Reviews tagging 'Racism'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

206 reviews

bart_gibbs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Weeping.

A deeply dark and Shakespearean tragedy. Modern Romeo and Juliet without the frills. 

Initially, every page read like poetry. What a revelation! I thought. What a joy to read! 

And then the plot developed further and descended into complete darkness.

So cleverly written. Weaving complex narratives that loop around one another. With descriptions that feed you plot points across chapters and across characters, creating this complex life history for each character. Flows effortlessly across timescales with a never-ceasing feeling of impending terror. 

I am deeply disturbed and utterly moved by this story which will likely stay with me forever. 

Huge content warning (child SA, suicide, church abuse, DV, self harm, drug use, disability abuse, physiological warfare).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

venusianonmars's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Child death

maryroliza28's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I will start off by saying that this is one of the most well written, thought out, and incredible books I’ve ever read. I understand the criticism with it, some days it felt that the trauma was never ending. I’ve also read that people thought that this wasn’t a story to tell, that it was boring. I agreed at first, it has an incredibly slow start, takes about 300 pages for things to actually pick up. I read and finished 3 other books while reading this one. But, I think it helps with how you grow and develop with the characters

Let me first say, I am so sorry Jude. You were failed time and time again by so many people. You didn’t deserve any of the horrible things that happened to you. I don’t blame you for ending it, you stuck it out for as long as you could. I truly believe he would’ve lived a long and beautiful life if Willem and Malcolm didn’t die. His trauma was intense, Caleb’s scene was so nauseating and infuriating, I felt my heartache for this fictional character. I wished that, in specific, that scene could’ve been told like Dr Traylor and Brother Luke scenes, brief but to the point. I’m so glad that he was able to feel love in his life, even if the one that loved him most and so deeply left before he was ready. Harold and Julia’s storyline with him was so touching, proving that no matter how old you are, you will always need parents. I’m glad that Andy tried as hard as he could to keep him alive and healthy, if Jude didn’t die first I wouldn’t have been surprised if he killed himself after Andy died. So many people loved Jude greatly, I’m sure he knows that. He was doomed from the beginning. I wish I could tell Jude to snap out of it, to get the help he deserves. I feel as if I also never saw him as older than 30, that he stopped aging in my mind since he himself never changed. He was still denying his truth, up until the very end. I know he passed when he was about 55, but in my head he’s basically a child wearing a trench coat pretending to be an adult. And I also think he felt like that too. I wished that his happiness didn’t have a time limit, hopefully in another universe he never got hurt, he just fell in love with Willem and they got married.

Of the other three, Willem is my favorite. He treated Jude with such grace and love, they were soulmates. They needed each other. Willem’s storyline was incredible as well, I didn’t like that he said that he wasn’t gay, just in love with Jude. Like, if you are actively wanting to have sex with a man, I think you’re gay. But, despite that, he tried so hard to make sure Jude knew that he was okay and deserving of good things. My stomach dropped when he and Malcolm died, so horrifically as well. Willem has his own trauma and tried his best. I do agree with the criticism that he pictured Jude as Hemming, which is also heartbreaking. I’m glad that Jude called him out on it, but he was just trying to help the best he could.

I think he was set up to be this way, but JB was a terrible, disgusting human. I don’t care if it was because of his own trauma or because he was an addict, you do not treat your friends who have put up with so much of your shit like that. It was disgusting to see how he developed, having left a bad taste in my mouth when the last time we heard from him he kissed Jude while he was not trying to pass out. Plus, using your friends’ trauma in your own art without permission? Are you kidding!? I am a JB hater, he had the most privileged upbringing of them all and his reasoning for becoming an addict was because he wasn’t traumatized enough to keep up with Willem and Jude? Sinister behavior, genuinely mad that he was left of the four of them. I don’t blame Jude wishing that he died instead of Willem and Malcolm.

Malcolm, my sweet baby angel who just wanted to build structures and have a nice life with his wife. He was a very neutral character for me, never really upset me or made me feel like I shouldn’t like him. He deserved better, he worked so hard to get to where he was and the fact that it was all stripped from him broke me.

Harold and Julia brought out my own parental trauma, the fact that they met this damaged, troubled young boy and brought him, gave him a job and helped me just because they could is so incredible of the two of them. My favorite (and seemingly everybody’s favorite) quote is said by him at the end of the book, matter of fact on the very last page, “It isn’t only that he died, or how he died; it is what he died believing. And so I try to be kind to everything I see, and in everything I see, I see him.” I truly think Harold tried the hardest out of all of them to make sure that he was taken care of. The entire Lispenard Street section was one of the most heartbreaking shows of love I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Harold lost two sons, both by illness and it’s heartbreaking. To love someone so much, to not care about the trauma and to treat them with such grace and gentleness is so inspiring to read. Both he and Julia are beautiful souls.

This book was also beautifully written. I don’t agree with the trauma porn accusations, there were some good parts. Trauma porn is when it’s just mindless pain and suffering with no end in sight. It’s a tragic story, genuinely, but trauma porn is too aggressive of a title. I do think you have to be in the right headspace to read this book, it was incredibly hard to read. It took me a little over two months to read it, but I did consider DNFing it a few times. But, I needed to know what would happen to Jude, poor baby Jude. Would love it if Yanagihara ever wrote an alternate universe book where they all grew old together, living on the same property in houses Malcolm built and just spending their days laughing and making art. 

