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Original poster

A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara

105 replies

MrBigTiger · 16/12/2021 20:03

Fucking hell. Has anyone read this?

I haven't been so distraught at the end of a book since reading One Day.

Aaaaarrrggghhh. 😭

OP posts:
Original poster
MrBigTiger · 16/12/2021 20:56

I saw that she'd written another book, but I think I'm too angry with her right now to consider reading it!

OP posts:
SockFluffInTheBath · 16/12/2021 21:00

Discussion of the technical aspects of the writing aside I don’t see how it was allowed to be published. Possibly skewed by me working in a safeguarding role at the time of reading but fucking hell it’s simply a litany, detailed at that, of the continued sexual abuse of a vulnerable child through into adulthood. How anyone could possibly class it as entertainment or put it on a book club list is completely beyond me. I should think the author is on the authorities’ watch lists.

Original poster
MrBigTiger · 16/12/2021 21:03

Apparently she was told that it would not go down well and would damage her career.

OP posts:
ISpyCobraKai · 16/12/2021 21:04

Another misery porn vote, hated it.

Charley50 · 16/12/2021 21:10

@Hoolihan

I am evangelical in my hatred of this book. Utterly disgusting misery porn, abysmal characters, ludicrous story arch and atrocious dialogue.
I second that.
stripetop · 16/12/2021 21:19

My (gay) Scottish brother was living in New York and asked me to read this.

I message him back saying

FFS? The last forty percent of the book is waiting on Jude to kill himself, that was what was going to happen. Then he loses his will, that's when the book loses it for me. He gives up and they force him back. The better ending would have been to support it and set him free.

He replies

Yes

DorsVenabili · 16/12/2021 21:22

I thought it was absolutely fantastic but devastating at the same time- cried at the ending
i'd recommend it but would always warn people

sociallydistained · 16/12/2021 21:26

This is a book I have avoided as everyone seems to be utterly destroyed by it. I love books and I expect the writing is up my street so I am constantly re-thinking my decision not to read it. I actually loved "My Absolute Darling" which was a book with awful subject matter and quite depressing. I adored the writing and I like almost like how the beautiful writing contrasts with the horrific content... so I do wonder if I'd manage with this and actually love it in a way. However, watching Joker when it came out sent me spiralling into depression. I'm sure there were other factors but it was a dark time for me and do I want to put myself in that position again.

Heepers · 16/12/2021 21:26

@Hoolihan

I am evangelical in my hatred of this book. Utterly disgusting misery porn, abysmal characters, ludicrous story arch and atrocious dialogue.
YES. I hated this book with a raging passion. Actually gave up before the end - said to myself if he gets abused by a stranger again then I'm done and oh look, he did. Cannot understand why anyone would want to read such graphic descriptions of child sexual abuse. Utterly utterly grim.
Original poster
MrBigTiger · 16/12/2021 21:29

@sociallydistained

This is a book I have avoided as everyone seems to be utterly destroyed by it. I love books and I expect the writing is up my street so I am constantly re-thinking my decision not to read it. I actually loved "My Absolute Darling" which was a book with awful subject matter and quite depressing. I adored the writing and I like almost like how the beautiful writing contrasts with the horrific content... so I do wonder if I'd manage with this and actually love it in a way. However, watching Joker when it came out sent me spiralling into depression. I'm sure there were other factors but it was a dark time for me and do I want to put myself in that position again.
This is way worse than My Absolute Darling.

I don't think it's badly written as some people do, but it's definitely not good for your mental health.

I don't think ill recommend it to people to be honest. It's just too horrible.

OP posts:
IceandIndigo · 17/12/2021 16:57

I found it such a frustrating read, because I feel like it was most of the way to being a great book, but ultimately ruined by the author’s choice to keep heaping suffering on her hapless protagonist. I know some people argue it’s consistent with the form of melodrama, but it went from plausibly tragic to totally over the top and ridiculous. I also found Jude’s long list of accomplishments and the way everyone loved him equally implausible. I found it difficult to put down but emotionally manipulative. It left a bad taste in my mouth, I didn’t even want to give it to a charity shop.

