Love May Fail

HarperCollins (June 2015)

Portia Kane is having a meltdown. After escaping her ritzy Florida life and her cheating pornographer husband, she finds herself back in South Jersey, a place that remains largely unchanged from the years of her unhappy youth. Lost and alone, looking for the goodness she believes still exists in the world, Portia sets off on a quest to save the one man who always believed in her—and in all of his students: her beloved high school English teacher, Mr. Vernon, who has retired broken and alone after a traumatic classroom incident.

Will a sassy nun, an ex-heroin addict, a metalhead little boy, and her hoarder mother help or hurt Portia’s chances on this quest to resurrect a good man and find renewed hope in the human race? Love May Fail is a story of the great highs and lows of existence: the heartache and daring choices it takes to become the person you know (deep down) you are meant to be.

Reviews

“… brilliant … compulsively readable … a plot that keeps you guessing … wholly transporting … Quick has a uniquely rewarding voice and one that, for his native Philadelphia, is creating a space in contemporary fiction all of its own.” —⁠GQ (UK)

“Instead of breaking your heart, Quick steals it, strengthens it and gives it back … a fine writer with a gift similar to that of fellow American novelist John Irving—creating quirky, flawed but ultimately lovable and deeply human main characters.” —⁠Winnipeg Free Press

“Mr. Quick excels at writing what he knows, and making readers feel intimately connected to his characters. Love May Fail also reflects his mastery of devising humorous dialogue, interlaced with rabid vulgarity.” —⁠The Wall Street Journal

“… a wonderful exploration of the unexpected … an encomium to the power of empathy and love, and ultimately redemption.” —⁠We Love This Book (UK)

“… a well-told tale of how, through will or force, even the most broken people can sometimes be repaired … enjoyable, cinematic …” —⁠The Philadelphia Inquirer

“… an exuberant and profane hymn to teachers who make a difference.” —⁠The Boston Globe’s New England Literary News Pick of the Week

“… alive with humanity, empathy and wit … a beautifully readable novel by a writer of power and insight.” —⁠The Coast (NZ)

“No one writes quite like Matthew Quick.” —⁠American Booksellers Association / July 2015 Indie Next Pick

“… buy it … irreverently eccentric, yet heartfelt too, Love May Fail is a charming read that might just inspire you to track down the teachers who helped shape your own story … mesmerizing …” —⁠Central Ohio NPR News & Music / Shelf Discovery

“Quick, an ex-teacher, nails the symbiotic student-teacher relationship, with all of its attendant baggage, squarely on the head in this engaging slice-of-life dramedy with definite big-screen potential.” —⁠Booklist

“The turn of a few pages is all it took for me to fall in love with Matthew Quick’s latest homage to the subtleties of joy … a madly quirky, utterly lovely world.” —⁠The Roanoke Times

“… dark but never entirely bleak. There’s always reason to hope in [Quick’s] novels … [a] lovely, entertaining book.” —⁠NY Daily News

“Matthew Quick has a way with wounded characters … inspiring …” —⁠The Boston Globe

“Quick knows how to write with a cinematic fervor … great summer reading … and documented through Quick’s eccentrically delightful lens.” —⁠The Globe And Mail (Canada)

“… accessible art … Quick’s flawed but sincere characters will resonate in readers’ minds long after the last page has been turned.” —⁠Shelf Awareness

“Quick specializes in offbeat characters who’ve been knocked down but won’t stay down … Both irreverent and inspiring, this unique read belongs in every beach bag.” —⁠Nashville Arts Magazine

“… this darkly funny, profanity-filled novel fits together, jagged edges and all … readers will be engrossed.” —⁠Publishers Weekly

“No one does damaged but hopeful like Quick … a celebration of the humanness that connects us all … as perfect as perfect goes in an imperfect world.” —⁠Creative Loafing Atlanta

“An easy, enjoyable, and thoughtful read with laughs and tears along the way. Quick’s devotees won’t be disappointed.” —⁠Library Journal

