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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I ended up enjoying this. At first the jumping around in time was annoying and seemed gimicky and pointless, but it brings it together at the end. I don’t think it adds anything namable, but the gut punches wouldn’t have the same effect if the story was linear, so I guess it had to be written that way. I was annoyed at most of the characters through 97% of the story, and even though there’s a ton of hardship for a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, it still ends up being a story of privilege. It’s kind of hard to feel compelled to empathize with any of the many plights in the story. And it ran a little long for my preference. Normally book length isn’t an issue for me, but I can always tell how I feel when I have time to read and I get a ‘ugh, we’re still on this?’ feeling about the book. It was maybe a little self indulgent on the author’s part, but that could be me. Also, minus a half star for excessive use of ‘inchoate’.
This book gutted me; it tore me apart. It made me laugh and made me cry. It's the kind of book that sticks - I know I will be thinking about this story and these characters for a long, long time. Tim Murphy's Christodora is a bold story centered around AIDS activism in New York in the 80's and 90's. There's so much more to it than that, though. There is love, death, and heartbreak. There is loneliness, addiction, and depression. There is beauty, art, and hope.
At the heart of this story is Milly - a talented young artist and daughter of Ava, a pioneer in the fight for AIDS research. In a story spanning 30 decades, we follow Milly from her youth into her middle-age, jumping back and forth in time to paint a clear picture of her life. Ava struggles with her mental health, something that impacted her ability to be a good mother to Milly when she was a child. As Milly gets older she begins experiencing depression and fears that she is following in her mother's footsteps.
In her early 20's Milly lives with her sculptor husband, Jared, in the Christodora House, an iconic apartment building in New York's East side. Hector, their neighbour, was once a prominent AIDS activist, but after a personal tragedy turned to crystal meth. Jared is frustrated by his presence in the building and wants him out. However, Hector and Ava were a part of the early AIDS fight together, and Milly feels conflicted about where her loyalties should fall. Through Ava's work, Milly and Jared meet a 5 year old boy, Mateo, whose mother died of AIDS when he was a baby. Milly falls for the little boy with the wild hair, and they end up adopting him. Mateo's life will eventually crash with Hector's in unimaginable ways.
Going into this book I knew very little about AIDS and the activism that took place during the 80's and 90's. For example, I had I no idea that early definitions of AIDS excluded women and that many believed women couldn't contract the illness. I had no idea that there was a fight for proper medical funding and research, a fight for adequate medication. This book was an education, and I have to thank Tim Murphy for that - it was eye opening. That said, please don't think of this as an AIDS book, it's so much more than that.
Murphy has created something truly remarkable with this story, and I didn't want it to end. Even though they are often selfish and flawed, I can't recall the last time I felt so deeply invested in the characters of a book. Reading Murphy's acknowledgements solidified for me how personal this book was for him, and I can only be grateful that he chose to share so much of himself, his experiences, and his losses with the reading world. Fans of A Little Life, this one is for you.
At the heart of this story is Milly - a talented young artist and daughter of Ava, a pioneer in the fight for AIDS research. In a story spanning 30 decades, we follow Milly from her youth into her middle-age, jumping back and forth in time to paint a clear picture of her life. Ava struggles with her mental health, something that impacted her ability to be a good mother to Milly when she was a child. As Milly gets older she begins experiencing depression and fears that she is following in her mother's footsteps.
In her early 20's Milly lives with her sculptor husband, Jared, in the Christodora House, an iconic apartment building in New York's East side. Hector, their neighbour, was once a prominent AIDS activist, but after a personal tragedy turned to crystal meth. Jared is frustrated by his presence in the building and wants him out. However, Hector and Ava were a part of the early AIDS fight together, and Milly feels conflicted about where her loyalties should fall. Through Ava's work, Milly and Jared meet a 5 year old boy, Mateo, whose mother died of AIDS when he was a baby. Milly falls for the little boy with the wild hair, and they end up adopting him. Mateo's life will eventually crash with Hector's in unimaginable ways.
Going into this book I knew very little about AIDS and the activism that took place during the 80's and 90's. For example, I had I no idea that early definitions of AIDS excluded women and that many believed women couldn't contract the illness. I had no idea that there was a fight for proper medical funding and research, a fight for adequate medication. This book was an education, and I have to thank Tim Murphy for that - it was eye opening. That said, please don't think of this as an AIDS book, it's so much more than that.
Murphy has created something truly remarkable with this story, and I didn't want it to end. Even though they are often selfish and flawed, I can't recall the last time I felt so deeply invested in the characters of a book. Reading Murphy's acknowledgements solidified for me how personal this book was for him, and I can only be grateful that he chose to share so much of himself, his experiences, and his losses with the reading world. Fans of A Little Life, this one is for you.
I can already tell this book and its characters are going to sit with me for a long time.
My review is forthcoming but I want to pose a question: how literary do you like your fiction?
By no means a bad book, but not quite up to the lofty standards it set itself.
