dysfunctional grandparents and teenaged uncle.

Two other stories that stood out but weren't as good as the above were When Animals Attack in which the "animals" in question are a brother and sister with Mom issues and the title story about a girl who works as a projectionist in a movie theater and has a weird relationship with her co-worker.

Although the remainder of the stories are fairly weak, end abruptly or are just plain dull, the common thread is Erian's characters are fractured females who have a warped sense of love, sex, self-image and relationships. People that we all have known at some time in our lives or people we may have been ourselves at some point in our lives.

I highly recommend this collection of stories but be warned, Alicia Erian places an unflinching eye on situations, circumstances, and people that may make some uncomfortable.

Overall, an interesting collection of shorts by a remarkably talented writer.

[Bud Mallar · Rating 5 out of 5]

when you first start this book, it seems like a collection of part stories taken from different novels.

It's as if you start on page 10 of a book and then it suddenly ends on page 30, and you turn the page looking for the rest of the story, or the 'answer, or the resolution, but it's another story starting. You really do want more.

You get the initial impression there should be more, and then you realize everything you need is in those pages Ms Erian gave you - wonderful female characters with problems, fears, hopes and dreams we all have, struggling to get through another day, or looking forward down the road, and the 'men' they have in their lives.

I'm sure some would call it erotica, since the main thread running through many of the stories are young women dealing with sex, or relationships which lead to sex, but the sex, and the feelings around it, are common to us all I think, and isn't particularly graphic.

You don't have to think when reading the book, it's an easy read, but at the end of each story you find yourself thinking about what you just read and how it fits into the world around you, or maybe into your life, and that can't be all bad.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alicia Erian's 'The Brutal Language of Love' is engaging and entertaining, but not always enjoyable. There were some stories which I found particularly powerful, and I suspect the standouts would differ wildly person to person, depending on their life experiences.

This is a book of short stories about the weirdest sex and love situations:

1) Standing Up to the Superpowers (***): A tale about a promiscuous woman who sets out to ruin a guy's life. The guy ends up raping her but feeling so bad about it that he follows her everywhere. The relationship they develop is fascinating.

2) Alcatraz (**): Roz is an obese middle school student who beats a popular guy in the school spelling bee. They develop a relationship completely based on explorative sex - a very strange story.

3) Bikini (***): Vanessa is a free spirit who loves to wear a bikini in the early days of the trend. In college, she starts dating Shawki, a middle eastern guy who has much more conservative ideas about who she should be. A reasonably interesting view into a bi-cultural relationship.

4) Almonds and Cherries (****): After a mildly arousing experience while bra shopping, Brigette realizes that she may be lesbian. She decides to recreate this experience for a film class assignment to explore this new development in her sexuality. Easily the best piece in the book.

5) Lass (**): Shayna falls in love with Carl, the son of a famous Irish author. Unfortunately, she is also in love with the father, who she meets after her wedding with Carl. Most of the story takes place in Ireland, as Shayna meets and gets to know her new in-laws.

6) On the Occasion of my Ruination (**): Gilda works at the lingerie store in a mall. She's determined to lose her virginity to Jonathan, a guy at the pizza place, before leaving in a month to college. This documents that experience.

7) The Brutal Language of Love (****): Leonard, a rising amateur documentary artist, asks Penny if he can capture her in her job as a projectionist at a theater. Because he doesn't give her direction on what to speak about, she starts rambling and tells him about her biggest worry: she has breast cancer and can't afford a biopsy or surgery. Her father refuses to contribute. Leonard changes the topic of his film and also takes it upon himself to take care of Penny. Meanwhile, Penny is in a destructive relationship with coworker Felix. Quite a powerful story.

8) Still Life with Plaster (**): A slightly depressing story about unpopular elementary/middle school Patty who has to deal with mistreatment not only by her peers, but also by her family.

9) When Animals Attack (**): A story about a very tense family dynamic, further ignited by Mother's request to meet and give career/life advice to a certain runaway. Interesting, but I didn't feel like it made me think of anything new.

The book is short and sweet. It's worth picking up if you want something that can make you question what you thinks is right and wrong in love.

[Ava Macpherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply loved this collection and have found myself sitting and thinking about it at the office when I should be writing emails. A complicated and gripping navigation through so many interesting relationships, I am always so shocked at the impact of a short story and believe that Alicia knows exactly what’s she’s doing. I want to read more! Wish there were a Volume 2, 3 and 4.

[Fenixbird SandS]

After Kite Runner......all the hoopla of writing about tragic coming of age stories. Now I wish to read Alicia Erian's "The Brutal Language of Love: Stories..."

Jasira is who "Towelhead," (another of Alicia Erian's books) the book-into-movie is about & what is the story? It seems to be of her coming of age. I have neither read the book nor seen the movie, not yet....but I wish to!! "I began to think that my body was the most special thing in the world. Better than other bodies, even. Not because of the way it looked, but because of all the things it could do. All the different buttons there were to push. I wanted to find out what every single one of them was. I wanted to feel as good as possible."
— Alicia Erian (Towelhead: A Novel)

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this collection of stories by Alicia Erian. It wasn't until I finished the collection that I realized the author also wrote Towelhead, a book I didn't care for as much as these stories. Sometimes short story writers are too experimental, but I'm glad these weren't too edgy. Each story captivated me; each character seemed to rebel against the "shoulds" of societal expectations. My favorites were the title story, "The Brutal Language of Love," "Almonds and Cherries," and "Bikini." To be honest, I enjoyed them all.

