The Wonderful World That Almost Was

A Life of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek

by Andrew Durbin

First published 2026 · debut

Cover of The Wonderful World That Almost Was

Reception

2026
New York Review of Books
Reviewed by Alan Hollinghurst, 1 October
2026
London Review of Books
Reviewed by Em Hogan, 8 October

Read the 2 reviews

London Review of Books · 8 October 2026

Em Hogan · Canned Soup and Canapés: Hujar and Thek

By Em Hogan

Read at London Review of Books (opens in a new tab)
New York Review of Books · 1 October 2026

The Elusive Glamour of Peter and Paul

A dual biography of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek is a tantalizing portrait of the artists and their epoch, just before the catastrophe of AIDS.

By Alan Hollinghurst

Also reviews Paul Thek and Peter Hujar by Francis Schichtel

Read at New York Review of Books (opens in a new tab)

Catalogue record

Granta Books, 2026 · 496 pages

Publisher: Granta Books, 2026
Pages: 496
Dewey: 770.92
ISBN: 978-1-80351-213-6 +1

Full recordClose

Publisher: Granta Books, 2026
Pages: 496
Dewey: 770.92
ISBNs: 978-1-80351-213-6
978-0-374-60955-9
Author: Durbin, Andrew
Statement: The Wonderful World That Almost Was : A Life of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek / Andrew Durbin.
Records: Open Library

Subjects

2020s

Catalogue data checked 3 October 2026