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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
This book deserves more than five stars - it’s amazing.
The book is divided into three stories, each one set in a different century but linked by people and places - Washington Square, New York and Hawaii. The first is set at the end of the 19th century, the second at the end of the 20th and the third, and longest, at the end of 21st century. In each the main characters are Charles/Charlie, Edward and David.
The book sweeps across a huge range of issues - freedom vs control in a time of pandemics, colonialism, racism, sexuality and, of course, love and hate, life and death. All of them in extremis.
I couldn’t leave the book alone! Despite it’s huge size, I gulped it down! Hanya Yanagihara writes so beautifully, I don’t even notice I am reading!
The book is divided into three stories, each one set in a different century but linked by people and places - Washington Square, New York and Hawaii. The first is set at the end of the 19th century, the second at the end of the 20th and the third, and longest, at the end of 21st century. In each the main characters are Charles/Charlie, Edward and David.
The book sweeps across a huge range of issues - freedom vs control in a time of pandemics, colonialism, racism, sexuality and, of course, love and hate, life and death. All of them in extremis.
I couldn’t leave the book alone! Despite it’s huge size, I gulped it down! Hanya Yanagihara writes so beautifully, I don’t even notice I am reading!
2-2.5 ⭐️. I liked the individual parts of this book, but I didn’t get why all the parts needed to be the same very long book. Would have rather seen each part broken up and explored further in different books.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hanya Yanagihara’s ambitious third book is not for the everyday reader- definitely prepare/commit yourself to be swept into the worlds she has created. This book does not have the deep cutting emotional range as ‘A Little Life’, but it delivers in its own unique way as a book incomparable to others. Her writing can draw you in where you don’t even realize you are reading.
Side note- IMHO the repetition of the characters’ given and surnames was a genius mindf—-!
Themes- there were so many themes overt, simple, hidden (some revealed quietly, some with massive buildup) that gives the reader an experience that is likely to be unique on a first or subsequent read.
Book 1- to me, it reminded me of a classic, like Great Expectations. I found it to be a little boring and it took me awhile to get into it. Around page 197, I was so so hooked. I really enjoyed the ending, and really wanted to know what happened.
Book 2- I enjoyed this section and did not see the 2nd half coming- I was shocked. I am still wondering about what happened in this storyline.
Book 3- must be read in one sitting, I think a lot of readers will have a hard time getting through this and will DNF for a multitude of reasons, it is not for every reader. I really enjoyed this part, but almost for different reasons than the first 2 sections. Parts written by Charlie remind of me the naive, gentle pleading of Kathy in Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go’, as parts of her history is revealed it makes so much sense.
2 days later: I’m having a hard time wanting to read another book after this one. I read a lot, so this is highly unusual for me. I keep thinking no book will be as brilliant as this one, so why bother?
3 days later: I’ve decided HY is one of my favorite authors. I’m loving that this book creates deeper thoughts about ‘A Little Life’.
Side note- IMHO the repetition of the characters’ given and surnames was a genius mindf—-!
Themes- there were so many themes overt, simple, hidden (some revealed quietly, some with massive buildup) that gives the reader an experience that is likely to be unique on a first or subsequent read.
Book 1- to me, it reminded me of a classic, like Great Expectations. I found it to be a little boring and it took me awhile to get into it. Around page 197, I was so so hooked. I really enjoyed the ending, and really wanted to know what happened.
Book 2- I enjoyed this section and did not see the 2nd half coming- I was shocked. I am still wondering about what happened in this storyline.
Book 3- must be read in one sitting, I think a lot of readers will have a hard time getting through this and will DNF for a multitude of reasons, it is not for every reader. I really enjoyed this part, but almost for different reasons than the first 2 sections. Parts written by Charlie remind of me the naive, gentle pleading of Kathy in Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go’, as parts of her history is revealed it makes so much sense.
2 days later: I’m having a hard time wanting to read another book after this one. I read a lot, so this is highly unusual for me. I keep thinking no book will be as brilliant as this one, so why bother?
3 days later: I’ve decided HY is one of my favorite authors. I’m loving that this book creates deeper thoughts about ‘A Little Life’.
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
I can’t tell you how happy I am to have finally finished this book, there were times that I thought it would never end but I never wanted to give up on it. It was exceptionally long and personally I think I would have preferred it as a series rather than the time that it is. Saying that, if I’d read book 1 independently I might not have picked up the other two. If I’d read book 2 in isolation I think it would have put me off this author full stop. And that would have been a shame because book 3 was the saving grace for me, but I was over 50% through it when I realised that. I wonder how this trilogy of stories would have ended if the covid 19 pandemic hadn’t happened, I really disliked the male narrator’s portrayal of Dr Charles Griffiths - an important scientist who is presented in the audio book as a whiny little girl! But after a few days of not listening, as it was starting to feel like a chore, I found myself wondering about poor female Charlie, and it was her story that kept me coming back to the bitter end. Predictably, you know the words book 3 will end with, but the fact that these were spoken by character that was deceased rather than a hopeful and informative conclusion to Charlie’s story was enormously frustrating.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
sad
slow-paced
I struggled with this. The second book was my favourite. There were moments of true beauty and intensity in all three parts. But on the whole it was just very long and lacked coherence as a single work.
I just couldn’t do it. I tried really hard to like this and got well into part 2 but but put it down and couldn’t pick it up again. It sent me on a reading hiatus. :(
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is three books in one. The third book is where it is at.
Maybe dabble with the second.
The main things you need to know is that the names repeat and that homosexuality is not stigmatized nor criminalized in his parallel past.
Maybe dabble with the second.
The main things you need to know is that the names repeat and that homosexuality is not stigmatized nor criminalized in his parallel past.