Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Ein wenig Leben by Hanya Yanagihara

786 reviews


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gabi_w21's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 31%

CW: abandonment, alcohol, car accidents, cancer, chronic illness, chronic pain, child abuse, child sexual abuse, child molestation, child rape, gore, hospitalization, injury/injury detail, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, racism, recreational drug use (mentioned) 


I knew, only in the vaguest sense, that “A Little Life” wasn’t a light book. While scrolling on my phone, I saw the videos of people clutching the book and bawling their eyes. Thought, ‘Sure, it’s that good. Maybe I’ll give it a try.’

It certainly was emotional—only it wasn’t awe-inspiring or thought-provoking or even fuzzy. This just made me read on in abject horror, my eyes skimming line after line as the abuse Jude went through unfolds—and the way it bleeds into his adult life. He’s actually the reason I won’t be continuing on with the book—or, even, maybe, the rest of her works. This comes across as…trauma porn. Trauma porn meant for people without trauma or bigots to fantasize about. It really bothered me that this author depicted a disabled, traumatized man suffering and basically said he’d be better off dead than alive. She 1) isn't a disabled person and 2) isn't a queer man of color. 

It makes me never want to pick up another novel by her, just for the gratuitous, on-page, graphic abuse. It’s told in such a detached manner, as if the reader’s only a spectator, an observer, and there’s no feeling. The book was crammed with verbose words that, I feel, made the author sound smart in between encyclopedia’s worth of the most minute details—who was dating whom amongst JB’s friends, little anecdotes that only padded the word count, characters that are never mentioned again get full descriptions and scenes dedicated to them since they interact with the main four. Each of these men whine and snivel and complain about their circumstance, despite the fact all but Jude and Willem, I think (They all blended together for me, unfortunately, and I couldn't tell who was who) had families who had money and Malcolm had a literal housekeeper and JB was spoiled with praise and he always had his mommy to run home to.

Speaking of JB, fuck him. Fuck him for feeding into the negative Black stereotypes. Why wouldn't he be proud of his mom? Why not correct people on their assumptions? He really comes across as someone incredibly detached from his identity but wants all the perks of being Black. He doesn't get to let people make assumptions, not correct them, and then clear it up right before his friend comes over—because he knows it's not right and he knows his aunts and mother and grandmother wouldn't be okay with that. My question is why did he do that? Every time he opened his mouth or every time we got a chapter of his POV, my eyes rolled back in my skull and I spent my time instead counting the grooves in my brain matter.

All the characters in this book just enable Jude and his self-destructive tendencies. Andy, the physician, who treats Jude’s self-harm wounds and breaks his Hippocratic oath. Willem, who gets Jude like no one else but can’t seem to ever press when things obviously aren’t okay. Malcolm, who’s not really in the story in any meaningful way. And JB—well, I’m convinced he’s kind of a sociopath who doesn’t give two shits about anyone except himself and his dick (which is another stereotype of queer—specifically bisexual—men.) They never ask him point-blank about anything, let alone his self-harm, and they’re so busy with their own pretentious bullshit because they’re all actors and lawyers and white collared who’ve never had to fight for anything (save, again, Jude and maybe Willem?) they never even consider him. But, on the flip side, Jude’s a grown-ass man who shouldn’t be anyone else’s responsibility (in reference to his self-harm and his bouts of not eating.) 

Everything from the dense, verbose, detail-padded writing to the selfish, holier-than-thou dramatic-ass characters is a huge book turn off for me. 

So yeah, this book is one big ole YIKES for me. And I will not be reading it, The People in the Trees, or To Paradise. And, probably, anything else she comes out with. My first and last attempt has completely turned me off any future works of hers. 

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This book literally shattered me into a million tiny pieces. I'm an incredibly slow reader, so I felt the constant heartbreak this book brought upon me for well over a month. This book truly is one bad thing after another, but unlike most opinions I see, that really didn't bother me and I didn't take this novel as some sort of "trauma porn". I thought this was a beautiful and crushing depiction of the different relationships you make in your life and how traumas shape how you view and experience the world. Yanagihara has a way of writing that makes you fall so in love with all of these characters and it makes their downfalls so much more heartbreaking. I will say, if you're going to read this book, PLEASE read the trigger warnings. It is an amazing read but it is hard to stomach at some parts and I can see how it could be extremely triggering for many people.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Triggeröivää tekstiä -tummia teemoja, haastavaa, surullista ja emotionaalisia juonenkäänteitä. Pitkästyttävän pitkä. Samaistuin kaikkiin kirjan päähenkilöihin jollain tasoilla. Mutta en rakastanut ketään mutta pidin niistä. Tykkäsin henkilöiden kasvusta.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book was so heavy. It was overwhelming, relentless, and devastating. At times, I wondered if the author was just adding more trauma for the hell of it. I didn't see how things could keep getting worse and worse and never seem to resolve.

However, these characters continued to do the best they could with what they had. Watching them learn to trust each other again and again, watching relationships rupture and repair, watching them choose each other was really what kept me reading this book. 

Yanagihara switches POVs often without explicitly telling the reader who the chapter/section is focusing on, which requires the readers to really get to know each character, and, at times, be okay with not knowing (yet)who is being described.

I think this is a book that I'll come back to and notice something different, or have a different takeaway, or connect with differently in different stages of my life.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Wish this book didn't make me wish for his death every minute of reading this.... This is not a compliment. This aspect of this book ruined it potential.

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