[3][5][6] Taylor felt compelled to write a novel strongly focused on character, partially out of frustration with contemporary fiction, which he feels often abandons memorable characterization in favor of "vibes".

[2] In crafting the structure of the novel, Taylor took inspiration from Ann Patchett's Commonwealth, Karl Ove Knausgård's The Morning Star, and Mavis Gallant's short fiction.

[1] The novel consists of a series of interlinked character studies that follow a group of college students living in Iowa City as they navigate class, relationships, career decisions, and artistic purpose.

Taylor explained his choice of the painting to Oprah Daily, stating, "For me, it captures a real sense of intimacy and warmth," and added that the image "could be a kiss, it could be CPR.

"[11] For The Washington Post, Mark Athitakis praised Taylor's take on the campus novel, writing that he "observes this milieu with fresh eyes" and possesses a "bone-deep" empathy for his characters.

In The New York Times, Alexandra Jacobs referred to him as "the pick of the litter",[15] and in Harper's Magazine, author Claire Messud described him as "hold[ing] the novel’s roiling, slow ground bass".

"[14] Shortly after its release, The Late Americans became the subject of controversy when Laura Miller, writing for Slate, panned it on the grounds that Taylor's prose was not as engaging as his pithier social media presence.