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15 Authors like Arthur Nersesian

Arthur Nersesian is an American novelist known for contemporary fiction set in urban environments. His novels, such as The Fuck-Up and Chinese Takeout, offer insightful portrayals of city life with dark humor and relatable characters.

If you enjoy reading books by Arthur Nersesian then you might also like the following authors:

  1. Hubert Selby Jr.

    Hubert Selby Jr. writes intense stories about the darker side of urban life with gritty realism and emotional honesty. His novel Last Exit to Brooklyn paints a stark picture of marginalized characters struggling with hardship, addiction, and alienation.

    Selby offers a raw, unflinching portrayal of tough lives in the city that stays with you long after reading.

  2. Richard Price

    Richard Price creates vivid narratives grounded in real-life stories and sharp dialogue. His book Clockers is a vivid, detailed exploration of street life, drugs, and crime, highlighting the tension between urban desperation and human moments of hope.

    Price has a keen ear for realistic characters and conversations, capturing the everyday drama of city life.

  3. Sam Lipsyte

    Sam Lipsyte offers dark humor and biting wit in stories about flawed characters navigating modern life. In The Ask, his humor shows through in the life of a middle-aged man coping with career setbacks and disillusionment.

    Lipsyte captures the absurdity of everyday existence with narratives full of sharp satire and relatable chaos.

  4. Denis Johnson

    Denis Johnson writes poetic, haunting fiction centered around characters at their breaking points. His book Jesus' Son is powerful and hypnotic, depicting the humanity, confusion, and redemption found amid addiction and heartache.

    Johnson blends dreamlike imagery with raw emotional honesty, leaving readers moved and thoughtful.

  5. Charles Bukowski

    Charles Bukowski is direct and unapologetic. His stories describe heavy drinking, dead-end jobs, and life's hard edges in straightforward prose and dark humor.

    His novel Post Office captures the daily grind and gritty humor of working-class life, offering a blunt, entertaining look at survival and human struggle.

  6. Irvine Welsh

    Irvine Welsh writes gritty, darkly comic fiction steeped in urban realism. His narratives are unapologetically raw and offer an honest, unsentimental look at working-class lives, often highlighting crime and addiction.

    A notable book of his is Trainspotting, a sharp portrayal of heroin addiction amidst the underground culture of Edinburgh.

  7. Gary Indiana

    Gary Indiana tackles unique, often unsettling subjects with sharp insight and dark wit. His style confronts readers directly, mixing satire with serious social commentary.

    If you like bold critiques of modern life presented through quirky characters, check out his novel Do Everything in the Dark.

  8. Nelson Algren

    Nelson Algren gives voice to outsiders. He explores the tougher side of urban environments, showing empathy toward people who live on society's margins. His work is authentic and filled with vivid emotion.

    A great place to start is The Man with the Golden Arm, which vividly portrays addiction and struggle in post-war Chicago.

  9. Patrick deWitt

    Patrick deWitt blends dark humor with sharp observations about human behavior. He fuses genres, bringing originality and wit to his storytelling, often exploring flawed characters on unlikely journeys.

    His book The Sisters Brothers is both funny and violent, showcasing his playful yet insightful narrative approach to complex characters.

  10. Lynne Tillman

    Lynne Tillman's fiction is intelligent, sharp, and insightful. She experiments with form and voice, offering readers unique ways to look at complex relationships and everyday life.

    Her novel American Genius: A Comedy uses humor and incisive observations to reveal the oddities and anxieties beneath daily routines.

  11. John Kennedy Toole

    John Kennedy Toole's writing is sharp-witted and humorous, often satirizing society and the absurdity of everyday life.

    His novel A Confederacy of Dunces introduces Ignatius J. Reilly, an eccentric and comically self-serious character stumbling humorously through the colorful chaos of New Orleans.

    Readers into Arthur Nersesian's playful, urban-based tales of quirky outsiders are likely to really enjoy Toole's blend of comedy and social commentary.

  12. William S. Burroughs

    William S. Burroughs creates vivid, offbeat worlds full of dark humor and surreal scenes. His work, especially the groundbreaking novel Naked Lunch, is experimental and daring, featuring fragmented narratives and sharp satire on addiction and conformity.

    Fans of Arthur Nersesian's raw look at city life and fringe characters will appreciate Burroughs' risky, imaginative storytelling.

  13. DBC Pierre

    DBC Pierre writes sarcastic, edgy novels filled with characters dealing with misfortune, absurdity, or scandal. In Vernon God Little, Pierre sketches an engaging social satire about media sensationalism and small-town hypocrisy.

    Readers who like Arthur Nersesian's humorous and pointed narratives about characters stuck in bizarre, unfortunate situations might get a kick out of Pierre’s take-no-prisoners style.

  14. Bret Easton Ellis

    Bret Easton Ellis explores the emptiness, decadence, and brutality beneath society's polished surface. His clear yet eerie prose in American Psycho uncovers the disturbing underside of materialism and obsession.

    If you enjoy how Arthur Nersesian confronts the gritty realities hidden in city life, Ellis provides a similarly unsettling but fascinating shift in perspective.

  15. Kathy Acker

    Kathy Acker experiments boldly with narrative, pushing boundaries of style and content. Her provocative novel Blood and Guts in High School challenges traditional storytelling, tackling controversial social issues with intensity and fearlessness.

    For readers intrigued by Arthur Nersesian's candid portrayals of urban alienation and identity, Acker’s fearless voice and experimental approach will definitely resonate.