Brief Thoughts on Richard Yates by Tao Lin

I've never wanted to hurt a character as much as I wanted to hurt Haley. I didn't want to just punch him, I wanted to beat his head into the ground until his skin split and his skull cracked. That's not the flaw of the author, it's his strength.

I've read a lot of complaints about Tao Lin's declarative writing style (or as some have said: lack of style). I found it difficult at first too, but it is in fact the detached, empty prose of Richard Yates that embodies the emotional immaturity and fr...