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A review by dandelionwine1928
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
3.0
This book is obviously compelling and poignant. The prose is absolutely beautiful. That's part of the reason I was able to get through all 800 pages of it. But it could have also used some editing. I felt like there were enough scenes that didn't move anything forward, or that seemed like repetitions of earlier scenes. Much of it felt drawn out and slow. I think about 200+ pages could have been cut out without losing the crucial storyline.
The friendships portrayed are also beautiful, if not a bit underdeveloped in some ways. We never really get to see why or how the four became friends, and I didn't understand why, other than having been together for so long, they stayed friends.
Something that did bother me was the lack of female characters...all the women in the book were peripheral and inconsequential. Even Julia, who arguably has a somewhat larger role in the story, seems forgettable. It was kind of weird to me, especially since it is written by a woman.
Additionally, I had a hard time getting through it, especially after what happens with Caleb. The story is so bleak and hopeless. It was like sinking into a pit of despair every time I opened it, and by the end I was ready to be done with it. be cautious if you read it, because this book is rife with triggers.
As a whole, I can't truthfully say I enjoyed this book much. But I did appreciate it. It obviously taps into some base human feeling (that we are all unworthy? unlovable? you decide), which is why I think it has garnered so much hype. It's also quite bold and shocking. But it definitely isn't an easy read, or a satisfying one, really.
The friendships portrayed are also beautiful, if not a bit underdeveloped in some ways. We never really get to see why or how the four became friends, and I didn't understand why, other than having been together for so long, they stayed friends.
Something that did bother me was the lack of female characters...all the women in the book were peripheral and inconsequential. Even Julia, who arguably has a somewhat larger role in the story, seems forgettable. It was kind of weird to me, especially since it is written by a woman.
Additionally, I had a hard time getting through it, especially after what happens with Caleb. The story is so bleak and hopeless. It was like sinking into a pit of despair every time I opened it, and by the end I was ready to be done with it. be cautious if you read it, because this book is rife with triggers.
As a whole, I can't truthfully say I enjoyed this book much. But I did appreciate it. It obviously taps into some base human feeling (that we are all unworthy? unlovable? you decide), which is why I think it has garnered so much hype. It's also quite bold and shocking. But it definitely isn't an easy read, or a satisfying one, really.