A Little Life
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship” (NPR) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century.
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE
A Little Life follows four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves.
- Pages
- 736
- First published
- March 10, 2015
- Language
- English
- Edition
- Ebook
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Shelved by 10 Litcadians
Reviews
Finished October 19, 2024
Finished October 20, 2024
// Edit: Almost 2 years later and I still feel ill every time I think about this book, had to come back just to lower my rating to 1 star.. // I struggled with my rating for this book and ultimately settled on 3 stars. There were aspects I appreciated: the writing itself is well done, with lovely descriptions that immediately drew me in, and the portrayal of friendship - how special and important those relationships can be - was one of the highlights. However, this is without a doubt the heaviest, most triggering book I’ve ever read. At times, it felt like trauma-porn - how can so much devastation happen to one person? Reading it often felt like watching a car crash: brutal and horrifying, but once I reached a certain point, I couldn't look away. Even though I thought I knew what was coming, I had to finish it. The abuse (both sexual and physical) is so detailed and graphic that I frequently felt sick to my stomach and had to stop. This book desperately needs a clear trigger warning for self-harm, as the descriptions are explicit and gory. I believe books like this are often written with a purpose, where the main character, though dealing with one form of illness or another, is surrounded by love and their life brings some sense of peace or fulfillment to those who cared for them. But A Little Life felt painfully pointless. Following Jude’s story - knowing he never got better, that he never healed, found peace, or stopped self-harming, and ultimately committed suicide at 53 - was incredibly disheartening. While perhaps more “realistic,” it left me with no hope for people in similar situations. I walked away from this book feeling drained, deeply saddened, and triggered. I’m sorry to say I would never recommend it. Though I know I won’t forget it any time soon, I honestly wish I could.
Started September 26, 2026 · Finished September 28, 2026
- emotionalsadMedium-paced
Started September 10, 2024 · Finished October 2, 2024
- Anonymous
Paused, too intense rn
Paused, too intense rn
▸ Did not finish (1)
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