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sapphicamphibian 's review for:
A Little Life
by Hanya Yanagihara
well... she had me in the first half. somewhere around the 50/60% it started to go downhill and it became no longer healthy to read - even from a detatched literary perspective - at 75/80%
the author truly has a talent for writing complicated and interesting characters however, she seems preoccupied with the inevitability of "brokenness"... given her public statements on therapy, i dont believe she went into writing this story aiming to give any other moral beyond "some people are too broken to be saved and rather than suffer and hurt those they love with their suffering they should just die".
i really wanted to enjoy this story as one of college friends growing up and apart and together in different ways, all of them struggling with their own issues. but just before the end when that final horrible thing happens (iykyk) the judes pain became clearly gratuitous and no longer of literary value.
its genuinely upsetting and disappointing that the author would choose to use her obvious talent to (as she has said herself) goad readers into a sense of security only to shamelessly and grotesquely traumatize her audience for no greater reason than she thought itd be fun to trick them.
stories of CSA and selfharm are already very difficult to read just due to the subject matter but for victims and survivors it feels like a slap in the face to have your own story used for a trick - even more so when the trick was meant to lure you in-particular all along.
i hope that yanagihara experiences a change of heart about therapy and gets involved with a counselor because these ideologies around the disabled and mentally ill are disturbing and harmful to more than just herself.
the author truly has a talent for writing complicated and interesting characters however, she seems preoccupied with the inevitability of "brokenness"... given her public statements on therapy, i dont believe she went into writing this story aiming to give any other moral beyond "some people are too broken to be saved and rather than suffer and hurt those they love with their suffering they should just die".
i really wanted to enjoy this story as one of college friends growing up and apart and together in different ways, all of them struggling with their own issues. but just before the end when that final horrible thing happens (iykyk) the judes pain became clearly gratuitous and no longer of literary value.
its genuinely upsetting and disappointing that the author would choose to use her obvious talent to (as she has said herself) goad readers into a sense of security only to shamelessly and grotesquely traumatize her audience for no greater reason than she thought itd be fun to trick them.
stories of CSA and selfharm are already very difficult to read just due to the subject matter but for victims and survivors it feels like a slap in the face to have your own story used for a trick - even more so when the trick was meant to lure you in-particular all along.
i hope that yanagihara experiences a change of heart about therapy and gets involved with a counselor because these ideologies around the disabled and mentally ill are disturbing and harmful to more than just herself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Trafficking