[Robin Burton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This came close to being a one star book review for me because while there wasn’t a single story I actually liked, there were some stories that weren’t uninteresting. Sexually-charged but ultimately plotless short stories. Wearing or trying on bras or bikinis seemed to be a common theme in each story.

I’m disappointed because I wanted to read more of Alicia Erian’s work after loving Towelhead, but this collection of stories didn’t connect with me at all.

[Ellie Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

starting the year off strong with this rich, hilarious and dirty book of short stories that each spoke to something buried deep inside me. alcatraz was my favorite. the whole book will be a tough act to follow.

[Lottie Hedden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the writing style of these short stories - felt like you were dropped into a piece of a bigger story. Author conveyed a lot in a short amount of time and it was a quick, enjoyable read. Would rate higher but they didn’t linger with me as much as some.

[Nikita A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, evocative read that was in turns funny and tragic, often all at once!

[tri · Rating 3 out of 5]

a quick and easy read, short but not-so-sweet. i enjoyed some stories, while others were quite difficult to get through as they were either too tedious or dismal for my taste

[Caeru · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories, wonderful writing, authentic characters. I will certainly seek out more of her work.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really solid collection of stories. I was surprised that there was only one that I didn’t enjoy and the rest were all engaging and interesting.

[Deborah Bluminberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of unsettling, evocative short stories centered around young women and their not so ordinary sexual experiences.

[Alexis Mazzenga · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
a good read, lots of engaging short stories. still in a bit of a reading slump

[Booklover Butterfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful collection of short stories is absolutely unforgettable with its seductive charm and subtle humor. Each story centers around a different woman in a different situation, but they all seem to be connected by the feeling of genuine humanity that the characters radiate. No character is portrayed as being perfect or overly defective. They merely exist as they are, complete with their flaws.

The Brutal Language of Love consists of stories about love, friendship, trust, familiarity, comfort, rejection, loneliness, and more. Sexuality has a big role in many of the stories, but they are much deeper than the surface sexuality might lead the reader to initially believe. Underneath the sex hides desire, passion, fear, shame, and lies. Each story was long enough to be enthralling, but they ended in an open manner that leaves the reader wishing for more.

Alicia Erian is a marvelous writer and I cannot recommend The Brutal Language of Love enough! Any fan of short stories would be foolish to pass up this book!

[Elise Hamilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Brutal" is right! I have to admit that the stories in this collection are well written, but the stories themselves are not only unhappy, I found them disturbing. The protagonists are primarily women or girls who have warped ideas of what love is. They allow themselves to be used and abused, emotionally, by the men they encounter. To be clear, these are not stories depicting unconventional sex between consenting parties, they don't depict rape nor do they contain graphic descriptions of sexual encounters. I simply found the characters so sad, and the stories so consistently dark, that it wasn't pleasant reading.

[Dandy Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with books of short stories is that sometimes some of the stories are good or even great, and some are not so good.

I thought the first story was pretty boring (don't even remember the title or what it was really about) so I wasn't too excited to continue reading, but read another anyway. The next one I read, "bikini", I really liked, so I thought maybe I'd love some of the others, but when I randomly chose a 3rd to read and found it boring again, I gave up.

I loved Towelhead - one long good story.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not that the stories weren't entertaining or well written, it was simply a matter of taste. I didn't like the actual stories themselves and I was hard pressed to find characters I liked. Granted I could sympathize with a few of the characters, but that was the greatest extent of feelings I had towards any of the characters. As far as short stories go, I think the author did a good job of developing stories and characters, it's too bad I just didn't like them very much.

[kelly]

First off, I loved Towelhead. So much so that I was determined to read anything I can from this sensational writer. I'm glad to learn that this is Erian's first work, because Towelhead (her second work) is much, much better. It's not that the stories found in this book are bad, it's just that the characters seem so thin and forgettable that you're never compelled to give a damn about any of them. There weren't any standout pieces in this book to me. Wouldn't read again or recommend.

[lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her first book. Graduated from CUNY, MFA from a school in Vermont, lives with her husband in Brooklyn. I'm sorry, but that is a type of writer, right?
Nice short stories filled with disassociated women, often selling themselves short, in negative relationships doing damage to themselves and those around them. But also sexy, funny and interesting characters--a quick read, excellent for the bus.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while laying on the beach, and felt like it was the perfect book. A collection of stories that are a delightful insight on sexuality. This isn't erotica, but more or less short story's with complex characters and realistic scenarios. I really enjoyed it. This book is a quick and easy read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alicia Erians stories are dark and sexy, full of pain and lust and the kind of relationships we're all secretly sorrow to be aware of. I loved her novel Towelhead, and have been reading her stories on Nerve.com forever, her heroins are filled with passion and despair but are never without hope.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with everyone else...quick read and kept my interest, but I wasn't upset when it was over. I finished this book on a 2 hour flight. Very forgettable characters and stories. I was really expecting much more from this book.

[Verna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this after finishing Erian's other book, "Towelhead." This is a collection of short stories, a little different, but still has the author's distinct voice. I enjoyed this book, it went quickly and kept my interest. I look forward to reading more of this writer's work.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are complex and interesting stories about relationships and worth reading. I highly recommend it. Each story is surprising in that the characters really come alive. Corny, I know, but that's how I felt.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alicia Erian might be better known for Towelhead...but this book of shorts are funny and quirky. The characters are believable. Erian writes with an assured voice and honesty that is refreshing as it is painful.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Discovering it's hard to rate a short story collection (I don't read enough of them). There were a few stories that I found myself getting really into, but others (only one or two) that I couldn't even remember only the day after reading them. All-in-all it was a quick read and I did enjoy it.