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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
soooo close to 5 stars. but way too miserable. if maybe 2 less totally horrible life changing miserable things happened it would have been 5. stunning writing, and i loved loved so so so much of it, but at the second to last section of the book i couldn’t help but feeling like it was just misery porn…sad to be shocking…SO sad it was almost comical. the main characters nearly become parodies of themselves in the extents they go to. however…. the very last section of the book won me back over. incredibly shattering and heartbreaking and wonderful and beautiful. after finishing, i feel like i lost a new family. i am rocked by how unjust life can be, because although it reached such a melodramatic climax, it’s unfortunately often an echo for those with similar trauma as our jude. i hope all survivors find peace
This book was good until it wasn’t
The last 25% just annoyed me so much.
There are parts of this book I truly enjoy. However there are parts I truly hate. Why was there never any alternative ways for Jude to try and quit sh. It was just “swimming” or “baking”.
I wish we would’ve seen more of lawyer Jude. I would’ve loved to have seen him in court bc everyone says he was “cold-hearted” and “ruthless”.
The last 25% just annoyed me so much.
There are parts of this book I truly enjoy. However there are parts I truly hate. Why was there never any alternative ways for Jude to try and quit sh. It was just “swimming” or “baking”.
I wish we would’ve seen more of lawyer Jude. I would’ve loved to have seen him in court bc everyone says he was “cold-hearted” and “ruthless”.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oof. How does childhood trauma affect you as an adult? Obviously, a lot. Had me crying, would recommend but also please don’t read it.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I don’t think any book I’ve come out of has left me truly empty inside like this book has. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this book and how much sadness is present in it.
I loved the characters. I love how we follow four guys starting at college and you follow them through their lives as they age to middle age. I love how they’re full of the art lifestyle and how they’re trying to figure life out. Jude, Willem, Malcolm, Harold, Andy, I love them all. JB I struggle with because he’s a jerk at times but you also want to sympathize with him a little bit.
I also love the setting of New York City and everywhere they go throughout. I love how it’s split up between decades of their lives. I also love that there’s a Mahler reference. Mahler is my favorite composer and I always freak out love when his work is mentioned.
But this book is not fully of happiness. Sure there is parts but it is not a happy book. Everything that goes on throughout this book is so hard and sad. It’s just not an easy thing to read.
But I loved it. I was grasped in from the beginning. I fell to adore these characters so much. But I didn’t cry like everyone else.... I think I over believed I’d die while reading this because while I was tearing up and struggled to read at times I never truly bawled my eyes out. A bit confused with that but I loved it wholeheartedly.
I loved the characters. I love how we follow four guys starting at college and you follow them through their lives as they age to middle age. I love how they’re full of the art lifestyle and how they’re trying to figure life out. Jude, Willem, Malcolm, Harold, Andy, I love them all. JB I struggle with because he’s a jerk at times but you also want to sympathize with him a little bit.
I also love the setting of New York City and everywhere they go throughout. I love how it’s split up between decades of their lives. I also love that there’s a Mahler reference. Mahler is my favorite composer and I always freak out love when his work is mentioned.
But this book is not fully of happiness. Sure there is parts but it is not a happy book. Everything that goes on throughout this book is so hard and sad. It’s just not an easy thing to read.
But I loved it. I was grasped in from the beginning. I fell to adore these characters so much. But I didn’t cry like everyone else.... I think I over believed I’d die while reading this because while I was tearing up and struggled to read at times I never truly bawled my eyes out. A bit confused with that but I loved it wholeheartedly.
If you've picked this up you know that "A Little Life" comes with the following content warnings: SA (trafficking/prostitution), suicidal ideation & attempts, self harm, substance use & addiction, physical and emotional abuse-so like you know what you're getting into.
For the first third of the book I thought okay this can't be too bad right? Just trying to understand the basics of the exposition. Shifting POVs and time jumps. Excessive use of em dashes sometimes caused me to reread paragraphs multiple times. Expecting some "basic run of the mill" abuse history.
Middle half of the book it's like oh dang okay. All I'm thinking is can someone please just tell this sad broken man he is beautiful!?!? Beginning of the author ripping your already bleeding heart apart followed by an effort to tie it back together. Her descriptions of what it feels like to live with such self-hate and trauma is so well explained. The inner voice and description of the “creature" inside makes it so accessible for the reader to understand a little more clearly what it is like to live with.
Starting last third of the book. All I can say is read at your own risk and only if you're interested in reading books that make you feel like the blood is being squeezed out of your heart. The author does a good job at accurately displaying the partner of a depressed/ disabled person. Honestly this part was almost kinda slow at places.
Last quarter of the book: okay come on. Why take my heart, rip it out, sew it up, put it back in, then stab a knife through it? And I knew she was gonna do it and I had a feeling I knew how. Also second person POV gets kind annoying and confusing sometimes.
Last quarter of the book: okay come on. Why take my heart, rip it out, sew it up, put it back in, then stab a knife through it? And I knew she was gonna do it and I had a feeling I knew how. Also second person POV gets kind annoying and confusing sometimes.
Read this book, don't read this book, I don't care. Just know what you're getting into. It's tragic, sad, heartbreaking, but also incredibly insightful. I would recommend this to my best friend and my worst enemy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
I enjoyed Yanagihara’s prose quite a lot, it’s very fluid, expressive, and elegant. Unfortunately, I bounced off the premise of this. Perhaps I’ll give it another try when I’m in a different headspace.
dark
emotional
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