A little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
A rollercoaster ride of emotions and a novel that only appears once in a long time.
Ok, so it’s been a while since I’ve read this book but I keep coming back to it and it deserves a longer full review. So here I go .
I’ve read quite some books. Some I enjoy and some I love. Some have grown part of me and part of my life. Still it is rare for me to find a books that really touches me. A little life doesn’t just touch you, it rips into your soul and makes you feel things you had forgotten books could make you feel. In my opinion this is one of those books that only comes along once in a long time and it deserves to be read.
The book starts off pretty slowly, 4 guys in college trying to find their way in life. Willem, the kind wannabe actor, JB the tortured artist, Malcolm a budding architect from a rich family and Jude St. Francis, a boy with a physical disability with a penchant for law. The first part of the book is more of an introduction to the world of these 4 men. Slowly however details about their life start to emerge and the focus of the book shifts towards Jude. It becomes clear that Jude has not had a happy childhood and the rest of the book slowly uncovers this for the reader.
I won’t lie Jude is one of the most frustrating characters. Attempts to help him are rejected, and those who attempt to get close to him are rebuffed. Still this is where A Little Life’sgreatest strength lies. Despite the incredible pain and suffering that is present in this book ( I had to put it down several times) there is also unbelievable love and kindness and moments that could warm even the coldest hearts. Very few books can make me cry but A little life managed this easily. You come to know the characters intimately, you begin to love them as if they were your friends. Because of this it hurts so much more when things in their life go wrong and when all you want for them is to have a happy ending.
Yanagihara created a masterpiece with this novel. A novel which celebrates love and kindness yet also shows that love is not omnipotent. Love and Kindness are not a magical cure for hurt and pain in this book and somehow that makes them both so much more powerful.
I don’t know if I adequately expressed my feelings with this review. All I can say is that you should read this book. It’s large but it’s worth every second, every minute, every hour spend on it. This book will stay with me for a long time
