You Exist Too Much Explained

You Exist Too Much
Author:Zaina Arafat
Language:English
Publisher:Catapult
Genre:Literary fiction
Release Date:June 9, 2020
Media Type:Print (hardcover, paperback), Audio
Isbn:9781948226509

You Exist Too Much is a debut novel by Zaina Arafat, published June 9, 2020 by Catapult. The book won the Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Fiction in 2021.[1]

Reception

You Exist Too Much received positive reviews from the Los Angeles Review of Books,[2] The San Francisco Book Review,[3] Washington Independent Review of Books,[4] NPR,[5] The Irish Times,[6] and Publishers Weekly.[7]

NPR's Gabino Iglesias wrote that You Exist Too Much is "a perfect example of how culture and family can affect those whose lives span different realities."[5]

Sarah Mills, writing for the Los Angeles Review of Books, called it "[a]n unpretentious read," saying, "[W]hat the novel lacks in richness and layers, it makes up for in accessibility and honesty, steering clear of the stereotypes that so often plague characters from a Middle Eastern background."[2]

The Washington Independent Review's Antoaneta Tileva said it is "an engrossing character study of a young, bisexual Palestinian American woman. Much more than an exploration of intersecting lines and identities, the debut novel revels in their clouding."[4]

Kirkus,[8] The Washington Post,[9] New York Times Book Review,[10] and Booklist[11] provided mixed reviews.

Kirkus called the book "uneven,"[8] a sentiment echoed in Publishers Weekly's review,[7] though they agreed the novel was "intriguing."

Booklist's Terry Hong said, "Debuting novelist Arafat’s damaged cast might resonate with untethered millennials, but utmost patience is a must."[11]

In 2021, You Exist Too Much won the Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Fiction.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gentes. Brian. 2021-06-02. 2021 Lambda Literary Award Winners Announced. 2022-01-10. Lambda Literary. en.
  2. Web site: Mills. Sarah. 2020-06-15. A Quest for a Mother: The Infinite Pursuit of Possibility in Zaina Arafat's "You Exist Too Much". 2022-01-10. Los Angeles Review of Books. en.
  3. Web site: Littell. Margo Orlando. 2020-11-25. You Exist Too Much: A Novel. 2022-01-10. San Francisco Book Review. en-US.
  4. Web site: Tileva. Antoaneta. 2020-12-29. You Exist Too Much: A Novel. 2022-01-10. Washington Independent Review of Books.
  5. News: Iglesias. Gabino. 2020-06-11. 'You Exist Too Much' Exists In A Constant State Of Discontent. en. NPR. 2022-01-10.
  6. News: Gilmartin. Sarah. You Exist Too Much: A provocative and insightful debut. 2022-01-10. The Irish Times. en.
  7. Book: Fiction Book Review: You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat. Catapult, $26 (272p). 978-1-948226-50-9. 2022-01-10. PublishersWeekly.com. en. Arafat. Zaina. 9 June 2020.
  8. Web site: March 29, 2020. You Exist Too Much. 2022-01-10. Kirkus Reviews.
  9. News: Parssinen. Keija. 2020-06-08. Review In Zaina Arafat's 'You Exist Too Much,' a child of the Palestinian diaspora tries to heal the psychic wounds passed down by her mother. en-US. Washington Post. 2022-01-10. 0190-8286.
  10. News: Al-Shawaf. Rayyan. 2020-11-24. Queer Exile: Three Novels About Émigrés, Lovers and Family. en-US. The New York Times. 2022-01-10. 0362-4331.
  11. Book: 2020-06-01. You Exist Too Much. 2022-01-10. Booklist.

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