I’ve grown to love and be attached to these characters. Each of them have different qualities and quirks that I love (other than you, JB). I’m so sad that my daily routine will no longer involve them, being able to know what is coming next in their lives.

I am also choosing to separate art from the artist, but part of me feels that Yanagihara did take inspiration from her own past to write this book, based on interviews. Absolutely horrific, I hope she wakes up from her own trauma soon.

5/5 stars, I would not recommend this to a friend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Racism, and Abandonment

Minor: Infidelity

joana_fsa's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.25

A narrativa gira em torno de Jude, um dos 4 amigos cujas vidas acompanhamos ao longo do livro. Jude é-nos apresentado como alguém extremamente frágil e traumatizado, com um passado chocante, repleto de abusos de todo o tipo. A sua história é revelada aos poucos, ficando cada vez pior, dando ao leitor um sentimento de "desconfortabilidade" crescente. Além de Jude, acomapanhamos Willem, o seu melhor amigo de décadas e futuro companheiro romântico, que se torna um ator de grande sucesso e é sempre o apoio de Jude, até à sua morte.

É um livro de suscitou empatia da minha parte e conseguiu, de certa forma, abordar a questão de breviedade da vida e da importância das relações com os outros, sendo, desta forma, uma narrativa que força a reflexão sobre nós mesmos e consegue com que olhemos para a nossa própria forma de viver e reavaliemos o que temos e o que podemos fazer melhor, nomeadamente, em relação aos outros. No entanto, tem determinados pontos negativos que não consigo ignorar:

1. A vida de Jude, repleta de tortura, torna-se, a certo ponto, algo irreal, que dificilmente aconteceria. Claro que sendo uma obra de ficção é natural que possa ser exagerada de alguma forma mas esse não é de todo o teor do livro. Na minha perspetiva, a narrativa tenta sempre fazer tudo parecer real e visceral. No entanto, é altamente improvável que alguém sofra continuamente abusos, em locais diferentes, com pessoas diferentes e tenha uma vida de sofrimento constante, como Jude teve. Pesoalmente comecei a ficar com a sensação, a determinado ponto, que a autora tentou induzir empatia ao leitor forçosamente, escrevendo constantemente sobre episódios de tortura e auto-mutilação de forma gráfica e desnecessariamente longa, quase como se tentasse criar uma empatia "fabricada".

2.

Quando Jude e Willem se tornam um casal, o comportamento de Willem é totalmente fora do que seria de esperar do personagem. Willem sempre protegeu Jude e quis o melhor para ele, sempre estiveram juntos e tinham uma amizade especial que era apenas entre eles os dois, completamente diferente da amizade com Malcolm e JB. Willem nunca teve nenhuma atitude de mau caráter para com Jude antes de serem um casal mas, quando ficam juntos, Willem subitamente começa a ignorar os problemas de Jude com as relações sexuais  e não parece querer saber se Jude está desconfortável ou não. Certo que Jude sempre disse que não estava desconfortável mas Willem sabe, ele próprio o diz, que Jude se auto-mutila porque ter relações sexuais para ele é um sacrifício que tem que fazer para o bem da relação. E, mesmo tendo consciência disto, Willem não põe fim à vida sexual dos dois, apenas ignora porque Jude não o disse explicitamente (mais uma vez, Willem sabe que Jude dificilmente fala sobre o seu passado ou as suas dores de forma explícita).

Apesar destes pontos negativos, é um livro muito bem escrito, de leitura fluida e relativamente fácil. É importante mencionar que aborda questões muito sensíveis que podem ser um gatilho e que o próprio Jude e a forma como ele se vê e vê a sua vida (cap. Axioma da Igualdade, isto é, acreditar que porque tenho um mau passado e  fui determinada pessoa, o vou ser para sempre e é algo que não posso mudar porque é uma lei da vida) podem também fazer surgir sentimentos menos bons se o leitor não estiver bem psicologicamente ou se não tiver um pensamento crítico o suficiente para perceber que Jude apenas pensava dessa forma porque era uma pessoa traumatizada e fragilizada..  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

lexipassno's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

sofiam19's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Beautiful, heartbreaking… literally it’s life. Not a book I’d recommend for most people as it’s very HEAVY content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

avenevs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

This book is immensely painful. The author wrote this story beautifully and it was a marvelous read, fun at times even. I cried on too many pages to count or admit to but I couldn’t help but feel attached to each character or disgusted by others. Everything is so in depth and no detail is unappreciated. I loved this book, and I absolutely despise this book. The trauma this book caused and also resurfaced is something I was absolutely not ready for. But at the same time I was able to fret through the book the same way I got through my own traumas in life. I cannot believe I was ever excited to read this book but I am thankful to have read it. Good luck to anyone who dares to break this novels spine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kindakatha's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

delisouseyelids's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

WHY IS IT SO SAD

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

laylamaethaila's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This was an INCREDIBLY hard read. Yahnagihara is such a compelling, jaw dropping writer, and made me feel SO MUCH in like, 700 pages. -.5 for being a bit “trauma porn-y”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment