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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
reflective
sad
slow-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I cannot finish this book, it's too much for me to handle right now, or ever.
emotional
sad
medium-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
Captivating keeps you holding out for hope that it’s going to get better. Doesn’t. So sad for so many reasons. Love and frustration for the main character
A suffering.
Everyone on TikTok kept saying this book was absolutely heartbreaking, that it would make you cry nonstop. For me, it didn’t. Yes, it’s brutal, heavy, and packed with pain, but it never actually made me cry.
What I can’t deny is the writing — it’s beautiful, lyrical, and carefully crafted. Hanya Yanagihara truly knows how to create atmosphere and complex characters. But oh my god, it’s loooong. Too long. At times it felt endless.
The first half dragged for me; I honestly struggled to stay engaged. Around the middle, the story finally picked up and became more interesting, especially as the dynamics between the characters deepened. That’s when I started to understand why so many readers love it.
Still, it wasn’t the life-changing, soul-crushing read I expected. I’m glad I finished it, but it’s not a book I’d easily recommend.
Everyone on TikTok kept saying this book was absolutely heartbreaking, that it would make you cry nonstop. For me, it didn’t. Yes, it’s brutal, heavy, and packed with pain, but it never actually made me cry.
What I can’t deny is the writing — it’s beautiful, lyrical, and carefully crafted. Hanya Yanagihara truly knows how to create atmosphere and complex characters. But oh my god, it’s loooong. Too long. At times it felt endless.
The first half dragged for me; I honestly struggled to stay engaged. Around the middle, the story finally picked up and became more interesting, especially as the dynamics between the characters deepened. That’s when I started to understand why so many readers love it.
Still, it wasn’t the life-changing, soul-crushing read I expected. I’m glad I finished it, but it’s not a book I’d easily recommend.
How do you even start reviewing such a heartbreaking, yet fenomenal book? All I can say is, wow. No book has ever made me feel like A little Life did.
I started reading this book back in December of 2020, and I really knew what I was getting myself into. However, I could have never imagined myself getting so attached to all of these characters, which now I hold very close to my heart. Simply put, A little Life destroyed me.
For anyone wanting to read it, all I can advice you is please be prepared mentally and emotionally. It is a very descriptive book, and it does go through a wide variety of situations that might be triggering or simply off-putting. Still, I truly believe it is a book everyone should read at some point in their lives.
Having said that, if you want to read it please don´t continue reading because it might spoil you and I really am in need of ranting on an on about this book.
Start of spoilers!
Okay, how foolish of me was it to really think this book would end differently? Deep inside of me of course I knew Jude wouldn´t have a happy ending, yet I was longing to stand corrected and have him finally experience happiness in its truest form for the rest of his days. To be quite honest, I was not expecting Willem to die, and I applaud the author for really shaking my core and surprising me with such a tragedy. I cried so many times in this book, but when they died I just simply broke. It wasn´t just a character´s death I was reading, it was as if it had been my own friend who had died. My own friend who I grew to understand, to know his deepest secrets, and yet died. What a heartbreaking experience.
Other than the obvious heartbreaking parts of the book, I dare to say that I enjoyed a great lot to see JB, Malcom, Willem and Jude develop their friendship over the years. One thing about the book that made me rather confused was the random jumps in time as one kept on reading. I´m pretty sure this was intended or maybe the author´s writting style. Although at first I was confused of when the stories were taking place, I got used to it and even grew fond of the style since the author did a great job at linking stories with anecdotes.
This book ment a lot, since it was the first book I read after my reading block, and it´s the book that compelled me enough to take me out of that state and remember me how much I loved reading. So in that sense, I owe a lot to this book.
Now, onto what I think about it overall and with that I´ll say goodbye. Would I wish it had ended differently? Yes, absolutely. I would have wished for Jude and Willem, and Julia and Harold to live happily ever after. However, one thing this book teaches you about is reality. Reality can be very pleasant sometimes, but most times it is just cruel and cold to you. Having read the majority of the very tragic book, I don´t know how up until Willem´s death I was still hoping for that: something other than reality. Reality is Jude was suffering, his past hunted him and would do so fo eternity. Nothing anyone ever did could change that- at least now that Willem was gone. It really pained me to read Jude really trying to live for others, but is that really life? Behaving like a robot, living each day barely surving. Is that even the way to live or was he just better off dead? I will never know the answer to these questions, but man did it hurt to see that his solution was taking his life (as we all probably knew eventually would happen). Despite everything, I wouldn´t change a thing in this book. It was told in such a magnificent way, so how could I ever hope for it to change. Still I will forever cry about it, and maybe I´ll imagine Jude and Willem are happy in some beyond life. But for now all I can do is love the book, and thank the author for creating such full of life charcaters that will always be close to my heart.
