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JT LeRoy

The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things: Stories Paperback – August 23, 2016

by JT LeRoy (Author), Jeff Feuerzeig (Foreword)

4.2 173 ratings

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National Bestseller

With a new foreword by Jeff Feuerzeig

A timely reissue of the extraordinary stories by JT LeRoy/Laura Albert that won international acclaim, to be timed with the theatrical release of the documentary Author: The JT LeRoy Story.

“A startling achievement.”—Publishers Weekly

This book of interconnected stories depicts the chaotic life of a young boy on the run with histeenage mother. When Sarah reclaims Jeremiah from his foster parents, he finds himself catapulted into her world of motels and truck stops, exposed to the abusive, exploitative men she encounters. As he learns to survive in this harrowing environment, Jeremiah also learns to love his mother, even as she descends into drug-fueled madness.

Told in spare, lyrical prose, rich with imagination and dark humor, The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things transforms the savagery of Jeremiah's world into an indelible experience of compassion. This special edition includes an additional seven stories, previously uncollected, by JT LeRoy, the literary persona of Laura Albert.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harper Perennial
Publication date

August 23, 2016
Dimensions

5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0062641271
ISBN-13

978-0062641274
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things and JT LeRoy:
“Strong, fierce, hard…astonishing.” — Kirkus Reviews

“An eyewitness’s imagination burns in his language, which is not lyrical but as vivid as a match held close to the face.” — New York Times

“The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things [has] grit, tragedy, and power. The force of the story continues to exist, and I don’t think it matters who is or isn’t anymore. — Lit Hub

“LeRoy’s work is a startling achievement in his accelerating mastery of the literary form.” — Publishers Weekly

“LeRoy manages to write simply about the most tangled of emotions -- and to describe, without hatred or self-pity, the most monstrous of deeds.” — Newsweek

From the Back Cover

This book of interconnected stories depicts the chaotic life of a young boy on the run with his teenage mother. When Sarah reclaims Jeremiah from his foster parents, he finds himself catapulted into her world of motels and truck stops, exposed to the abusive, exploitative men she encounters. As he learns to survive in this harrowing environment, Jeremiah also learns to love his mother, even as she descends into drug-fueled madness. Told in spare, lyrical prose, rich with imagination and dark humor, The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things transforms the savagery of Jeremiah’s world into an indelible experience of compassion. This special edition includes an additional seven stories, previously uncollected.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (August 23, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062641271
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062641274
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #493,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,483 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books)
- #8,636 in Short Stories (Books)
- #20,550 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 173 ratings

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JT LeRoy

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LAURA ALBERT (lauraalbert.org -- photo by Albert Sanchez) won international acclaim for her best-selling novels "Sarah," "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things," and "Harold's End," written as JT LeRoy. She is the subject of the acclaimed documentary feature "Author: The JT LeRoy Story" by Jeff Feuerzeig. Her speaking engagements include NPR's story-telling series The Moth, Radiolab, Foyles in London, and Brazil's international Book Bienal, where Laura and Alice Walker were the 2012 U.S. representatives. Laura was a writer for the HBO series "Deadwood" and wrote the original screenplay of Gus Van Sant's "Elephant," winner of the 2003 Palme d'Or at Cannes. She was also Associate Producer of both "Elephant" and Asia Argento's film of "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things." Laura has served as a juror for the Brasilia, Sapporo, and A SHADED VIEW ON FASHION FILM festivals. Writer of the films "We Vault" and "Dreams of Levitation" for Nowness, Laura has also written for The New York Times, the London Times, Spin, Film Comment, Filmmaker, Interview, and Vogue, and was a contributing editor to Black Book, I-D, SOMA, and 7x7. She is currently an editorial director for ContentMode, an editor for Diane Pernet's www.asvof.com, and a contributor to 429 magazine; she has also been an invited speaker at the annual conferences of dot429, the world's largest LGBTA professional network. Her breakthrough interview given to Nathaniel Rich was the cover feature of the Fall 2006 issue of The Paris Review. She also gave an extensive interview to Adam Langer for the August 2013 issue of Interview Magazine. Laura and JT have become the subjects of the hit Brazilian rock musical "JT, Um Conto de Fadas Punk" (JT, A Punk Fairy Tale).

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4.2 out of 5

173 global ratings

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Erebus

To the kids who slip through the cracks.

Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2019

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At first, I found the premise of the main story hard to swallow. Why would child services hand a foster child from a comfortable environment into the hands of a biological mother who is clearly unable to raise her own. My mother, who is a retired social worker, said there's no way in hell she would permit that to happen. But then, she took her job seriously, and I have to come to terms with the fact that some people in the field of child services clearly do not care.
Yes, yes, yes, JT LeRoy is as much of an invention as the character of Jeremiah, but kids like Jeremiah do slip through the bureaucratic cracks in real life. The way Sarah mindf***s Jeremiah scares him out of seeking.the proper authorities, and the repulsive characters whose hands he is shuffled between could be as real as the transients we hurry past in real life. One small clue that betrays the inauthenticity of the persona of JT LeRoy, and that would be his large vocabulary. For a street kid turned hustler, he most likely would not have had the formal education to know multisyllabic words. (Spoiler follows) Another tell, in my opinion, is the last chapter where I was left to wonder how in the hell a fifteen year old Jeremiah scraped together enough money for hardcore BDSM sessions. I can only conclude that Laura Albert (the true JT LeRoy) cobbled together the accounts of genuine runaways and hustlers with her own pure flights of fancy. One of the more outstanding short stories that follows the main story is "Stuff," which is a truly human story of scarcity, desperation, personal treasures, and charity. So that is my assessment of the novel and its accompanying short stories post hype. They're still worth reading.

5 people found this helpful

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Robin Mink

So moved by this. Compassion for those who suffer a life of abuse.

Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2021

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As a musical listener I am struck by Laura’s cadence and flow. Her adjectives and descriptions are always a surprise. This is so refreshing as, these daze, there is much predictability in what people say….mostly trying to impress.
As I read I find it painful to understand and feel the truth that humans are actually treated in such hideous and harmful ways. Such a full spectrum of human behavior.

The author’s statement at the beginning of the book melted my heart.
“ The things I’ve written about are happening to people all the time. And when they happen to you, you believe nobody knows and nobody cares. But I know and I care, and I’ve written this book for you”.
Thank you Laura for your compassion.

Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2021

Verified Purchase

I read "Sarah" and thought it was good at first, then it got nutty. At the time, I regretted buying this book at the same time. But this book started of GREAT! Until about the last couple chapters that is. Then it got nutty. I do love JT's writing style, but the way she transfers to different settings can get really confusing. I watched the movie (LOVE ASIA!) which helped it make more sense. Basically, it time jumps to yet another different, horrible situation the little boy has to endure. Will I read another JT book? Maybe. But I'll buy it second hand.

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2017

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This book is full dark. But the beauty in the writing is transcendent. This book is full of moments that are so painful they make you cringe at the idea that they could be real. But the dark is couched in an artfulness that is unique, brilliant, and unblinking. If Bukowski wanted to show Americans the things they didn't want to see, Albert, as Leroy, wants to show Americans the things they are desperately afraid to think might be real. There is an unflinching, driving rhythm to this work that forced me to keep reading in spite of the real horror it delivers. I loved this book, but I had to read it in spurts. Not because it's so dark, but because it rings so true that it is one of the few books I've ever read that is truly frightening and gorgeous at the same time.

8 people found this helpful

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PThompson

Skip it. Read "Sarah". If you can bear the pain.

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

I bought this book and "Sarah" after seeing the Amazon documentary "Author: The JT Leroy story". Fascinating documentary. And Sarah lives up to all the hype. A twisted coming of age story that takes you down a very dark Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole. This novel however is...less compelling. Seems to rely more on the shock value of exploring themes such as child sexual assault, drug addiction, child abuse, neglect, child abandonment, casual racism, extreme poverty, mental illness and gender confusion than actually telling a cohesive tale.
Sarah also had all these themes (excluding racism). But there was a point to the darkness. It truly seemed more of an inside view of a culture that polite society wishes didn't exist. Humanity at it's worst but also it's best in a setting where all the characters are the dregs of society living on skid row a.k.a a truck stop in West Virginia. The characters, although cartoonish are well written and sometimes even weirdly relatable. The story simply is "what happened".
This novel seemed more like exploitation of pain. Trotting out the dark underbelly of society for no good reason other than the titillation of readers who couldn't even imagine the horrors contained therein. It drags you under the sea and drowns you sheerly for......entertainment. Would not recommend and will not read again.

2 people found this helpful

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