A review by gabi_w21
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Did not finish book. Stopped at 31%.
CW: abandonment, alcohol, car accidents, cancer, chronic illness, chronic pain, child abuse, child sexual abuse, child molestation, child rape, gore, hospitalization, injury/injury detail, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, racism, recreational drug use (mentioned) 


I knew, only in the vaguest sense, that “A Little Life” wasn’t a light book. While scrolling on my phone, I saw the videos of people clutching the book and bawling their eyes. Thought, ‘Sure, it’s that good. Maybe I’ll give it a try.’

It certainly was emotional—only it wasn’t awe-inspiring or thought-provoking or even fuzzy. This just made me read on in abject horror, my eyes skimming line after line as the abuse Jude went through unfolds—and the way it bleeds into his adult life. He’s actually the reason I won’t be continuing on with the book—or, even, maybe, the rest of her works. This comes across as…trauma porn. Trauma porn meant for people without trauma or bigots to fantasize about. It really bothered me that this author depicted a disabled, traumatized man suffering and basically said he’d be better off dead than alive. She 1) isn't a disabled person and 2) isn't a queer man of color. 

It makes me never want to pick up another novel by her, just for the gratuitous, on-page, graphic abuse. It’s told in such a detached manner, as if the reader’s only a spectator, an observer, and there’s no feeling. The book was crammed with verbose words that, I feel, made the author sound smart in between encyclopedia’s worth of the most minute details—who was dating whom amongst JB’s friends, little anecdotes that only padded the word count, characters that are never mentioned again get full descriptions and scenes dedicated to them since they interact with the main four. Each of these men whine and snivel and complain about their circumstance, despite the fact all but Jude and Willem, I think (They all blended together for me, unfortunately, and I couldn't tell who was who) had families who had money and Malcolm had a literal housekeeper and JB was spoiled with praise and he always had his mommy to run home to.

Speaking of JB, fuck him. Fuck him for feeding into the negative Black stereotypes. Why wouldn't he be proud of his mom? Why not correct people on their assumptions? He really comes across as someone incredibly detached from his identity but wants all the perks of being Black. He doesn't get to let people make assumptions, not correct them, and then clear it up right before his friend comes over—because he knows it's not right and he knows his aunts and mother and grandmother wouldn't be okay with that. My question is why did he do that? Every time he opened his mouth or every time we got a chapter of his POV, my eyes rolled back in my skull and I spent my time instead counting the grooves in my brain matter.

All the characters in this book just enable Jude and his self-destructive tendencies. Andy, the physician, who treats Jude’s self-harm wounds and breaks his Hippocratic oath. Willem, who gets Jude like no one else but can’t seem to ever press when things obviously aren’t okay. Malcolm, who’s not really in the story in any meaningful way. And JB—well, I’m convinced he’s kind of a sociopath who doesn’t give two shits about anyone except himself and his dick (which is another stereotype of queer—specifically bisexual—men.) They never ask him point-blank about anything, let alone his self-harm, and they’re so busy with their own pretentious bullshit because they’re all actors and lawyers and white collared who’ve never had to fight for anything (save, again, Jude and maybe Willem?) they never even consider him. But, on the flip side, Jude’s a grown-ass man who shouldn’t be anyone else’s responsibility (in reference to his self-harm and his bouts of not eating.) 

Everything from the dense, verbose, detail-padded writing to the selfish, holier-than-thou dramatic-ass characters is a huge book turn off for me. 

So yeah, this book is one big ole YIKES for me. And I will not be reading it, The People in the Trees, or To Paradise. And, probably, anything else she comes out with. My first and last attempt has completely turned me off any future works of hers. 
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