Scan barcode
A review by samanthambucag
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
THIS BOOK FUCKING KILLED ME FOR TWO DAYS. I could not stop thinking about Jude and Willem and everyone, to be honest. But Jude, I still think about Jude's story occasionally, so I rated it five stars. I think about this book even though it has been two months since I read it. Whenever I think about New York or math, I think about this book. Not many books have left a lasting impression in my brain, but this book has. I cried for two days, throughout the day, when thoughts about this book would sneak up. My mother thought I was crazy.
Though, the beginning was a pain. I was listening to the audiobook, and all I could think was, is there a point to knowing all of this? Do I need to know this much about their daily life? But then, as I continued to read, I understood how important it was to read and comprehend each of the characters in the beginning. At some point, she stops telling you when she switches points of view, and you, as the reader, must know the characters well enough to tell when she does it. This book was out of my comfort zone, but I appreciated the story this book told. It was one of found family, trauma, and love. I can understand why some people did not like it, or thought it was "overhyped," but for me, I thought it was beautiful and gut-wrenching.
This book is not for the traumatized, though, because it has a lot of trigger warnings.
Favorite Quotes:
"'Who are you?' The man has an answer to this question as well, 'I'm Willem Ragnarsson,' he says 'And I will never let you go.'"
"But now he knows for certain how true the axiom is, because he himself-his very life-has proven it. The person I was will always be the person I am, he realizes. The context may have changed: he may be in this apartment, and he may have a job that he enjoys and that pays him well, and he may have parents and friends he loves. . . . But fundamentally, he is the same person, a person who inspires disgust, a person meant to be hated. And in that microsecond that he finds himself suspended in the air, between the ecstasy of being aloft and anticipation of his landing, which he knows will be terrible, he knows that x will always equal x . . . It is the last thing he thinks as his shoulder cracks down upon the concrete, and the world, for an instant, jerks blessedly away from beneath him: x = x, he thinks x = x."
Though, the beginning was a pain. I was listening to the audiobook, and all I could think was, is there a point to knowing all of this? Do I need to know this much about their daily life? But then, as I continued to read, I understood how important it was to read and comprehend each of the characters in the beginning. At some point, she stops telling you when she switches points of view, and you, as the reader, must know the characters well enough to tell when she does it. This book was out of my comfort zone, but I appreciated the story this book told. It was one of found family, trauma, and love. I can understand why some people did not like it, or thought it was "overhyped," but for me, I thought it was beautiful and gut-wrenching.
This book is not for the traumatized, though, because it has a lot of trigger warnings.
Favorite Quotes:
"'Who are you?' The man has an answer to this question as well, 'I'm Willem Ragnarsson,' he says 'And I will never let you go.'"
"But now he knows for certain how true the axiom is, because he himself-his very life-has proven it. The person I was will always be the person I am, he realizes. The context may have changed: he may be in this apartment, and he may have a job that he enjoys and that pays him well, and he may have parents and friends he loves. . . . But fundamentally, he is the same person, a person who inspires disgust, a person meant to be hated. And in that microsecond that he finds himself suspended in the air, between the ecstasy of being aloft and anticipation of his landing, which he knows will be terrible, he knows that x will always equal x . . . It is the last thing he thinks as his shoulder cracks down upon the concrete, and the world, for an instant, jerks blessedly away from beneath him: x = x, he thinks x = x."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicide, Blood, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Violence, Chronic illness, Death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Trafficking