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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
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:
N/A
i've come to really love this author, and despite the fact i still have questions on how some storylines connect, i know i'll eventually read this again only to find more nuggets of thought & inspiration
Stunning. A gorgeous, breathtakingly expansive, and heartbreaking achievement of a book.
Mixed feelings about this. It’s unclear why these three stories are grouped together in one book; the links between them are tenuous (character names, locations). There aren’t knock-on effects from one to another (as far as I can tell), and some of the themes aren’t really explored as much as they could have been. When I told someone I was reading this and they asked what it was about, I didn’t really know what to say? All this said, I actually quite enjoyed it; each section was gripping in its own way and taken independently as almost separate books, I liked them all, so that’s the main thing. By the time i started part 3 I’d realised what a great job Yanagihara does with narrative voice: the characters all felt so different.
The third part was really excellent, Sooo gripping. I hope it’s a vision of a future america that scares people; and I hope sympathy for charlie’s plight (i rooted for her so hard!) extends to those who are trying to escape from dangerous places right now
The third part was really excellent, Sooo gripping. I hope it’s a vision of a future america that scares people; and I hope sympathy for charlie’s plight (i rooted for her so hard!) extends to those who are trying to escape from dangerous places right now
Yanagihara writes prose like no other. The storytelling, the depth of the characters, the emotions generated are simply incredible. Every story and every character felt fully fleshed out and beautifully developed. My only critique is that each part felt like its own story, and despite the common threads it still felt like it was missing something that would’ve elevated the novel. Incredible, but not life changing.
Also I should really stop recommending A Little Life to strangers.
“to my loves, to freedom, to safety, to dignity - to paradise”
Also I should really stop recommending A Little Life to strangers.
“to my loves, to freedom, to safety, to dignity - to paradise”
Kan niet tippen aan Een klein leven, maar dat is misschien ook geen eerlijke vergelijking. De schrijfstijl van Yanagihara is nog even boeiend, maar de personages missen diepgang en omdat het drie korte verhalen zijn (die aansluiten maar ook weer niet) ga je met geen één van de Davids of Charlies echt meeleven.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
I loved this book so much. I am a huge fan of dystopian science fiction so it was a good bet that I would like it, but there was so much there to think about. At first I thought it was going to an alternative history based on the south losing the Civil War but refusing to concede, which is a fascinating concept given the way conservatives refuse to concede anything these days. But then it became a pandemic novel set in a future authoritarian New York where all freedom is sacrificed to the idea of complete safety and the need for repopulation. Very Handmaid's Tale with a focus on the lives of gay men, as in A Little Life.
The structure felt a little like Cloud Atlas but with a difference. It was not as rigid or as complete. I found the rigidity of Cloud Atlas annoying so I was pleased to see she played with the form. Also she used David Mitchell's favorite device of repeating the same names over time in different configurations. Here it's the names Charles and David and they are lovers or father and son or grandfather and granddaughter endlessly spiraling into the future. Yanagihara can really write and her strength is creating characters you care about. So the book flies along even at over 700 pages.
The structure felt a little like Cloud Atlas but with a difference. It was not as rigid or as complete. I found the rigidity of Cloud Atlas annoying so I was pleased to see she played with the form. Also she used David Mitchell's favorite device of repeating the same names over time in different configurations. Here it's the names Charles and David and they are lovers or father and son or grandfather and granddaughter endlessly spiraling into the future. Yanagihara can really write and her strength is creating characters you care about. So the book flies along even at over 700 pages.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated