Free Downloads A Little Life
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEARThe New York Times • The Washington Post • The Wall Street Journal • NPR • Vanity Fair • Vogue • Minneapolis Star Tribune • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • The Guardian • O, The Oprah Magazine • Slate • Newsday • Buzzfeed • The Economist • Newsweek • People • Kansas City Star • Shelf Awareness • Time Out New York • Huffington Post • Book Riot • Refinery29 • Bookpage • Publishers Weekly • KirkusWINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZEA MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALISTA NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTA 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.
Paperback: 832 pages
Publisher: Anchor; Reprint edition (January 26, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0804172706
ISBN-13: 978-0804172707
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1.4 x 8.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2,374 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #44 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Family Saga #72 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Coming of Age #258 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary
I wanted to write a review of this book, even though there are many other reviews already in place, because it obviously brings up a lot of extreme emotions in people and has been pretty divisive, and I wanted to add some food for thought.Overall, I found it to be an engrossing read; I felt for the characters, I thought it was well written (though not fabulous or outstanding, but decently done, very little purple prose, which I appreciate), and it generated a lot of response from me. I was okay up until the penultimate section "Dear Comrade," which I spent bawling my eyes out over. But the book made me think about larger issues, regarding art and class and sexuality, and I want to address just a few of those issues in my review.I don't give this book a higher rating, however, because I do think there are some flaws. Certainly it could have been edited more tightly and thus been shorter. Two of the main characters are somewhat short-changed, and I would have liked to have seen further development with them. The initial meeting of the four friends is never fully explained, nor is the meeting and buildup of trust between Jude and Andy, and I would have liked to seen just how Jude came to trust his friends, particularly Andy and Willem, so deeply. Jude's career definitely needed more flushing out; he's a bigshot lawyer but what we see of his personality and private life doesn't fit with that, and I would have liked a better exploration of his life in the courtroom, to make him more three-dimensional as a character. I was also really irked that the novel has no historical setting.
My thoughts about this book are complicated. On one hand, it's beautifully written in many ways. On the other hand, it's a bit overblown in its writing, too. There are lovingly rendered details that create a lovely mental picture... and then the passage goes on... and on... until sometimes it devolves into lists. Lists that sometimes feel endless in their length and actually don't end up contributing much of anything to the story.I really did come to care for the characters in the book, which I think makes the book all the more cruel. I was prepared for a harrowing story. The book blurb broadcasts that loudly enough. I thought the portrayal of abuse and its consequences and the reverberations of it throughout a life were well done in many ways. The interplay between the characters and how their lives intertwine feels so real. But there is a point in the book where it all just starts to feel like tragedy porn. Tragedy porn that feels a great empathy for all those involved and is filled with well-defined characters... but tragedy porn none the less. In the end, it just feels sort of crassly manipulative... or, at least, misguided.I went from being a bit confused by the book juggling the four main characters (something that, structurally just ends up being kind of weird since two characters are basically dropped for most of the story... though I guess I understand their detailed set-up to an extent) to getting really involved in the characters we WERE following and being absorbed into the book and then, finally... almost hating the book by the end. The sorrow inflicted on the main character (and then to the characters around him) becomes, frankly, almost laughable. But not mirthful laughter.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for review on my blog.I confess that I had no idea what I was getting into when I started A Little Life. I basically thought it was going to be a male version of The Interestings. And, there are similarities, but A Little Life is much, much darker. It's disturbing, harrowing, relentless, and powerful, but also portrays a strong, hopeful version of friendship. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and it will most likely end up on my Best Books of 2015 list come December.There is nothing little about A Little Life. In fact, it's such a sprawling book that I had trouble distilling my thoughts into a coherent review. Yanagihara threw the kitchen sink at this thing, but she made everything work together seamlessly. To varying degrees, she addressed class, race, sexuality, disability, life purpose / career, secrets, mental issues, and abuse...all overlaid on a foundation of enduring friendship. And, she made all this seem harmoniously complex instead of frustratingly complicated.The lifeblood of this novel is the characters. The four friends met in college, come from disparate backgrounds, and have varying life ambitions. The beginning of the book focuses on introducing each character in bits and pieces (hint: keep a list of key background information on each character as you learn it, because it's hard to keep them straight initially). As the story goes on, Jude becomes the focal point. He's kind, heartbreaking, proud, tough, and maddening. He's a character unlike any other I've encountered in fiction and will stick with me for a long time.I realize that this review is a bit light on plot details and that's intentional.
A Little Books Boxed Set Featuring Little Pea, Little Hoot, Little Oink The Little Books of Champagne, Chocolate, and Roses: The Little Book of Champagne/The Little Book of Chocolate/The Little Book of Roses My Little House Crafts Book: 18 Projects from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House Stories (Little House Nonfiction) Little House 5-Book Collection: Little House in the Big Woods, Farmer Boy, Little House on the Prairie, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake Little Hands Sea Life Art & Activities: Creative Learning Experiences for 3- To 7-Year-Olds (Little Hands Book) The Secret Life of Pets Little Golden Book (Secret Life of Pets) National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books) The Little ABC Coloring Book (Dover Little Activity Books) Little Construction Site Sticker Activity Book (Dover Little Activity Books Stickers) Forest Animals - My Little Sound Book (My Little Sound Books) More Little Hidden Pictures (Dover Little Activity Books) Little Zoo Animals Coloring Book (Dover Little Activity Books) The Little Spanish ABC Coloring Book (Dover Little Activity Books) The Little Animal ABC Coloring Book (Dover Little Activity Books) Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (A Five Little Monkeys Story) National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books) The Poky Little Puppy (A Little Golden Book Classic) The Little Grumpy Cat that Wouldn't (Grumpy Cat) (Little Golden Book) Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree (A Five Little Monkeys Story) Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car (A Five Little Monkeys Story)