“… an offbeat odyssey and a really fun end-of-summer ride.” —⁠Parade Magazine

“Matthew Quick nails it again with his quirky-but-damaged characters and gritty real-life stories … both moving and delighting …” —⁠Glamour

“… a quirky, melancholy tale of going backwards to go forward …” —⁠Elle (Canada)

“[one of] the seven books you have to read this summer” —⁠Marie Claire

“… ultimate summer reading …” —⁠Good Housekeeping

“… hot new release … charming …” —⁠Coastal Living

“Matthew Quick is … turning into one of my favorite authors … and after Love May Fail I’m hooked.” —⁠Spencer Daily Reporter

“… a cast of quirky characters whose wryly humorous perceptions of human experience illuminate their worlds in profound ways … witty writing … inspirational … sharp, engaging prose …” —⁠Asheville Grit (NC)

“Matthew Quick … may be our unofficial Ambassador of Hope. Quick … is not someone who glosses over the vagaries of real life. He does, however, also see the hilarity in our humanness and the possibility we all carry with us to create—art, change, and hope.” —⁠WNC Woman Magazine

“… Capra-esque … engaging …” —⁠Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“… deftly juggles pain and hope … hilariously heartbreaking …” —⁠Skagit Valley Herald

“A hugely enjoyable tale of love, forgiveness and redemption” —⁠Who Weekly (Australia)

“… hilarious and emotional … handles dysfunction wonderfully … Quick’s books … make you feel like it’s OK to be a little bit of an outsider …” —⁠The Star (Malaysia)

“… fascinating … deliciously easy-to-read …” —⁠dna India

“… complex and thought-provoking American comedy about love and the meaning of life.” —⁠DailyMail (UK)

“The attraction is instant: Quick immediately pulls you into his outrageous, in-your-face tale of love, loss and ‘80s metal, skillfully intertwining the stories of four characters. His writing is powerful, and oftentimes quite heartbreaking, but the conclusion of this emotional ride makes you recognize and appreciate a successful writer’s capabilities.” —⁠RT Book Reviews

“Quick delights and devastates … quirky, fun, heartbreaking, and optimistic—usually all at once.” —⁠Mountain Xpress (NC)

“Quick’s world presents readers with the imperfect possibilities we can find hidden in the baggage that comes with our families, friendships, occasional missteps and even more occasional triumphs.” —⁠The Outer Banks Voice

“… wonderful … Quick’s writing is superb.” —⁠Run Spot Run

“Matthew Quick shows us the glowing potential we all have.” —⁠Bookshelf Reviews (Canada)

“… a funny and poignant family drama … great summer read.” —⁠The News&Observer (NC)

“An off-the-wall read that is dark and different.” —⁠The Sun Newspaper (UK)

“… great weekend read …” —⁠New Zealand Herald (NZ)

“… the joy of this book is Quick’s skill in shifting character viewpoints and literary style.” —⁠The Herald-Sun (NC)

Love May Fail is honest and brave and utterly hopeful … With bright characters and a fierce thirst for redemption, Quick’s latest novel is well worth a read.” —⁠The Daily Tar Heel

“Listeners will be exhilarated by this loving tribute to teachers, writers, and literature.” —⁠AudioFile

“… delivered in a humorous and disarmingly frank prose style that fans—and filmmakers—adore …” —⁠Chapter 16

“… funny, fierce and heartfelt …” —⁠Satellite Sisters

“… a compelling story about expectations and what happens when our heroes disappoint us.” —⁠The Anniston Star

“It was the paper airplanes that made me shed a tear.” —⁠The Oklahoman

“[An] ode to bygone pop culture and the unattainable literary life.” —⁠Kirkus Reviews

“I couldn’t put it down.” —⁠Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“… another wonderful, poignant Quick tale …” —⁠Manhattan Book Review

Accolades

— July 2015 Indie Next List

— Translated into Portuguese (Brazil + Portugal), French, Korean, Polish, Complex Chinese (Taiwan), German, Dutch, Spanish, Chinese Simplified (China), Russian, Turkish, and published in the UK by Picador, in Canada by HarperCollins