By no means a bad book, but not quite up to the lofty standards it set itself.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i have a lot of mixed feelings about this book.
like, when i first started it i was kind of put off by the second chapter, the usage of the n-word (seems really unnecessary given that the author was willing to say "b-word" but had no issue spelling the n-word in full—even though i guess the whole context was that mateo liked saying it around his (white) parents because he suspected it bothered them.... but overall that whole tidbit seemed unnecessary and avoidable anyway) and came off like a white person trying to write a stereotypical view of a young black person and it was a little messy but whatever i'm white so i can't speak for anyone else. but it rubbed me the wrong way and it's a feeling i can't shake so whatever. BUT! it was only that one chapter, and that whole vibe settled down after that so i can't complain too much.
i think overall i just really loved all the diversity/inclusion in this book. adding in trans characters, for example, without it being a plot device!!! without it being so transparently for brownie points like, "LOOK I PUT A TRANS PERSON IN MY BOOK, I'M REALLY GOOD :) BTW, DID YOU NOTICE... A TRANS CHARACTER? THAT I, THE AUTHOR, A WONDERFUL ACCEPTING HUMAN, PUT IN" refreshing! i was also nervous about the treatment of addiction, but i think it was done realistically by showing that SOME people (character name withheld) aren't open-minded about addicts and think they are all lost causes, etc. but that some people are more supportive and understand that addicts need help, not to be abandoned.
likewise i'm always nervous about depiction of mental illness in books but i think it was done really respectfully here.
as far as writing goes, i was sorta "meh" the first half of the book, but then for the second half i was definitely more engaged. unlike a lot of other reviewers, i actually didn't have an issue with the timeline and i understand why it was set up the way it was. it flowed really well for me.
i would love to see a spin-off book about hector. he was, by far, the most interesting and dynamic character. i feel like the message about aids would have been more impactful had the book focused more on hector et. al. throughout the '80s timeline, and the aftermath of that (instead of being like, "and then drugs happened, the end"—but i also understand that he wasn't the main character, and the book would have been like 4,000 pages if it had gone too deep into any one story). at times the topic of aids/hiv felt like more of an afterthought to the milly/jared saga, which is a shame considering the author's background and depth of knowledge in that area.
also i hate jared. like, a lot.
anyway, can people stop comparing this to a little life? yeah, it's long, it has lgbt elements and a timeline spanning several decades. that's it. next.
like, when i first started it i was kind of put off by the second chapter, the usage of the n-word (seems really unnecessary given that the author was willing to say "b-word" but had no issue spelling the n-word in full—even though i guess the whole context was that mateo liked saying it around his (white) parents because he suspected it bothered them.... but overall that whole tidbit seemed unnecessary and avoidable anyway) and came off like a white person trying to write a stereotypical view of a young black person and it was a little messy but whatever i'm white so i can't speak for anyone else. but it rubbed me the wrong way and it's a feeling i can't shake so whatever. BUT! it was only that one chapter, and that whole vibe settled down after that so i can't complain too much.
i think overall i just really loved all the diversity/inclusion in this book. adding in trans characters, for example, without it being a plot device!!! without it being so transparently for brownie points like, "LOOK I PUT A TRANS PERSON IN MY BOOK, I'M REALLY GOOD :) BTW, DID YOU NOTICE... A TRANS CHARACTER? THAT I, THE AUTHOR, A WONDERFUL ACCEPTING HUMAN, PUT IN" refreshing! i was also nervous about the treatment of addiction, but i think it was done realistically by showing that SOME people (character name withheld) aren't open-minded about addicts and think they are all lost causes, etc. but that some people are more supportive and understand that addicts need help, not to be abandoned.
likewise i'm always nervous about depiction of mental illness in books but i think it was done really respectfully here.
as far as writing goes, i was sorta "meh" the first half of the book, but then for the second half i was definitely more engaged. unlike a lot of other reviewers, i actually didn't have an issue with the timeline and i understand why it was set up the way it was. it flowed really well for me.
i would love to see a spin-off book about hector. he was, by far, the most interesting and dynamic character. i feel like the message about aids would have been more impactful had the book focused more on hector et. al. throughout the '80s timeline, and the aftermath of that (instead of being like, "and then drugs happened, the end"—but i also understand that he wasn't the main character, and the book would have been like 4,000 pages if it had gone too deep into any one story). at times the topic of aids/hiv felt like more of an afterthought to the milly/jared saga, which is a shame considering the author's background and depth of knowledge in that area.
also i hate jared. like, a lot.
anyway, can people stop comparing this to a little life? yeah, it's long, it has lgbt elements and a timeline spanning several decades. that's it. next.
A new favourite! Christodora is an enthralling, expansive novel. The non-linear narrative is anchored by a building called the Christodora in the East Village. We meet diverse, damaged characters who will steal your heart as you follow them through several decades, hopping backwards and forwards in time. It is a deeply emotional story, centred mainly around the AIDs epidemic in the U.S.A and the strength of the protestors who were fighting hard for treatment.
Murphy's realistic, sharp dialogue and gritty, flawed characters make this book feel so real. I'd really recommend it. It's chunky, but you'll be so wrapped up in their lives that you'll speed through it.
Murphy's realistic, sharp dialogue and gritty, flawed characters make this book feel so real. I'd really recommend it. It's chunky, but you'll be so wrapped up in their lives that you'll speed through it.
that was one of the most emotional and...fulfilling and heartbreaking books I've read in a very long time.