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cult_consumer 's review for:
To Paradise: A Novel
by Hanya Yanagihara
Admittedly, I took my time with this one, reading a book here and there. Looking back I may have picked up on more tethering notes between books had I read them in quicker succession, but ngl was happy to take a fat break before broaching book 3.
‘To Paradise’ is demanding, asking its reader not only to abandon societal assumptions and acclimate to a nearly familiar world but also to completely reorient oneself with each book, repeatedly encountering the same names and places in novel contexts.
I’m left with so many questions, staring blankly into space while my brain gnaws on the unifying eggs scattered throughout each section. Are they thematically connected? loosely? Do any exist in the same universe? unlikely.
Further proven by this novel, Yanagihara is a master of stripping relationships to their core, regardless of context, conjuring relatability and rawness that left me examining my own social participation.
‘To Paradise’ is an ambitious novel, unafraid to leap into abusive relationships one moment, self criticism and evaluation the next, and a dystopian, eerily familiar governmental regime a little later. If her goal was to prompt a reflection of ourselves, our desires, and their place as we navigate our way through life, through the world, Yanagihara finds success here. (will be indulging in a royal ‘we’.)
+.5 so we’ll round up for now. as always might adjust later
‘To Paradise’ is demanding, asking its reader not only to abandon societal assumptions and acclimate to a nearly familiar world but also to completely reorient oneself with each book, repeatedly encountering the same names and places in novel contexts.
I’m left with so many questions, staring blankly into space while my brain gnaws on the unifying eggs scattered throughout each section. Are they thematically connected? loosely? Do any exist in the same universe? unlikely.
Further proven by this novel, Yanagihara is a master of stripping relationships to their core, regardless of context, conjuring relatability and rawness that left me examining my own social participation.
‘To Paradise’ is an ambitious novel, unafraid to leap into abusive relationships one moment, self criticism and evaluation the next, and a dystopian, eerily familiar governmental regime a little later. If her goal was to prompt a reflection of ourselves, our desires, and their place as we navigate our way through life, through the world, Yanagihara finds success here. (will be indulging in a royal ‘we’.)
+.5 so we’ll round up for now. as always might adjust later