Blurb:

When four graduates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they’re broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome – but that will define his life forever.

Review:

I’ve had this book on my shelves for a while, and whilst I’ve always wanted and intended to read it, I’ve put it off until now. It is very long and it tells some heartbreaking stories, but it is worth every single one of its 752 pages. Hanya Yanagihara’s writing is beautiful and the whole way through, I was able to lose myself in it. 

A Little Life is the story of four men who meet at college and we follow them through the decades. Each one is brilliantly drawn and I loved getting to know them all, although I related most closely to Jude. The novel is told mostly from his viewpoint and I was captivated by his story and his reflections on his childhood. It made me feel incredibly emotional and I can only praise the author for the way she describes them and allows the reader to feel them so viscerally.

In A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara explores so many themes, but it never feels like anything is brushed over or details are missing and her research is immaculate. Each theme remains relevant to our society and I really felt as though I also became more educated on a number of issues.

A Little Life is definitely a book for the bucket list TBR and I definitely feel my life is richer for having read it.

A Little Life is available from Amazon.