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JT LeRoy
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The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things Paperback – January 1, 2001

by J. T. Leroy (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 157 ratings
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Previous page
  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Bloomsbury
  3. Publication date
    January 1, 2001
  4. Dimensions
    7.8 x 0.51 x 5.08 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    9780747554233
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0747554233
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0747554234
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury; (7th) edition (January 1, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780747554233
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0747554233
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.8 x 0.51 x 5.08 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 157 ratings

About the author

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JT LeRoy

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).

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
157 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

LISA HUNT
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Accomplishment in Writing That's Still an Important Contemporary Work Today
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2014
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First off, I'm wondering why this book only has 3 stars when in glancing at the reviews, they are 4 and 5 star reviews.

I was in my 20s when this book came out. After reading "The Heart is Deceitful..." I immediately bought Ms. Alberts's other books (Sarah and Howard's End). I can't describe how I felt when I read this first book: Empathetic? Heartbroken? Not alone? The first time I read this book, I honestly didn't think about whether the "story" was true or not, as much as I thought about how I identified with the main character, even though I'm a heterosexual, CIS woman. Abuse is abuse; there are no levels (because certainly I dont feel I was abused to this extent, but others see my abuse as pretty severe) except perhaps in psychology/psychiatry. We all react to our abuse whether it was short term, long term, or happened "only" once. Abuse shapes who we become. And knowing all of this from personal experience, it made zero difference to me whether the story was true. It was beautiful, heart rendering, graphic, hard to put down yet hard to continue reading, if that makes sense. The book spoke to me enough to make it believable, certainly not fantasy, and also made me an instant fan.

When I found out JT LeRoy wasn't the author, I became even more fascinated with "JT" (in his "real life" form), Ms. Albert and her husband at the time, who were all in on this ruse (as well as some celebrities I'd seen JT hanging out with and the magazines their photographs and interviews were published in). The entire "thing" (for lack of a better word!) at the time, for me, was exciting and frankly, kind of humorous. Bottom line, it had, and has, for me, no bearing on this author's ability to relay a riviting story.

That all said, "The Heart is Deceitful...." is still an extraordinarily contemporary story, and in my opinion, a classic. I still have my copy from when it was first published and read it once a year.

I'm sorry all the "book" people - editors, publishers, peers, had their egos stomped on at the time and were embarrassed they could be fooled by a woman trying to get her writing noticed/published and did so the only way she felt would work, but I have to wonder if this had happened today would we all be applauding Ms. Albert for an ingenius publicity stunt?

Whatever good you've heard about this book is all true, plus some!, and should be read. Thank you Ms. Albert for writing a story that needed to be told; true or not to your personal experience, this s*** does happen.
4 people found this helpful
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NMAK
5.0 out of 5 stars This is one that really stays in your mind
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2014
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I LOVED this book. Loved it. I've read it multiple times, because there are so many layers to it, that I believe it takes a few readings to really get the breadth of all the themes. While some people seem to focus on the reveal of JT Leroy, a true reader is able to appreciate art and literature for what it is. "Heart" was never published as a memoir. And, let's think of a different angle. The subject matter of this book, while published as FICTION, is still verrrrry touchy, taboo, and uncomfortable. It only seems like it's "acceptable" to write about child abuse of all forms if it actually is a memoir. I think some people are highly uncomfortable with the notion that someone would write about this topic purely stemming from imagination. It's important to explore many facets of life, from the good and the positive, to the horrific and cruel side of nature. Personally, if I were able to creatively and superbly explore the darkness and put it into words, I may too want to create a persona in order to keep my main self protected. But, that's just me.
With that being said, this novel is raw. You're going to feel uneasy reading it at times. I promise you, you'll be thinking about Jeremiah and Sarah long after you've finished reading it. But that's a good thing. It's eye-opening and real, and if you're part of a book club, it will definitely provoke some really good discussions.
5 people found this helpful
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Dancewriter
4.0 out of 5 stars Paul Stone is right
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2006
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Disturbing is about the only word that comes to mind. Like Paul, I found the dark essence of this story following me into dreams as well. I don't know why I wanted to read it, but I thought there would be SOMETHING redeeming about it. There was not. The language is foul, the child's life is unbelievably twisted and tainted for life, the mother - a victim of abuse herself - is a wonderfully real character you hope doesn't exist in real life but are most certain that does. All of the characters in fact, are living amongst us and I guess that's the saddest part of this story. To come away thinking someone somewhere actually LIVES this nightmare and doesn't just dream about it.

The story further reiterates the well-documented damage of sexual activity before an appropriate age. As well as the damage of dictatorship and religious zealots and losers that haunt stinky diners in places along the Interstate. Of poverty, poor choices, pornography. The list goes on.

With the controversy surrounding the book I was interested in the hoopla. It's written in the voice of a young boy - age 4 spanning to early teens. The author does a fine job of keeping us in his head.

At times it jumps around and I got lost, but I kept reading. In the same way the kid keeps going back for beatings -- a fool for punishment as the old saying goes.

My advice? read something uplifting. Life's too dark as it is. You don't need to read about it.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

rilkeknows
5.0 out of 5 stars 'Balloons' is the best short story ever written.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 10, 2016
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This new edition contains an extra 7 stories that really compliment the Leroy 'canon'. One of them ('Balloons') is not merely the best short story in this book; it's the best short story I have ever read. It says more in three pages than most writers do in a whole novel.
'The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things' is unarguably darker than Leroy's debut; but still retains that purity and poetry within the narrative voice that marks Leroy - Laura Albert - out as one of the most vital writers of the last 30 years.
In a time where couples are getting married who met on 'Second Life' and there is finally the language and space to express gender fluidity, Albert's novels are more vital and relevant than ever. That the misogynistic media furore over their authorship has overshadowed the attention paid to these extraordinary texts for over a decade is culture's loss. Albert's novels should be being taught as set texts across the globe by now. Let's hope that these new publications help to redress the balance.
2 people found this helpful
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Peter S Surrey
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 4, 2019
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Good value. Speedy service.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I recomend the reading of this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2017
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lovely b ook
2 people found this helpful
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azile
1.0 out of 5 stars One of those overrated items
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2016
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It's a write up on increasing brutality as you go from chapter to chapter, with no other redeeming factors, that seems meaningless. Maybe I am not qualified to review a story on child abuse. The book fails to deliver any joy, insight or empathy.
2 people found this helpful
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