Little Life

it was a veryyy long read for me (2 years, switched to audio for the last two thirds).

The appeal of the book I guess is that it's a very tragic fairy tail where the reader is allowed to fully absorb all the presented suffering and dissolve in it.
I guess that was the reason why I had a hard time reading it. The writing is so good, like really good but it felt a lot of times like a chore because of the many episodes and throw backs of such extreme emotions.

Other than that, I just didn't really like the setting and I didn't (want to ?) relate to the characters and their specific views on careers and class and their ways of relating to each other.

It was a good challenge and exercise for endurance and curiosity. And I do feel kind of accomplished finishing it hahaha

All being said, the Author did such a good job building this specific world and there is something intuitive in the way she presents it to the reader that I really liked.

Occasionally, I find myself in search of a book that will "tear my soul apart and gnaw through my heart" in attempt to evoke emotion. This book was one of those "bookgram" books that I had seen lots of people swear by, regardless, I was hesitant as I have been let down by bookgram many times before.

This book did do the job—more than I even expected it to—it is so beautifully written. Malcom, JB, Willem, and of course, Jude are all such painstakingly well-developed characters. Hanya Yangihara avoided all the clichés I feared would be present in this book...

The first and foremost theme of this novel can most definitely be announced as the friendships between the characters. These friendships are the core of this book and beyond admirable. Throughout the writing the most prominent and consistent them was the characters' devotion to one another.

The second major theme of this novel falls under the umbrella of sickness—mental and physical. Once again, I feel Yanagihara did a spectacular job at avoiding clichés in this area too. Yanagihara perfectly captured sickness beyond the parameters of the exhaustion it brings and properly expressed the guilt a sick person feels. Guilt, frustration, self-pity, self-hatred as a product of self-pity, rage, defeat, and so on. All these emotions really rounding Jude into a more genuine and authentic portrayal of a chronically ill person.

Again on the topic of clichés, I believe the ending of this book—which I will not be spoiling—only further proves the avoidance of clichés. I was absolutely horrified this book would be predictable and bland, but I am delighted to say that was not the case.

I have so much more to say but I feel utterly stupefied as its been mere minutes since I finished this marvellous work and have too many thoughts to put down on here. Maybe I'll edit this later on but for now: 5/5 Brilliant.

I don't want to include spoilers here, but the reason I gave 2 stars is:

(1) I'm not sure I've ever read a book more desperately in need of an editor. This easily could have been cut down to 400 pages by removing pointless tangents and repetitions of similar plot points. Do we really need a detailed account of two characters going to the farmers' market and then making dinner, when nothing happens to move the plot forward? Especially when it's the 3rd or 4th appearance of a similar scene?

(2) Although one review (The New Yorker?) that I read claimed "this isn't misery porn," I would heartily disagree. If you want to read a tale of horrifying child abuse, I think "Ruby" by Cynthia Bond is another recent novel that does a better job of addressing this topic. But maybe the question is, "Do you really want to read a tale of horrifying child abuse at all?" I'm not averse to books that are "downers" if they are well-written and thought-provoking, but it seems like this novel was way too heavy on the former without enough of the latter.

I appreciate that this novel subverts some of the common literary tropes of elevation and redemption through suffering (what I think of as the "Tiny Tim" cliche, because Tiny Tim had to prove himself worthy of being saved/rewarded through his suffering), but that's just not enough to get you through 700+ pages.

A few positives: It made me think about why we want to save our loved ones, and what our motivations are; I thought the character of J.B. provided an interesting counterpoint to the other characters; the plot kept me turning the pages; I think Jude's history was revealed artfully by the author. The writing itself was lovely. None of this are enough to make me recommend the book to others.