**spoiler alert** Such a horror of a main character who is written so lavishly to be awful that I couldn’t put it down. Most of the time I get stuck t**spoiler alert** Such a horror of a main character who is written so lavishly to be awful that I couldn’t put it down. Most of the time I get stuck trying to read a book with an unlikable narrator, but this had me hooked. Definitely thought the consequences would induce more fanfare? Death threats? Crazy callers? Or maybe that happened already so kuang didn’t feel the need to reiterate?...more
Sorry, Michael. This wasn’t truly my cup of tea. Definitely had funny parts, but I like a bit less Stupid Man as a main character. Took me way too lonSorry, Michael. This wasn’t truly my cup of tea. Definitely had funny parts, but I like a bit less Stupid Man as a main character. Took me way too long to finish, too. ...more
I think I’d started this before, but I needed to get past Avery’s first stint at narration to truly get enthralled by the book. It was beautiful and hI think I’d started this before, but I needed to get past Avery’s first stint at narration to truly get enthralled by the book. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. More people need to know about this kind of history before something like it happens again. ...more
**spoiler alert** Ok ok, to be fair, I may be scoring this so low because I read it too fast and didn’t understand some parts. But I’m going to leave **spoiler alert** Ok ok, to be fair, I may be scoring this so low because I read it too fast and didn’t understand some parts. But I’m going to leave it up to the jury whether that’s my fault or the author’s.
Liu was cool. The writing was great, the style was very personal to each character. The only thing I got annoyed with from time to time was the repetition of emotions from the characters. Each time one of them felt angry again it was like the emotion had to be explained anew. Do I know how it feels to be angry after committing murder? Of course not. But that doesn’t mean you have to define it in paragraph form every other chapter.
Hayden was a piece of work. Felicia was a psychopath. I suppose it’s fitting that she came off that way given that this is supposed to be a modern day Hamlet. Charles was a mess. There was not a single redeemable character in this and perhaps that’s why I wasn’t a huge fan? Or maybe I just wasn’t savvy enough to understand the passion that these people have for their goddamn lab.
But wait, you say, what about Horatio? Was Horatio not a cheery, redeemable character? To that nonsense I viscerally shake my head hard enough to give myself a headache. For those of you who read this book already, you’ll know what scene I’m talking about when I say WHAT IN THE NAME OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?!
All I can really say was that I was vastly uncomfortable. Maybe the books I’ve read are simply too sheltered. Maybe I’m ruined from Westworld. Maybe I just don’t like when Siri has sex with the main character. OK? Leave me alone :(
>2000 reviews on this one so adding it as my ATY 2024!...more
**spoiler alert** In the hopes of clarifying my own ideas on this behemoth, here's an essay I'm disguising as a review.
4.5 rounded up. :/
General thoug**spoiler alert** In the hopes of clarifying my own ideas on this behemoth, here's an essay I'm disguising as a review.
4.5 rounded up. :/
General thoughts Never have I so badly wanted to know what was going to happen yet feel unable to pick up the damn book. Perhaps the only comparison is when I was reading The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset in middle school, when I loved every moment but couldn't bear to let the whole saga end. This... was different. I was a little wary of picking up Yanagihara's colossus and actually read it on three mediums (ebook, kindle, paperback), as if by separating the book into different physical spaces, its effects would be less potent. I would spend whole days on this, the mind-numbingly beautiful island of Hawaii, and be unable to fully focus on much of anything, due to the never-ending reel of A Little Life wonderings playing in the back of my head. All during tours of volcanic craters, beach burns, and family movie nights, even as I was reading entirely different books, I was thinking about Jude. Well, to be frank, I was thinking about his death. But more on that later.
The writing style: transitions, time jumps, and tragedies Yanagihara's writing style stumped me at first. I would go halfway through a chapter without understanding who the narrator was. I couldn't truly distinguish between the 4 boys for the first few. I hated the timeline jumps because I didn't (couldn't yet) comprehend what was happening and why the skips were necessary. She would introduce a concept on page 2 of a chapter, immediately dive twenty years into the past, and then resurface in the present thirty pages later. And while I hated this at first, I came to look forward to, even love it. I appreciated the delicacy with which she handled the finer parts of the plot; things that I would disregard (things that other writers would leave untouched later) Yanagihara would tiptoe back in with at the end of a chapter, dropping a dainty little bomb, as if to say, "You, gentle reader, didn't think I'd forget about this, did you?"
I would really like to go back and reread from the beginning, knowing now what I wish I had known from the beginning about everyone. I want to make a timeline, something that I thought about all through the book - how Yanagihara must have made quite a comprehensive timeline for each character and lined them all up and beamed with pride as everything fit into place in each little life (I would have). I would also like to go through once again and highlight all the moments where something very bad happened. These are the moments that Yanagihara handled with the elegance of my brother in the kitchen... that is to say: none. Strangely though, I didn't mind. She frequently opened a paragraph with a brunt view of the upcoming death, which was, I suppose, a way of letting readers off a little easier. Here's what's coming- but don't worry, now you know. Don't cry. (I didn't, oddly.)
The Whys: inevitability/hopelessness; powerlessness; and minute, muted joy This probably manifested best as the dread I had when opening this book while I was mid to most of the way through. Every time I read a new chapter, I faced the logical crisis that arose from my distress at reading about mental illness. Why couldn't Jude understand his worth to the people who loved him? Why couldn't JB put his brain cells before his tongue? Why couldn't Willem and Andy and Harold and Richard make Jude see their way? Why couldn't Willem have looked both ways before turning this into a nightmare version of Counting by 7s? Why why why why? Why does Yanagihara have a mind that would make a layperson bawl in the fetal position???
Oh Jude. All those reels of his potential deaths played out in my head. How would he do it? Where? When? Who would find him? Would he be… successful? What would be his tipping point? What final blow to his bruised and battered existence would be the one that Harold would have to speak about? I don’t think I’ve spent so long contemplating death in a hot minute. My family asked me why I was reading this. And I didn’t really have a good answer. I especially did not have one when everyone just, uh, died at the end. Thanks Hanya.
As much as this was a book about a (TW) (view spoiler)[sexually abused (hide spoiler)] child turned tortured adult, I wouldn't call this book a true, pure tragedy. Yanagihara managed to sneak in so many moments of (crushing, almost) joy, that the book felt acceptable. But What. The. Heck. A little life for some is a very dark month of reading for 11 hours for others.
Thanks @Steven. I don't know. Maybe I'll breakdown when this all hits in a few days.
*edited* I loved this book. I hated this book. I do not have time at the moment to do justice to a review. Brb...more
The second half of the book... a bit ugly? Too much? Too weird?
Cha**spoiler alert** 2.5 rounded up. :(
Just the first half of the book? maybe even a 4.
The second half of the book... a bit ugly? Too much? Too weird?
Character development: - too much for Elsie, not enough for anyone else. See Jack monologue below.
Pacing: - the first half felt lengthy but enjoyable - the second half felt short and cut off at the knees. I wanted to know more about his mom. I wanted to know more about his non mom. I wanted to know more about Elsie’s family and her mother’s pride and prejudice-esque “poor nerves” and absentee father. And that about-face when her mom actually started pretending to care?? I wanted to know more about Elsie’s mentor and later consequences. I wanted to know more about Andrea. What happened with Kirk? Most importantly? I wanted to know more about HIM. Who even was Jack??
Jack was… a lot. But also not enough? Who did he date before? Why was he kinda an obsessive control freak that ended up verging on creepy (see google’s definition of “lock you in my room for a week” and see if you disagree with me)? Why did everything about him feel right and wrong at the same time? That last one might just be intentional, I suppose. But also, for someone who hates lying and claims that truth is the cornerstone of his entire existence, Jack sure lies a lot and spends a distressing amount of time in the morally grey zone: A) bad faith interview B) lying about the mentor C) 17 years casting a shadow over a field of study that I actually got tired of hearing Elsie gripe about, but I guess she wasn’t wrong?
The one thing I cannot fault this book for is its uniqueness. That is not to say it has a novel plot, because it most certainly doesn’t. Take The Love Hypothesis. Change the character names, swap “physics” with “biology,” MA with CA, and replace “people pleaser” with- oh wait. You see my point? But she DOES IT. Ali Hazelwood pulls off the cliche trope stunt of a lifetime and even sprinkles in an adorable crossover to showcase her skills. ...more
Very cool concepts and weird editing. Had to google that I wasn't losing my mind when it claimed that the Roaring Twenties occurred in the 1820s. SomeVery cool concepts and weird editing. Had to google that I wasn't losing my mind when it claimed that the Roaring Twenties occurred in the 1820s. Some real weird tones on feminist ideas, masculinity in the household, and sexuality...
Some really out there stories (3-4/5): - Batting Out of Order - The Spiel of the Glocken - Destination Ahead - Cell Service - A Fragrant Fable
Some really unclear stories (1-2/5) - Dinosaur Stew** - Not All is as it Seems* - A is for Alacrity, Astronauts, and Grief** - Where There's Smoke - Alien Time Warp* - Temporally Full - Notes and Queries *These stories were set in a universe I knew nothing about, but the authors expected me to understand the most outlandish ideas and acronyms **These stories were confusing/trite/annoying
But definitely some hidden gems (5/5): - Reading Lists - Salamander Bites - Black and White - Grand Tour - The Passing Bell...more
Second half absolutely redeemed the heck out of the first. Less Anh, for one. Also more of Adam being The Guy. As in, the one they put into the NetfliSecond half absolutely redeemed the heck out of the first. Less Anh, for one. Also more of Adam being The Guy. As in, the one they put into the Netflix specials for viewers to drool over. Emotionally speaking… obviously. ...more
Very rarely do books make me tear up. Even more rarely do I still have a positive opinion of them if they do make me sentimental. Life4.5 rounded to 5
Very rarely do books make me tear up. Even more rarely do I still have a positive opinion of them if they do make me sentimental. Life is too short for that, sometimes.
**spoiler alert** Not the best book I've read, not the worst. It was just kinda ok...? A bit long, a few too many characters, a twist that happened to**spoiler alert** Not the best book I've read, not the worst. It was just kinda ok...? A bit long, a few too many characters, a twist that happened too close to the end with too little of a bang. Interesting story I guess.
* edit from 3/5 to 1/5: aka do NOT read further if you liked this book it will only mad you mad. I’M SORRY *
After ruminating on this book for the better part of today, I find that I can’t quite leave the above review standing on its own. I mean, it’s one thing to write an unrelatable character. It’s another thing to write an unlikeable character. It’s a third thing to write an unbelievable character. IT’S ANOTHER THING ENTIRELY WHEN YOU WRITE ALL OF THE CHARACTERS TO BE SUCH A TRIUMVIRATE OF TRAGEDIES.
First off, as I said, sort of innocuously above, there were too many of them. A tragic trio I get (no triumph present in this book, my word). A crazy lot of 5-6 witless, backstabbing besties I also understand. I can even pardon an ensemble cast of 10! I promise! I’m not one to backdown from name and voice learning! But one must draw the line somewhere. And for me? It is a cast of 10+ couples (count with me- that’s already more than 20 people), a few sad singles (we’re up to >24 now), and a brood of children (uhhh 34? 50? We shall never know) that this book attempts to flesh out in 270 pages.
If you do the math, heck, if you read the darn thing, you’ll notice that it’s simply impossible to have that many characters with equal chapter time. Naturally. And I’m not here arguing that they should have it. Far be it from me to propose this book be turned into a series. Oh goodness can you imagine?? Talk about DNF. What I’m trying to say, in the most convoluted way possible (because I’m fuming that I wasted time reading this book) is that if I didn’t need to know the half of the characters, they shouldn’t have all been named. They shouldn’t have been given random chapters to narrate, most of which left me confused, wondering why their opinion suddenly became relevant. What’s worse? Some of the characters that actually had a lot to say were ridiculously superfluous.
Micah? Sweetheart and nice for representation, but ultimately that was it. It seemed like his hour was going to arrive at the end. But of course I did not. Also he had a bestie. I think her name started with a B. Micah also had parents. His mom had curly hair and his dad had a bald spot. Who were, obviously, named but never appeared and were entirely inconsequential.
Rachel. Man what a waste of space. She needs to ditch the places that make her unhappy, um, preferably pre-murder moments.
Brian. Who? Couldn’t tell you. Something about finances. He definitely had a wife.
Emily… was different from Claire? And Jessica? And someone else? All of whom were married, of course.
Susan. Important but not early enough. I didn’t even care when she bit the dust. She had a group of married old and golds who were all 70+. Do I recall a single one of their names? Not a chance. There was one other old dude whose name was maybe 4 letters. Not Gary. That was Susan’s dear dead husband.
Beth! Was a character! Who was insane. This is all I remember. And she had friends who will remain nameless (unless one was Jessica?) due to the unfortunate fact that none of their names were memorable. Neither apparently were their husbands’.
The old dude whose name was perhaps 4 letters wanted to hire Richard. Who was, pardon my French, a real arschloch. No redeeming qualities. ‘Nuff said.
And then of course we had the 2 main couples: Lauren and Jason, Jen and Sam. Sam had the rare chance to be painted in a semi positive light. A ray of sunshine, if you will, in an otherwise nightmare catastrophe of a book. But only fools will assume that his good boy reputation would stand the test of time. It’s me. I’m fools. Gahghhghhggh.
Lauren? A piece of well manicured work. Jason was a walking disaster with the emotional spectrum of an upside down puzzle piece. Except that’s insulting to puzzle pieces which actually have dimensions. And Jen. Oml. Jen, as in the Jen introduced from the get go as “Jen was a cheat.” I don’t remember what page- go look it up yourself if you care and heck, if you’ve made it this far into my godawful review, get yourself a treat while you’re at it. Perhaps a much more worth it book? As a psych major, I hesitate to criticize a character (written as a mental health professional) with such levels of depravity. Just a mess of contradictions. Ick. Horrible wife. Horrible mother. Horrible human. Also? Horrible character.
If you’ve kept a running tally, that’s already 31 (named but for my own poor memory) characters. And I haven’t even started on their poor, rich, spoiled children in their poor, rich, pointless clothing. Or their nannies. Ooof.
In case you can’t already tell, this book is not what one might call replete with characters of virtue.
I’ve already spent way too long trashing the characters, so the plot critiques will follow in a timely fashion.
I will give this book one thing though: it’s been a while since I wrote such a scathing book review, so clearly it’s occupied my thoughts enough to make one worthy. Jeez...more
**spoiler alert** It was a good story, I guess. A bit heavy handed on the love side (truly felt like the romance was being shoved down my throat) and **spoiler alert** It was a good story, I guess. A bit heavy handed on the love side (truly felt like the romance was being shoved down my throat) and a little unbelievable when Xayden did the emotional 180, suddenly finding Violet irresistible. Dain was an idiot and Violet was obnoxious to the reader for putting up with him for that long. Liam had my heart rip. Could have done without most of the cussing and I totally called the ending lol....more
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