Saucery · 17/12/2021 17:01

‘Implausible’ is the key word for me with this book. I didn’t even care about Jude by the end, because he just didn’t seem real, so why would I be upset by him? His friends annoyed me immensely. Self-absorbed prats who didn’t realise how lucky they were.

Handsnotwands · 17/12/2021 17:12

I'm with Houlihan

And quite what inspired the unending devotion of his friends quite escaped me

MandalaYogaTapestry · 17/12/2021 17:12

What struck me is there are only 1 or 2 female characters throughout the entire book, nobody has children, everyone single relationship is gay and everyone is extremely successful. As a pp said, implausible.

Chachasha · 17/12/2021 17:13

Very very distressing book. It should come with a warning.

EssaysOfElia · 17/12/2021 17:13

@Marylou62

Totally torn... What a beautifully written book, what beautiful friendships but how utterly, devastatingly sad... I want to recommend it to others because of how much all the main characters love and care for Jude, but I can't make them as sad as I was... Took me ages to pull myself together after the devastating ending... But I'm glad I read it.. Jude will always be a character I remember.. Like Mariam in A Thousand Splendid Suns...
This sums up my feelings of this book perfectly!
ALightThatNeverGoesOut · 17/12/2021 17:18

It was the same as A Child Called It but longer and presenting as middle brow. Fucking horrible book with no redeeming features. I actually put my copy in the recycling once I'd finished it just to prevent even one more person picking it up.

OP I know what you mean about feeling the need to escape yourself after reading it. I recommend watching old Frankie Boyle footage maybe from mock the week.

BadSpellaSpellaSpella · 17/12/2021 17:43

I read it recently, the writing does draw you in and I was swept away with it and the characters. But then it just started to get more and more implausible and some things didn't ring true really.

I don't think the child abuse needed to be in such detail because I'd guessed his background long before the book got to it anyway and I would have rather it focused more on the effects on his adult life.

By the end of become desensitised and was just waiting for it to end

pollyhemlock · 17/12/2021 18:31

@Hoolihan

I am evangelical in my hatred of this book. Utterly disgusting misery porn, abysmal characters, ludicrous story arch and atrocious dialogue.
I do so agree with this. The characters are cardboard: either exceptionally saintly or utterly evil. Except possibly for JB who basically gets written out about halfway through. And how anybody can write a book about gay men partly set in the 1980s and make not one reference to the AIDS epidemic is beyond me.
sofiathe2nd · 17/12/2021 18:33

@Hoolihan

I am evangelical in my hatred of this book. Utterly disgusting misery porn, abysmal characters, ludicrous story arch and atrocious dialogue.
Totally agree with this in every way
Sunnysideup999 · 17/12/2021 18:36

I only made it about half way through. It was traumatising read it

Alonelonelylonersbadidea · 17/12/2021 18:46

@TinaYouFatLard

I don’t have the words to describe how much I loathed this book. I can’t believe I managed to get to the end.
Yup. This book, all the characters, the writing. Fuck me it was bloody awful.

I actually couldn't have cared less about what happened to Jude.
Or anyone.

The. Worst.

Alonelonelylonersbadidea · 17/12/2021 19:17

Actually interesting that Shuggie Bain is mentioned upthread as I loved that one. Somehow the people felt less contrived. The voice and experience was more real. I think it just be the fact that it was autobiographical.

pollyhemlock · 18/12/2021 09:12

Shuggie Bain is in a completely different league to ALL. It’s well written, great characters, and properly rooted in time and place ( 1980s Glasgow) all the things ALL isn’t. Also, despite the grim subject matter, it has hope and humour. ALL really doesn’t.

Lorriestakingppe · 18/12/2021 09:22

Yes not the cheeriest of books it has to be said ....