I don’t think that I’ve ever read a book more devastating than “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara. This story has torn me apart, stitched me back up, and torn those stitches out again and again, more violently each time.
Many of us read books as an “escape” of some sort, trying to get away from the reality of life and its harshness and immerse ourselves, if even briefly, into a different, fabricated world where our worries disappear or are rebranded into something else, something less serious and tangible. For those expecting something like this, I’m sorry to say that this one is definitely not one of those books.
“A Little Life” dives into raw, unfiltered life headfirst, not holding back one bit. It follows the story of four friends – Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcolm – over the course of a few decades as they navigate life after college and seek to find their own purpose and identity in the bustling city of New York. The friend group is tightly knit as they set out to prove themselves to the world, each one of them unique and complex in his own distinctive way. At first, the novel might seem like a bildungsroman, but stepping foot into the first hundred or so pages quickly reveals otherwise as we navigate through Jude’s troubled past, resurfacing trauma and hidden secrets that have shaped him, his understanding of the world, and how he views and interacts within his relationships.
At its core, “A Little Life” is an analysis of what makes up human connection and identity. We, as readers, are pulled into the lives of various individuals who are tied together through their relationships with Jude. We witness these relationships as they change, evolve, or even fall through, and how they influence the self and how each character views their own identity. One of my favorite quotes from this book is the following:
“You won’t understand what I mean now, but someday you will: the only trick of friendship, I think, is to find people who are better than you are—not smarter, not cooler, but kinder, and more generous, and more forgiving—and then to appreciate them for what they can teach you, and to try to listen to them when they tell you something about yourself, no matter how bad—or good—it might be, and to trust them, which is the hardest thing of all. But the best, as well.” (page 240)
I don’t think I’ve read a more honest and in-depth account of human connection and what it means to have your life intertwined with those around you.
As heartbreaking as this story is, I think it’s worth every tear shed. After having finished it, I can honestly say that it’s one of the rare books that truly changed my perspective on life. In a way, it’s like learning a painful yet important life lesson without having to go through the actual pain of learning it through experience. Everyone can find something to learn from this story, whether about those around them or themselves. So, no, this might not be a fairytale for you to escape your own thoughts and doubts for a few hours, but this is a book that can teach you what the treasures of life really are and how meaningful each relationship can be.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.