ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
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WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE
A MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

A Little Life follows four college classmates--broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition--as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara's stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves.

Item Information Item Information

Format: TradePaperback
Author: Yanagihara, Hanya
ISBN: 9780804172707
Condition: New
Dimensions: 8.00 x 1.35
Number Of Pages: 832
Publication Year: 2016

Customer Reviews

Rating Snapshot

5 ★ 89%

4 ★ 11%

3 ★ 0%

2 ★ 0%

1 ★ 0%

4.9

9 Ratings

0 Recommendations

Review Images

A thorough depiction of friendship and the effects of trauma

Shannon B. - 1 year 7 months ago

A Little Life begins as an introduction to four friends- Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcolm- who are in their late 20s and finding their footing in New York City. Willem is a kindhearted actor, JB a charismatic but selfish figurative painter, Malcolm a self-critical architect, and Jude, a skilled lawyer whose silence regarding his childhood is as much a part of him as his brilliant mind. As the years pass in the novel, Jude's past plays an insidious role in his relationships with his friends, mentors, and coworkers, and also with himself. I've tagged this review under Heavy Lifting, but not for the reason you might expect. At 720 pages, A Little Life is certainly lengthy, but Hanya Yanagihara's writing is straightforward and simple. It's this frankness that makes some of the subject matter particularly difficult to process- Yanagihara discusses the horrors of trauma, abuse, and self-harm without an attempt to soothe or coddle the reader. A Little Life is a study in friendship and a devastating portrayal of a victim of abuse who desperately struggles to reconcile the acts he was forced into as a child and the choices he makes as an adult.
HPB Staff Review
A story that follows the friendship of four boys over the course of their lives.

Marriah T. - 2 years 5 months ago

This book has earned a very special place in my heart. A Little Life is filled with complex and loveable characters and consists of a plot that is well in depth and will urge you to keep flipping forward. I've never read a book that does such a good job at displaying the way we think and the existence of our being staying constant as we age. My only concern is with the beginning, for it does move a bit slowly. However, the plot twists and conclusion make it worth the wait. A Little Life is a wonderful story about friendship and love and should be on everyone's TBR.
HPB Staff Review
An impactful journey through trauma, recovery, and support

Abigail R. - 4 years 11 months ago

This book quickly made its way into my favorites. The length seemed intimidating at first, yet once started I couldn't put it down. The long length wasn't anything near a problem. The journey between the four friends was complex and heartbreaking, leaving me in tears. My only wish is that I could read it again for the first time. #SpringPicks
Impactful and Extraordinary

Sierra S. - 4 years 11 months ago

It's safe to say that I have not looked at life the same since I read this book (almost three months ago). There were laughs as well as many tears shed but I wouldn't give up that experience for anything. Please research triggers beforehand but it's definitely worth picking up. #SpringPicks
One of my favorites ever

Megan R. - 4 years 11 months ago

Tragic, heart-breaking, but also filled with so much love. Hanya Yanagihara writes beautifully about four friends and their journey through life. #SpringPicks

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Customer Reviews

Rating Snapshot

Review Images

A thorough depiction of friendship and the effects of trauma

A story that follows the friendship of four boys over the course of their lives.

An impactful journey through trauma, recovery, and support

Impactful and Extraordinary

One of my favorites ever