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A review by pipchiappa
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
If you are considering this book, please read the trigger warnings. Most importantly, take them seriously. I didn’t…
Yanagihara’s writing is so real, so raw, it’s truly beautiful work––but that means that her realism is so poignant, her descriptions are so graphic, her characters are so vivid.
Do I think it is trauma porn? A little. I do think it didn’t need so much, and some of it could have been left out.
Do I think it is overtly graphic? Yes, it is very graphic. It didn’t bother me as much as I know it has bothered some people, but I think that is purely because I am not a visual person and don’t visualise what I am reading. I never read 13 Reasons Why but I did watch the Tv show and I hated it because I did not think it needed to be that graphic; reading A Little Life did not give me that same reaction, even though Yanagihara’s writing is so real and so graphic. If you are a visual reader, I think you have to keep that in mind before reading the book.
The only reason I am giving this book 4 stars is because I did think, somewhere in the middle, that it was so loaded in trauma that it was becoming unbelievable and it wasn’t necessary. I think the book could have been just as poignant without it. But, to be clear, I did not hate this book. In fact, the opposite: I loved it and have already re-read some pages here and there. Partly because I am not ready to let go of the characters. The writing is stellar, the relationships built are vividly wonderful and relatable to some degree, the commentary on trauma and mental health and friendship is remarkable.
Yanagihara’s writing is so real, so raw, it’s truly beautiful work––but that means that her realism is so poignant, her descriptions are so graphic, her characters are so vivid.
Do I think it is trauma porn? A little. I do think it didn’t need so much, and some of it could have been left out.
Do I think it is overtly graphic? Yes, it is very graphic. It didn’t bother me as much as I know it has bothered some people, but I think that is purely because I am not a visual person and don’t visualise what I am reading. I never read 13 Reasons Why but I did watch the Tv show and I hated it because I did not think it needed to be that graphic; reading A Little Life did not give me that same reaction, even though Yanagihara’s writing is so real and so graphic. If you are a visual reader, I think you have to keep that in mind before reading the book.
The only reason I am giving this book 4 stars is because I did think, somewhere in the middle, that it was so loaded in trauma that it was becoming unbelievable and it wasn’t necessary. I think the book could have been just as poignant without it. But, to be clear, I did not hate this book. In fact, the opposite: I loved it and have already re-read some pages here and there. Partly because I am not ready to let go of the characters. The writing is stellar, the relationships built are vividly wonderful and relatable to some degree, the commentary on trauma and mental health and friendship is remarkable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail