Why read The Hanged Man?

Book cover of The Hanged Man

Book description

After the death of her father, Laurel is haunted by a legacy of family secrets, hidden shame, and shattered glass. Immersing herself in the heady rhythms of a city that is like something wild, caged, and pacing, Laurel tries to lose herself. But when she runs away from the past,…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Hanged Man as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Ava Barry

Author

This was another book that I read in high school, and I revisit it every few years. Block’s language is sheer poetry, and every line is perfection. I have to content myself with knowing that I will never write this well, and that’s okay.

The book centers around narrator, Laurel, who lives with her mother and father in a perfect dream house in Los Angeles. When Laurel’s father falls sick and goes to the hospital, and her life begins to unravel, she begins to have visions of a skeletal lover who visits her when no one else is around. Is…

From Ava's list on cool, culty Los Angeles.