Welcome to my first post! 💕
And what a book to start with! A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is one of the largest books I have read, second to Harry Potter of course, totaling 720 pages. It took me a while to pick up this book from by little home library as I do most of my reading on the train commuting to work in London, therefore making this a terrible choice as a travel companion! However, with Covid-19 rearing its ugly head I have been subjected to working from home for the foreseeable. I thought this was the perfect time to pick up this book seeing as I have heard so many good things about it. And for anyone else feeling like me, I cannot stress enough that this book is worth it!
The story follows four friends and their roller-coaster lives, covering their childhood, family, schooling,relationships and their passions. We find out in detail who they are, they they are about and, of course, how they all meet. That is, all except one. Jude is a mystery to his friends and indeed to the reader for the majority of the opening chapters. We slowly learn through flashbacks a little of why Jude keeps himself to himself. The beauty of this is that we learn so much about him and the others in a way that makes the reader feel like they are a person we may know in real life. The level if detail is incredible and really helps you to feel each and every situation as they are living and feeling it.
Controversially, I found at times disliking Jude, and some other characters, at certain points in the book. It made me want to shake him in frustration to think differently and react differently! This however, I believe, is completely the point of the book. And the clever way the author splits chapters to past and present lives really helps you to understand that at times of frustration this is why these characters respond to situations the way they do. That thought processes and decisions about people and yourself are ingrained so deeply into the human psyche that sometimes there is no way of undoing the potential damage it can cause.
For anyone like myself daunted by the size of this book, please dont be. Read on Kindle if you must, but either way this is a must read. If any chapters were perhaps rushed or removed the level of detail and the emotional connection really would be lost. After reading this I would consider it a crime to remove even one word. Each page is needed and you will not be disappointed to have this in your life.
If this still hasn't persuaded you to pick up this wonderful book then hear this: It was Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2015 Paperback. Of course it was. And therefore must be an incredible book right?! 😆
There we have it, recommended to anyone who loves books, life and maybe a little cry!
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Pages - 720
Goodreads rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
