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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
I would have given this book 5 stars but for Book 2. It was so wandering and incomprehensible that I sped read it, hoping that Book 3 would be better. I am glad I continued.
Book 1: ★☆☆☆☆
Book 2: Part 1: ★★☆☆☆
Book 2: Part 2: ★★★☆☆
Book 3: ★★★★★
I am giving this four stars grudgingly. I absolutely hated the first part of this book. I was furious, and felt ripped-off. I'm not interested in 'wealth porn' or particularly interested in wealthy people, and that's what seemed to dominate Book 1 and Book 2: Part 1 (which hardly seemed to get off the ground). I'm also, like many people, curious about why Hanya Yanagihara is so preoccupied with putting her gay male characters through so much trauma and misery.
But I loved the last book. I really did. I loved it for its darkness and its reality. And of course it touched, lightly, upon books one and two, which at least makes me think my time reading them wasn't wasted, as it contributed to the book that I actually enjoyed. And the pandemic plotline, which included erosion of gay rights, felt like a warning, because isn't this where we're going? Probably.
Book 2: Part 1: ★★☆☆☆
Book 2: Part 2: ★★★☆☆
Book 3: ★★★★★
I am giving this four stars grudgingly. I absolutely hated the first part of this book. I was furious, and felt ripped-off. I'm not interested in 'wealth porn' or particularly interested in wealthy people, and that's what seemed to dominate Book 1 and Book 2: Part 1 (which hardly seemed to get off the ground). I'm also, like many people, curious about why Hanya Yanagihara is so preoccupied with putting her gay male characters through so much trauma and misery.
But I loved the last book. I really did. I loved it for its darkness and its reality. And of course it touched, lightly, upon books one and two, which at least makes me think my time reading them wasn't wasted, as it contributed to the book that I actually enjoyed. And the pandemic plotline, which included erosion of gay rights, felt like a warning, because isn't this where we're going? Probably.
was this book incredibly long, maybe a bit too long? yes.
however, the fact that the book was split into three different stories and were linked by similar themes helped me keep reading. i would rate the first story - 3/5; second story - 5/5; and third story 4/5. all of the stories started a bit slow for me but i absolutely fell in love with the characters in the second story. it was absolutely heartbreaking and i believed i cried on multiple occasions. i’m not sure if it was because it was the first story and i was getting used to the writing/book, but it didn’t really do anything for me. the third story felt VERY long, and probably could have been shorter, but by the end i was attached to the characters and what they were going through.
i loved the reoccurring themes and how each story had characters that were trying to protect their loved ones, even if they ultimately failed. i love/hate the ambiguous endings… i just want to believe so hard that they are all okay. is there really a paradise for any of us? probably not, but we still try to build and achieve a better life, whether for us or our loved ones. it’s the hope and belief that drives us and even if we do not make it, the act of trying is still important. humans do and believe in incredible, sometimes impossible, things. and i think that is really beautiful
however, the fact that the book was split into three different stories and were linked by similar themes helped me keep reading. i would rate the first story - 3/5; second story - 5/5; and third story 4/5. all of the stories started a bit slow for me but i absolutely fell in love with the characters in the second story. it was absolutely heartbreaking and i believed i cried on multiple occasions. i’m not sure if it was because it was the first story and i was getting used to the writing/book, but it didn’t really do anything for me. the third story felt VERY long, and probably could have been shorter, but by the end i was attached to the characters and what they were going through.
i loved the reoccurring themes and how each story had characters that were trying to protect their loved ones, even if they ultimately failed. i love/hate the ambiguous endings… i just want to believe so hard that they are all okay. is there really a paradise for any of us? probably not, but we still try to build and achieve a better life, whether for us or our loved ones. it’s the hope and belief that drives us and even if we do not make it, the act of trying is still important. humans do and believe in incredible, sometimes impossible, things. and i think that is really beautiful
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another beautifully written novel from Yanagihara — her prose is so captivating, her characters fleshed-out so completely, & her ability to express human emotion through language is exceptional. As is usually the nature with collections of stories, I preferred one over the other two. The second story, in particular, felt somewhat too slow for my taste. However, I adored the names and places that were carried through all three stories. I don't think I'd have much to gain revisiting this novel anytime soon, but I'm grateful I read it.
2 loosely (very loose) interconnected stories - same characters names, and "to paradise" theme.
book 1 - his fic 1893 america
book 2- 1993 hawaii and manhattan
book 3 - 2093 ameria with plague, govnt control
book 1 - his fic 1893 america
book 2- 1993 hawaii and manhattan
book 3 - 2093 ameria with plague, govnt control
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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:
Yes
i enjoyed this book. i especially liked everything from part two from David’s father’s perpective onwards. i think the world Yanagihara built is extremely well done, and i found myself being able to imagine exactly what living in it would feel like. i also found myself grow fond of the characters quite quickly, especially from the second half onwards.
i do wish there was generally more closure. the ending of every book is very open. moreover, i wish the connection between the stories was more clearly explained. i loved that in every book the same names were used for different characters. i could venture a guess as to what the connection between them all was. however, i expected the books to be more explicitly intertwined than they were and expected there to be an “aha!” moment at the end that never really came.
i do wish there was generally more closure. the ending of every book is very open. moreover, i wish the connection between the stories was more clearly explained. i loved that in every book the same names were used for different characters. i could venture a guess as to what the connection between them all was. however, i expected the books to be more explicitly intertwined than they were and expected there to be an “aha!” moment at the end that never really came.
Wauw, that was some book!!! Both counterfactual historic fiction and dystopian sci-fi in one novel spanning 200 years. Like in older Russian novels it's a struggle to keep all the characters in your head, not least because they share the same names across centuries. But also like old Russian novels, it's well worth the struggle!
However, it is not as complicated as it sounds, it is rather ingenious! We begin in New York in the late 19th century and follow a family dynasty struggling with succession. At the most thrilling moment we move on to the 1980's where a family struggles with identity, racial as well as sexual. In both these time periods, homosexuality is completely normalised. In the third and longest part of the novel we're well into this century in a world ravaged by both climate change and pandemics. This part of the novel has chilling similarities with Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. However, the lead character in this part of the novel is such an unlikely heroin – it's simply a stroke of genius!
A long novel – and the middle part could have been shorter – but well worth spending the time on and very thought provoking in more ways than one.
However, it is not as complicated as it sounds, it is rather ingenious! We begin in New York in the late 19th century and follow a family dynasty struggling with succession. At the most thrilling moment we move on to the 1980's where a family struggles with identity, racial as well as sexual. In both these time periods, homosexuality is completely normalised. In the third and longest part of the novel we're well into this century in a world ravaged by both climate change and pandemics. This part of the novel has chilling similarities with Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. However, the lead character in this part of the novel is such an unlikely heroin – it's simply a stroke of genius!
A long novel – and the middle part could have been shorter – but well worth spending the time on and very thought provoking in more ways than one.
So so so conflicted on this book (books?), but I have been thinking/talking about it for so long and so consistently that clearly I loved it. It left me so frustrated but also forced me to make my own understanding of each of the characters and try to figure out who to trust. Many moments of the book felt as though the author was winking at you, drawing parallels to previous storylines or purposely hiding and revealing information very casually, which would fundamentally change your view of some relationship, or person, or event. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about the characters and imagining their relationships and trying to understand themselves and their world.
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes