A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Product details
Web ID: 4131750The most stunningly gorgeous text I’ve ever read.
I cannot even begin to scratch the surface, I was left speechless. It’s exquisite and horrifying and magnificent. This the most BEAUTIFUL novel, in all of the most painful ways. The story of Jude St. Francis is branded in my mind forever. One of my all time favorite books.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Promising Start, Disappointing and Unrelatable
I loved the first 500 pages of A Little Life. I hated the last 300. What begins as a deeply compelling story of four college friends navigating life in New York gradually shifts into an unrelatable and frustrating narrative. The early character development is excellent, and Jude’s backstory is emotionally devastating. However, as the novel progresses, the focus narrows almost entirely to Jude, whose suffering becomes overwhelming and repetitive. His friends fade into the background, and the story turns into a cycle of indulgence and despair, making it difficult to stay engaged. The characters’ extreme wealth and unwavering devotion to Jude feel unrealistic, and his growing cruelty and self-absorption erase much of the early sympathy I had for him. While I understand why this book evokes strong reactions, I wouldn’t recommend it—there are many other novels that explore trauma, friendship, and resilience in a more balanced and rewarding way.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
So heartbreaking
I think about this book at least once a week. You create such a strong connection the characters and it is so beautifully heartbreaking. I think most give this a bad rating because it takes a while to get to know the characters and it is so raw when it gets to the hard things about being alive
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Amazing
I saw 2 Instagram reels about this book and since I love media that makes me cry I decided to buy it even though I had no idea what it was about. This book is hands down the best depiction of CPTSD (which I have) I have ever read. While I didn't cry like the others did, it definitely left a lasting impression. Officially my favorite book ever and I don't think it will ever be topped.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Painful and beautiful
What a powerful story. It was so hard to read but I was compelled to see it through. The characters are brilliantly drawn and the themes about love and how to characterize a life are so beautifully rendered.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautiful!
It's a beautiful sad book. I can't explain how much I love it and how much it destroyed me. I'll cherish it forever.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Missing 100 pages
I thought my mind just kept wondering because I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I realized my page numbers skipped from 596 to 693… bro I’m invested now I need to know how it ends
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
AMAZING
I was so invested in the characters. I found myself slowing down towards the end, because I literally did not want to stop reading this story. So beautifully written. This is one of the few books I’ve read that actually gives a realistic & relatable description of trauma and how it can affect us in many ways. I absolutely loved this book. It is a very emotionally challenging read, but I believe that’s why I loved it so much.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com