Review by cangell - A Little Life

cangell 's review for:

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

5.0

challenging dark emotional 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: Complicated

There are good books and then there are books that reach outside of the page and grab you by the heart, that change how you view life itself. This, I think, is a hallmark of great literature. I can’t remember the last time a book made me sob so hard.

It took me a long time to finish this one not only because it’s like 800 pages but because it’s so emotionally charged. The length feels justified, as you follow this circle of friends, with the enigmatic Jude at its center, through their entire adult life and witness their growth the way you would your own longtime companions. The first chapter sets it up as yet another coming-of-age story about young professionals trying to make it in New York, but quickly veers into uncharted terrain. The characters are so richly imagined and authentic that you can’t help but think of them as real people.

I don’t think I’ve read another book whose narrative structure so authentically mimics the ebbs and flows of actual life. We search for patterns in a chaos that defies our understanding. The periods of stability and joy are all the more meaningful because there is no promise that they’ll last forever. Disability, too, is cyclical this way. No bs overcoming narrative is forced on Jude. There is no magic cure for his ailments. The only promise of salvation is the tremendous power of love and friendship, the connections we share with one another. For such an unrelentingly bleak story, I think it also a hopeful one. The characters’ unwavering devotion to each other is beautiful and deeply moving, a light that shines through all the darkness.

This book is a journey and it’s certainly not for everyone. Jude’s traumas are horrific and reading about them is upsetting. While the scope of his experiences is unimaginable, his struggles with self harm and PTSD hit painfully close to home. As an abuse survivor and someone who struggles with suicidal depression, some of the passages were immensely triggering. They also made me feel seen. So often, you just want to shake Jude and beg him to accept people’s love and stop self-sabotaging. It gave me a lot of insight into my own relationships and how helpless people on the outside must feel watching someone they love spiral.

I strongly disagree with the “trauma porn” accusations. I can think of many examples of media that exploits trauma for shock value (like the entire mystery/thriller genre, tbh), but I don’t think that’s the case here. The SA flashbacks are harrowing, but they are not graphically detailed. Jude’s traumas are necessary to understanding him as a character. It’s TOTALLY valid to not want to read this kind of material, but to claim that no book should be allowed to tackle these issues head-on or that it’s “unbelievable” for a character to have experienced so much adversity is frankly disgusting. I was more triggered by some of the ableist reviews than I was by the book itself. It affirms why trauma is such an alienating experience and so many people suffer in silence. The internet pays lip service to mental health awareness, yet in reality, most neurotypical people shrink from anything difficult or upsetting or that challenges their sheltered worldview.

This book broke my heart in the best way. It’s going to stay with me for a long time. I imagine it will sit on the shelf with the classics someday.

Content Warnings