Goat

by Brad Land (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2005

  $5.63

  A harrowing memoir in the tradition of Dave Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Augusten Burroughs' Running With Scissors and James Frey's A Million Little Pieces. Now available in paperback Reeling from a terrifying assault that has left him physically injured and psychologically shattered, nineteen-year-old Brad Land must also contend with unsympathetic local police, parents who can barely discuss 'the incident' (as they call it), a brother riddled with guilt but unable to slow down enough for Brad to keep up, and the feeling that he'll never be normal again. When Brad's brother enrols at Clemson University and pledges a fraternity, Brad believes he's being left behind once and for all. Desperate to belong, he follows. What happens there - in the name of 'brotherhood,' and with the supposed goal of forging a scholar and a gentleman from the raw materials of boyhood - involves torturous late-night hazing, heartbreaking estrangement from his brother, and, finally, the death of a fellow pledge. Ultimately, Brad must weigh up total alienation from his newfound community against accepting a form of brutality he already knows too well. A searing memoir of masculinity, violence, and brotherhood, GOAT provides an unprecedented window into the emotional landscape of young men and introduces a writer of grace and power.