Broken People

Sam Lansky can write. In this slightly fictionalized account of his own late 20\’s malaise, a depressive but incredibly successful gay journalist named Sam attends a weekend wellness retreat in Portland. Formally, this novel is the type where very little plot happens, and the real focus is on character and memory. However, because this novel focuses on a character who isn\’t particularly sympathetic, so it\’s a bit of a chore to be subjected to his litany of oppressively bleak flashbacks. The writing focuses only on Sam, and his lovers, parents, and friends are constantly sidelined. To Lansky\’s credit as an author, he definitely portrays his supporting characters three-dimensionally, but his main character is so myopic and self-absorbed that there simply isn\’t space in his story to explore what anyone else is going through. Where does this book fit into a rapidly expanding gay canon? It explores addiction in a similar way to Ocean Vuong\’s On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous, dives into the self-hate and shame that us gay men often feel a bit like Garth Greenwell\’s What Belongs to You, and it has a self-deprecating sense of humor that occasionally resembles Andrew Sean Greer\’s Pulitzer winner, Less. Broken People is just as insightful as these novels in terms of its observations about gay (privileged) life, but Sam Lansky is still finding his voice as a writer. At his best, his writing reminds me a bit of the early seasons of Eastsiders, a web series about narcissistic and self-destructive LA gays that slowly blossoms into something wise and humanist as it expands the story beyond its two messed up leads. Sam Lansky is really funny, really insightful, and genuinely talented. I think that when he expands his net and starts writing about other people, instead of just himself, that he will shine! Reading his novel, my favorite scenes were between Sam and his mom, and between Sam and his best friend in the first third of the story. This book should have been called Broken Person, rather than Broken People. The last thing to note about this novel is that while it\’s probably quite relevant for upper class, gay white male readers living on the east or west coasts, it will probably alienate readers of color like me. The author is definitely aware of the absurdity of his privilege, but at the same time this book doesn\’t feature any characters of color or even any characters that aren\’t upper class in meaningful roles. Reading this novel feels a lot like scrolling through an Instagram feed with its descriptions of beautiful white people going to spin classes, traipsing around Manhattan, and vacationing in the Hamptons. My week has been filled with Black Lives Matter protests and vigils, so sit was a bit jarring to read this novel. Sam\’s problems are real, and it\’s not Lansky\’s fault that the literary world is so white and privileged, but this isn\’t a cultural moment where what he has to say feels particularly relevant.

I was sobbing so many times while reading this extraordinary book. It is the story of a damaged soul who try as he might, cannot be happy with life. Until he agrees to a three night cleansing with a shaman. There are so many truths in here, so many shivers of recognition, it ultimately becomes impossible to put down. This author is a truth teller, a writer of exquisite beauty. I just cant let this book go.

An impressive debut novel for Sam Lansky! He did not hold back and put his heart, soul, and literally his body on the table to create a story that many need to hear to let them know that they are not alone in their experiences. I got through this book in about 2 days and once Sam began his \”ceremony,\” I couldn\’t put it down. Although most times depressing, like the author/main character, Sam, the reader is forced to face hard-to-talk-about topics such as mental health, body dysmorphia unhealthy habits in a relationships, HIV, and analyzing/addressing the \”ugly\” sides of oneself. With that said, by the end of the book, I wanted to give Sam a big fat hug and tell him that everything is going to be ok! The book is very well-written and, like I said, was bold in attacking a lot of topics many people his age in the LGBTQ community have to go through. It was as if I was having a long, deep conversation with a friend; Sam telling me what he has gone through and the thought process he goes through up until the enlightenment he eventually feels within himself at the end. Kudos, Sam! Looking forward to hearing more from you in the future.

An honest, beautifully rendered story about how one protagonist goes from gay self doubt to something that looks like healing. I\’ve never read a gay novel like this, one that plumbs ugly depths and manages to find grace there. The author knows how to write clearly about hard to define topics (self acceptance, desire) and at the same time he has a knack for pushing the story forward. One could quibble: the characters in this book are privileged, living in L.A. isn\’t everyone\’s experience, there is a lot of time spent describing consumer goods, etc..etc… But to do so misses what the book does beautifully: it shows us how to move beyond one\’s given circumstances and see more, see clearer, be freer. I love this book.

It\’s much ado about nothing. And by that there have been other novels written about quarter life crisis among millennials that the author here merely rehashes. He touches on broken heart, sexuality, joblessness and financial insecurity in these modern setting. But the characters are so one dimensional he overwrites them – a female BFF, a gay BF, a dashing rich BF from the other side of the social class and then there\’s meditation and yoga as tools to introduce all of these. A rather sputtering start for a first novel.

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