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frran's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Nonostante questo per me è una bellissima storia d’amore, in tutte le sfaccettature possibili; amore tossico, amore genitoriale, amore e amicizia; legami reali, profondi, problematici.
Riuscirete ad immedesimarvi in almeno uno dei quattro amici protagonisti di questa storia o in chi li circonda.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Self harm, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual violence
gia0203's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A Little Life is an epic. It's length and density mean that the narrative has room to breathe. There are so many little details that give the book a certain realism. Not just the characters either, but the city, the buildings. Each house that Jude moves to is distinct and painstakingly described, every person he meets is given their own charms and flaws. Its these idiosyncracies which really make you feel like you're inside the book, rather than watching from the outside. It's this immersion that makes A Little Life even more relentless. You are not allowed simply to observe. You are a part of the world.
And nowhere is this style of writing more effective than when you are inside of Jude's mind. Jude is a character who remains elusive to the people around him. Eventually, the people close to Jude are allowed to see parts of him, but it's only us, the reader, who truly understand how Jude thinks. Even Willem, who learns the most, doesn't see what we see. Jude's inner narrative, the true depth of his self loathing, it's known only to us.
But even we don't know everything. Every now and then Jude will elude to something we don't know about, and we are made to remember that there are things so terrible that Jude can't even confront them in his own mind. One of the main tragedies of the novel is that Jude cannot reveal his true self to anyone for so long. The lying, the hiding, it's part of his undoing.
A Little Life has become notorious for just how sad it is. Truly the saddest part is that
I do, however, think that Willem's sudden accidental death has purpose. Yanagihara stated that this book was uncompromising, and the spectrum of human emotion to an extreme. And the sad reality is that some people's lives are like this. Sometimes, there is no happy ending. Jude states that he is the same person he was as a child, that he always ends up back how he was, and I think this is a poignant depiction of trauma and mental illness. Another book might have took a different course. But this is the route this one took. As cruel and unkind as it was, it was not without purpose.
Despite everything, I appreciated the moments of kindness and happiness scattered throughout the book. There is so much love in this story, and there are moments where Jude gets to experience it. True love. It sometimes made the horror worth it. The way Willem curled around Jude every night... The thoughtful things Harold did for him... The way so many people tried to help him... And the way Jude constantly helped others too...
I felt like the themes of suicide and self harm in this book were treated with respect and accuracy. Often, Jude's thoughts were so strikingly similar to ones I had at the worst parts of my depression that I had to stop and breathe. While I couldn't relate to much of his experience, particularly with disability and sexual abuse, it didn't mean I couldn't empathise with him. He wanted an escape, a reprise, which I understood. The most graphic descriptions are of his self harm, illness and injury. At times they did feel too much; Jude's cutting in particular was difficult to get through. But Yanagihara was unflinching, for better or for worse. It's so repetitive, so relentless, and yet this was Jude's life, and Yanagihara clearly wanted us to see it for what it was. This is the reality of trauma.
Plus, Yanagihara always knew when to zoom out, when to pull the curtain over our eyes. For all that this book is graphic, it never feels exploitative. The sexual abuse is vague and shadowy; descriptions focus on Jude's thoughts, rather than explicit details.
In trying to help Jude, all of the characters made mistakes. The people who loved him the most were often the ones who hurt him the most. Their desperation and their longing to save him stripped him of his agency at times, yet also were what he needed at others. Willem, Andy, Harold, they all debated what was best. Should I force him to get help, and alienate him in the process? Should I go along with it to keep him close to me? Should I compromise? Was any of it even helping? I loved that there was no right answer. I loved how morally grey it all was.
As I was reading this book, I immediately ordered Yanagihara's other books. I thought her writing style was beautiful and I adored her thoughtfulness. The part that made me cry, and that I thought was the best part of the book, was Dear Comrade. The descriptions of grief; the way Jude uses objects to inspire memories; the way the characters feel like ghosts in the last part of the novel, trying to mimic their ordinary lives. It was beautiful and devastating and it's when I really, truly cried. I'm very excited to delve into the rest of the author's writing. I can't really bring myself to give A Little Life a rating of less than 5. Also, I will definitely be rereading it, and watching the play, and I've ordered the playbook too, so.
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Ableism, Grief, Medical content, Blood, Death, and Eating disorder
Minor: Addiction, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Suicide
nanari's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Rape, Violence, Blood, Suicide, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Child abuse
maiamorgue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Blood, Death, Rape, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Suicide, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Self harm, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder
eedle_cacleberry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Grief, Ableism, Child abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Self harm
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Addiction, and Car accident
Minor: Child death, Eating disorder, and Abandonment
tonia0000's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
chanpatton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Rape
Moderate: Addiction
prbessen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Domestic abuse
saramgood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Self harm, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, and Child death
mellii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Self harm, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Car accident, Grief, Rape, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Death, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Drug use, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Terminal illness, Vomit, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Child death