Last thing I would like to mention is that I loved Willem and Jude´s relationship. I am so glad that although the tragic ending for both of them, at least when they lived they shared some beautiful moments together truly loving each other. Life can be hard, so appreciating those small happy moments really are what make it different. They will forever be one of my favorite couples that just made me realize what love is really about. An yest againg, though I would have loved to see them age like fine wine, I am at least appreciative of having met them and read about their lives´stories.
For now, I´ll just go and cry once again about it and never shut up about A little Life.
I started reading this book back in December of 2020, and I really knew what I was getting myself into. However, I could have never imagined myself getting so attached to all of these characters, which now I hold very close to my heart. Simply put, A little Life destroyed me.
For anyone wanting to read it, all I can advice you is please be prepared mentally and emotionally. It is a very descriptive book, and it does go through a wide variety of situations that might be triggering or simply off-putting. Still, I truly believe it is a book everyone should read at some point in their lives.
Having said that, if you want to read it please don´t continue reading because it might spoil you and I really am in need of ranting on an on about this book.
Start of spoilers!
Okay, how foolish of me was it to really think this book would end differently? Deep inside of me of course I knew Jude wouldn´t have a happy ending, yet I was longing to stand corrected and have him finally experience happiness in its truest form for the rest of his days. To be quite honest, I was not expecting Willem to die, and I applaud the author for really shaking my core and surprising me with such a tragedy. I cried so many times in this book, but when they died I just simply broke. It wasn´t just a character´s death I was reading, it was as if it had been my own friend who had died. My own friend who I grew to understand, to know his deepest secrets, and yet died. What a heartbreaking experience.
Other than the obvious heartbreaking parts of the book, I dare to say that I enjoyed a great lot to see JB, Malcom, Willem and Jude develop their friendship over the years. One thing about the book that made me rather confused was the random jumps in time as one kept on reading. I´m pretty sure this was intended or maybe the author´s writting style. Although at first I was confused of when the stories were taking place, I got used to it and even grew fond of the style since the author did a great job at linking stories with anecdotes.
This book ment a lot, since it was the first book I read after my reading block, and it´s the book that compelled me enough to take me out of that state and remember me how much I loved reading. So in that sense, I owe a lot to this book.
Now, onto what I think about it overall and with that I´ll say goodbye. Would I wish it had ended differently? Yes, absolutely. I would have wished for Jude and Willem, and Julia and Harold to live happily ever after. However, one thing this book teaches you about is reality. Reality can be very pleasant sometimes, but most times it is just cruel and cold to you. Having read the majority of the very tragic book, I don´t know how up until Willem´s death I was still hoping for that: something other than reality. Reality is Jude was suffering, his past hunted him and would do so fo eternity. Nothing anyone ever did could change that- at least now that Willem was gone. It really pained me to read Jude really trying to live for others, but is that really life? Behaving like a robot, living each day barely surving. Is that even the way to live or was he just better off dead? I will never know the answer to these questions, but man did it hurt to see that his solution was taking his life (as we all probably knew eventually would happen). Despite everything, I wouldn´t change a thing in this book. It was told in such a magnificent way, so how could I ever hope for it to change. Still I will forever cry about it, and maybe I´ll imagine Jude and Willem are happy in some beyond life. But for now all I can do is love the book, and thank the author for creating such full of life charcaters that will always be close to my heart.
Last thing I would like to mention is that I loved Willem and Jude´s relationship. I am so glad that although the tragic ending for both of them, at least when they lived they shared some beautiful moments together truly loving each other. Life can be hard, so appreciating those small happy moments really are what make it different. They will forever be one of my favorite couples that just made me realize what love is really about. An yest againg, though I would have loved to see them age like fine wine, I am at least appreciative of having met them and read about their lives´stories.
For now, I´ll just go and cry once again about it and never shut up about A little Life.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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