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A review by sunnys_library
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
challenging
dark
emotional
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
[A Little Life] Mini Book Review - Minimal to no spoilers
Please read content warnings before picking up this book. I apologze in advance for the very dramatic review.
When you think of post-college life of a friend group of 4 men living in New York you think this story will be about their struggles figuring out life after college, relationships, work, memories, meaning of life... but nothing can prepare you for what this book is actually about.
First of all, I am giving this book a 5 star (I was really considering giving it a 4.5 for a specfic reason that I will later discuss). I am giving this a high rating however, I would never recommend this book to anyone. If they want to read it, I won't stop them, but this isn't a book I would recommend because I wouldn't want anyone to feel the pain and sadness I felt while reading this....
At first you think it is just a story about 4 friends going through life, the author wanted us to think that going in and then find out that it is so much more. I don't know how to feel about this deceiving description... On one hand, I get it, shock value. However I think readers need to be at least a bit more prepared or warned. Would it have been as impactful if I knew more details from the begjnning? I think yes but who knows. I went into this story knowing nothing other than the fact that everyone was saying its a tragic sad story. But as I said before, nothing prepares you for this book, not even the content warnings.
The most interesting thing was the fact that we can never pinpoint a time in history where the events are happening. This gave the book a whole different feeling! I felt trapped with the characters but it helped put focus on the characters only. It took me one year and a half to finish the book. I started reading it back in January 2021 and finished it in July 2022. I can say that back in 2021 I was not in a great place (mentally). This book had started to rip me apart and touch the most sensible parts of me and I wasn't ready for it. I had to stop reading it for months but I could never stopped thinking about it, about them. I came back to the book on and off and it really felt like I was catching up with friends, seeing how their lives were going. It felt like even though I left I could come back but everytime I did come back I wondered myself why should i finish this book. Why should I continue. But each time I thought about putting it down I became more curious about the characters and their lives.
The only reason I was considering giving this a 4.5 rating was because I could not possible see the reason for which these characters have to go through all the suffering. I am aware that the characters are fictional and nothing more, but you become so fond of them... like you know them personally. Just a little spoiler, if you haven't already read or heard from someone else, this book is filled with tragedies. Tragedy after tragedy after tragedy. This book can be very demanding, demands a lot from you, emotionally. That is why it has taken me so long to read. I kept pushing it away but this summer I finally decided to finish it.
I annotated this book, and it was very hard to actually annotate because so many things were so personal to me I didn't dare write. I could empathize with so many things, sadly, but it made me think things, and reflect a lot.
I do love the fact that the author has inspired herself from photos. It is so interesting how photography also appears quite often throughout the book. I have such vivid images if those photographs that are mentioned in the book.
This book sticks with you. Noone, not even a fictional character, should go through all that. But then again, it is fiction. There are no limits in fiction. The fact that I felt so much reading this book makes it a 5 star read. I don't know what what the intention of the author (although I don't believe authors must have an intention when writing), this book was different. I really don't know why the author decided to write this. What were we, as readers, meant to get out of this?
Regardless of the content, the writing is beautiful and it sticks to your memory so vividly, almost too much. Some of the scenes are definitely so hard to read I was holding on to the book so tightly and had to stop reading at times. THAT is good writing so 5 stars os what this book deserves in my opinion. I even think that the "too muchness" of the book is so intentional that it works... some scenes, as I mentioned, are really too much to handle but other emtoions such as love, grief and pity are also very exaggerated.
This book overall, was a great book. Some may have different opinions but here is my very messy thoughts about it. What did you think of the book?
Please read content warnings before picking up this book. I apologze in advance for the very dramatic review.
When you think of post-college life of a friend group of 4 men living in New York you think this story will be about their struggles figuring out life after college, relationships, work, memories, meaning of life... but nothing can prepare you for what this book is actually about.
First of all, I am giving this book a 5 star (I was really considering giving it a 4.5 for a specfic reason that I will later discuss). I am giving this a high rating however, I would never recommend this book to anyone. If they want to read it, I won't stop them, but this isn't a book I would recommend because I wouldn't want anyone to feel the pain and sadness I felt while reading this....
At first you think it is just a story about 4 friends going through life, the author wanted us to think that going in and then find out that it is so much more. I don't know how to feel about this deceiving description... On one hand, I get it, shock value. However I think readers need to be at least a bit more prepared or warned. Would it have been as impactful if I knew more details from the begjnning? I think yes but who knows. I went into this story knowing nothing other than the fact that everyone was saying its a tragic sad story. But as I said before, nothing prepares you for this book, not even the content warnings.
The most interesting thing was the fact that we can never pinpoint a time in history where the events are happening. This gave the book a whole different feeling! I felt trapped with the characters but it helped put focus on the characters only. It took me one year and a half to finish the book. I started reading it back in January 2021 and finished it in July 2022. I can say that back in 2021 I was not in a great place (mentally). This book had started to rip me apart and touch the most sensible parts of me and I wasn't ready for it. I had to stop reading it for months but I could never stopped thinking about it, about them. I came back to the book on and off and it really felt like I was catching up with friends, seeing how their lives were going. It felt like even though I left I could come back but everytime I did come back I wondered myself why should i finish this book. Why should I continue. But each time I thought about putting it down I became more curious about the characters and their lives.
The only reason I was considering giving this a 4.5 rating was because I could not possible see the reason for which these characters have to go through all the suffering. I am aware that the characters are fictional and nothing more, but you become so fond of them... like you know them personally. Just a little spoiler, if you haven't already read or heard from someone else, this book is filled with tragedies. Tragedy after tragedy after tragedy. This book can be very demanding, demands a lot from you, emotionally. That is why it has taken me so long to read. I kept pushing it away but this summer I finally decided to finish it.
I annotated this book, and it was very hard to actually annotate because so many things were so personal to me I didn't dare write. I could empathize with so many things, sadly, but it made me think things, and reflect a lot.
I do love the fact that the author has inspired herself from photos. It is so interesting how photography also appears quite often throughout the book. I have such vivid images if those photographs that are mentioned in the book.
This book sticks with you. Noone, not even a fictional character, should go through all that. But then again, it is fiction. There are no limits in fiction. The fact that I felt so much reading this book makes it a 5 star read. I don't know what what the intention of the author (although I don't believe authors must have an intention when writing), this book was different. I really don't know why the author decided to write this. What were we, as readers, meant to get out of this?
Regardless of the content, the writing is beautiful and it sticks to your memory so vividly, almost too much. Some of the scenes are definitely so hard to read I was holding on to the book so tightly and had to stop reading at times. THAT is good writing so 5 stars os what this book deserves in my opinion. I even think that the "too muchness" of the book is so intentional that it works... some scenes, as I mentioned, are really too much to handle but other emtoions such as love, grief and pity are also very exaggerated.
This book overall, was a great book. Some may have different opinions but here is my very messy thoughts about it. What did you think of the book?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship