‘Brilliant ... nuanced and engrossing … [Doyle] is intrepid and brutal, but only towards herself. She spills her doubt and angst yet she sallies onward, never judging or whining, always entertaining, open-hearted and open-minded … If you’re a millennial, or you love one, or you hope to live long enough to see the world governed by them, you should be reading Briohny Doyle.’
Toni Jordan, The Guardian
'I loved this book. I found myself underlining so much of it that I thought I may as well give up annotating, lest I render it unreadable; often I found myself reading it and nodding vigorously in agreement ... An absorbing mix of memoir and social critique for anyone curious about millennial ennui. I want to give this book to everyone I know.'
Readings
'Rising from the ashes of a tired argument [of conflict between boomers and millennials] is Adult Fantasy, guided by a lively voice and dark humour ... The style, a mash of personal essay and cultural criticism, is a regular feature of American nonfiction and exploded in 2015 with Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts. Similarly, Doyle critiques culture through self, and is tightly reined in her use of personal anecdotes ... Firmly establishing a growing nonfiction genre.'
The Australian
‘A blend of personal essay and cultural criticism from one of Australia’s best emerging practitioners of the form … [Doyle] is emerging as one of Australia’s best essayists.'
Mel Campbell, The Rereaders
'Adult Fantasy is like a gut-punch from L'Étranger and a balm for anti–Gen Y rhetoric. Confronting, existential, tremendous.'
Anna Spargo-Ryan, author of The Paper House
'It's dangerous to declare anyone the voice of your generation, but if Briohny Doyle was declared the voice of mine, I'd be nothing short of honoured. In this book, she somehow articulates and refines every foggy frustration and anxiety millennials feel about their status, place in life, and where they're headed. This is a book of consolation – reminding us we're not insane or alone – and revelation, by asking all the right questions and finding answers that never fail to surprise and help.'
Ben Law, author of The Family Law
'Adult Fantasy is a thoughtful, honest, and engaging examination of the myths and realities of adulthood. It’s a real pleasure to accompany Doyle as she tugs at the threads of conventional adulthood and then re-weaves them into something softer, messier, and far more forgiving.'
Emily Maguire, author of An Isolated Incident
'Briohny Doyle moves beyond generationalism to explore fledgling adulthood and the failures of neoliberalism with a sharp, lucid eye. Always warmhearted and frank, and often poignant, Adult Fantasy is a vital examination of what it means to come of age today.'
Jennifer Down, author of Our Magic Hour
'Thoughtful, insightful and genuinely worth the time. Weaving together historical context, observation and her own laugh-out-loud-funny experiences, Adult Fantasy is cleverly written and very readable ... Doyle’s academic smarts lend the book cred, [bringing] rigour to a subject usually shrouded in hysteria and outrage. Boomers and generation X will get just as much out of reading as younger people ... Adult Fantasy is the beginning of a conversation about generationalism that Australia sorely needs to have. And Doyle has kicked it off in a careful, considered and compassionate way.'
Jamila Rizvi, Readings
'A deeply insightful exploration of how traditional milestones can be both outmoded and repressive ... A thoughtful book on the future of young people.'
Thuy On, The Big Issue
'Doyle’s voice is a mix of cynicism, wryness and impatient desire to shrug off the inheritance of adulthood and not give a shit. Nihilism mingles with paralysing self-awareness. She doesn’t pretend to speak for her generation, but her observational humour and emotional openness make it impossible for the reader not to relate to her struggle.'
The Monthly
'Sharp, entertaining ... a wide-ranging meditation and, in the end, a mature reflection on 50 years of neo-liberalism, millennial political apathy, and the conclusion that responsible freedom rests upon ensuring the freedom of others.'
Sydney Morning Herald
'A joy to read ... a thoughtful consideration of what getting older looks and feels like to one woman.'
Herald Sun
'Doyle observes – and writes – with extraordinary clarity and intellect ... [This is] a wholesale, redoubtable response to a sort of sour intergenerational bluster ... A few pages in, I started picturing Doyle as the Lorax: a beautiful mind, alone on a platform above the fray, bitter and wise and weary.'
Listener New Zealand
'Briohny Doyle gets it ... a well-informed and heartfelt meditation on "growing up" in the strange first decades of the twenty-first century. [This is] a smart read for anyone who suspects they might be an adult, but doesn't know how to be sure. This book helps you understand and, maybe more importantly, helps you feel understood.'
Brunswick Street Bookstore
'Briohny Doyle brings a sobering and deeply insightful perspective to the intergenerational war over what it means to be an adult.'
CityMag
