Book Review: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Okay, I can’t put off this review anymore! I’ve been struggling to write this as I simply don’t know what to say. And that happens very rarely... the sign of an epic read.

“Friendship was witnessing another’s slow drip of miseries, and long bouts of boredom, and occasional triumphs. It was feeling honored by the privilege of getting to be present for another person’s most dismal moments, and knowing that you could be dismal around him in return.”

A Little Life is about four male friends who meet in college and then move to NYC. It follows them over the course of three decades, through the highs and many, many lows...

Alright, so, I really loved A Little Life - I fully appreciated Yanagihara’s beautiful writing, I found it difficult to put down no matter how emotionally heavy it got and I became deeply engrossed in the lives of these four friends. But... a couple of things have been niggling at me ever since I finished it and I just gotta get them off my chest before I can fangirl!

This book was a bit TOO much for me in a number of ways - it was far too long, some parts felt very unnecessary and repetitive, and I just personally felt like the author was doing everything in her power to make me cry. I found that off putting at times.

However, I adored the characters. Willem is wonderfully drawn out and interesting, with a heartbreaking past. Yet his childhood really does pale in comparison to Jude’s. Sweet Jude. Never have I wanted to hug a fictional character so badly. Yanagihara does an incredible job of demonstrating how past trauma and abuse can follow you throughout your entire life.

I loved the exploration of friendship over the years, as well as the other themes Yanagihara delves into, like love, trauma, disability, recovery. There’s so much to consider and it’s such a unique reading experience that I would recommend it to everyone.

A Little Life is one of the most heartbreaking and crushing books I’ve ever read, and just when you think your heart can’t take anymore, it’s put through the wringer once again. 4.5/5.

Major trigger warnings for everything: sexual abuse, self-harm etc.

Johann

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