Reviews tagging 'Infertility'

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara

17 reviews

thaliaeyles's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I really wanted to love this book because I have been very touched by some of Yanagihara's other works, but I was very disappointed by this one. It is separated into three different books in three different periods of time-- these separations are very confusing and disjointed. Just as I would begin to invest myself properly in a set of characters and their story, it would move on to the next book.  As the characters across the books share the same set of names with wildly different connections, it is very confusing from a reader's standpoint. Additionally, I kept waiting for the big moment where it would all come together and I would fully understand the genius connection between all these people and their shared names, but I never got that moment. Some stories were incredibly interesting and I found myself wanting much more of those stories only to be distracted by other far less interesting stories. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault and Infertility

mirandaandtitania's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

The third book was my favourite of the three, and I definitely enjoyed it as a whole! The dystopian life was very interesting and Charlie's point of view was fascinating and also heartbreaking. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility, Colonisation, Death, and Terminal illness

Minor: Sexual assault

fionagerman's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Child death, Confinement, and Death

Minor: Sexual assault, Infertility, Homophobia, War, Pregnancy, and Forced institutionalization

celineh's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Not too sure about how the books were connected. I saw some character overlaps but not really… the deep connection I expect if  stories are being put in one book. Also, I felt like the stories ended as soon as started to become invested in the characters. But I have to admit: despite my critique, I really enjoyed reading the book (just not finishing it). And I adore Yanagihara’s writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Death, Infertility, and Terminal illness

deandra_lalonde's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cancer, Police brutality, War, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Rape, Violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infertility, and Toxic friendship

serenspace's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

from the first book of this story, I drew upon a story of the sad side of arranging one’s life for the betterment of others and the desperation that comes with escaping expectations, as David seems wont to do. I enjoyed this part thoroughly. along with Yanagihara’s trademark wistfulness, the excitement of a fascinating yet tragic love triangle grabbed me from the get-go. over and over, I panicked at the prospect of everything falling apart under David’s feet, unable to stop reading before finding out what happens next. and while the cliffhanger left me a little disappointed, I resolved not to judge the story before all of it had ended, and that leads me on to Book Two. in the second part of this novel, an interesting choice manifests that promises to connect each story viscerally: the protagonist, whom I expected to be a completely different person, is also named David. not only that, but each important character is also named after a predecessor from Book One: Charles, David’s lover, Edward, David’s father’s friend, even Eden, David’s old, spirited roommate. I was taken aback at the obvious connection, but it worked well to the effect of bringing the stories together and suggesting an unfortunate repetition of history to a yet unknown end. on the sour note of David's father's mental decline and institutionalisation, David's own life can be summed up neatly in one of my favourite quotes from this part:

“no-one was ever free[...] to know someone and to love them was to assume the task of remembering them [...] your life was inextricable from another’s, that a person marked their existence in part by their association with you.” (231)

I connected with this strongly. lives get entangled no matter how hard you try to keep them apart, but that is not a curse, but a blessing. people create hellish nightmares of the lives of everyone around them, or they make lives worth their salt. the difference comes in realising that people are inescapable and that we really don’t have as much control over life as we think we should. and in Book Three, a new Charles tragically crafts the state in which nobody is free and everyone is a suspect, pushing his radical son and exhausted husband from his life in the process. this David's announcement that he will help Charlie escape their dystopia is thrilling and terrifying; is he honest? this is all carried on a silent prayer to close the book that I could not put down or stop thinking about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Infertility, Medical content, Grief, and Homophobia

jw03's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Infertility, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Colonisation and Homophobia

Minor: Rape