'A Little Life' follows four college classmates as they move to New York all in search of their own versions of fame and fortune. Malcolm, JB, Willem and Jude. All beautiful and all tragic in their own way but fiercely loyal to one and other. But this isn’t just your typical coming of age novel, it is so much more than that. Across over eight hundred pages, Yanagihara unpacks love, romance, trauma, grief, bravery in an unforgettable, immersive way. Across the scope of the novel, these characters become your family. Each tragedy, each upset and all their hurt you feel as your own. And that is a testament to Yanagihara’s writing. Her writing is so subtle in its cleverness, and she can evoke so many emotions within the reader. I have never felt this emotional about a book before.
These characters become your family
While this is a story of friendship, it is ultimately the story of Jude’s life. Jude St. Francis is a ruthless lawyer with an unspeakable childhood. Reading about Jude’s trauma and his upbringing was gruelling and crushing. I had to sit and stare at a wall many times to just simply process what I had read. As a reader, I felt helpless. Again, this just reinforces the brilliance of Yanagihara’s writing that I could have such strong, visceral reactions to this novel, especially when it came to Jude.
I had to sit and stare at a wall many times to just simply process what I had read
Despite this, the relationships between Malcolm, Jude, JB and Willem act to offset some of the darker parts of the novel. Their friendships are beautiful and often imperfect (tinged by addiction, betrayal, fame) yet so dynamic to read about.
I would definitely recommend looking up the trigger warnings of this book before you read. It is a struggle to read at some points due to the graphic detail of the content covered. Regardless, 'A Little Life' is a masterpiece. I don’t think I’ll read anything like it ever again and it’s definitely a novel I will be thinking about for a long, long time.