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| A Little Life Paperback Edition |
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.
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Title : A Little Life
Author : Hanya Yanagihara
Published year: 2015
Pages: 816
Genre: Coming of Age, Melancholic, Fiction
Publisher : Penguin Random House
Before I decided to purchase and later read this book, I noticed many readers recommend this book because we can feel the Osamu-Dazai- vibes in the book. When I saw the book volume, to be honest, a second thought came into mind, lately, I don't have the luxury of time to read seven hundred pages and more. But I love Osamu Dazai's vibes in any book, so I give it a go.
The story opened with the life glance of the four friends. Malcolm, a rich kid but have deep inferiority in front of his father. Then JB, the black kid from a successful household. He'd always be the center of attention, have a lot of friends and the aspiring artist among them. And here is Willem, the handsome boy but always looks solemn. He's an aspiring actor, and maybe, not the most brilliant mind between the four of them. Then, in the opposite of everyone, Jude, the tall man who always looks quiet and has a lot of secrets in the past. He is the smartest, anyone who saw him always admire his mind.
Even they are very close to each other. but Willem closet the most with Jude. After coming to New York, They lived together in a small and shabby apartment-that rarely have the elevator worked. Meanwhile, JB is always close with Malcolm.
The four boys, known each other since college, and move to New York after they graduate. Jude working at the US justice of the supreme court. Meanwhile, Willem, working toward his goal from one play to another. Malcolm is an interior designer or architect? ( I am not clear), and, JB is experiencing a lot to create arts.
They always have dinner together in a cheap Vietnamese restaurant even each of them knew that the taste is so bad, but it is cheap anyway. Everyone has their routine in that restaurant.
After a snapshot of each of them, the narration shifted, more focused on Willem and Jude's personalities. Also, their relationship is loving toward each other.
One night, after they moved to the shabby apartment, and JB has recommended them to hold a new year party, Jude suddenly seeking for Willem's help to bring him to the doctor because he cut 'too much'. Shock, frantic, and disbelieved, Willem took them to the doctor/friend Alex. Alex knew Jude during his college days and even when he finally being Orthopedist, he treat Jude for any kind of health problem. In retrospect, Jude only can go to a doctor if it is Alex.
Angry and sad, Willem is tormented. He should ask or talk to Jude about whatever happened in the past. Why Jude cut his hand deliberately. But Willem is being Willem. He doesn't want to step into Jude's privacy. But he knows, sooner or later he must talk. But maybe it is too late.
Righto, then the 'camera' then focus on Jude. At first, the early age is briefly mentioned in the early chapter of the book. For now, it focuses on how Jude met with professors during college and how they help him to earn his career also how he met Alex. Jude is very smart, taking law and mathematics in college. Playing piano and singing very well. The singing, bring curiosity about Jude's past. He said, he learned it from being catholic. Jude's past is being peeled very slowly until the last chapter.
Then there is Harold, a prior professor that invests so much in Jude's life and career. He loved Jude's brilliant mind and earnestly this man behave. He and his wife, Julia always have Jude and his friends coming around during Thanksgiving. Harold even loves Willem, JB, and Malcolm.
The months are explained briefly in a paragraph and after. So many names, during his college days, works, JB's friend that also Jude's friend, JB's artist circle, Harold's close friend that also mentioned in the book. This frustrates me since I am worst remembering my name. So my easy mind keeps thinking why they even mentioned if they don't have a life in the book. Like Asian Henry Young, Lucien, India....and many more that they don't even speak in the book.
Actually, the dialogues are not the majority of this book. The author loves to describe the situation inside the heart or the surrounding in very beautiful prose. I don't mind at all, but 700+ pages are too much. Me-being inpatient sometimes skips the paragraph, only to come back again because the plot jumping and made me confused.
Despite that, I love how the author describes JB's art and his process to gain it. Many of the persons in the book are artists or lawyers and the author makes really good work to provide detail in them.
Yet, the description of how Jude's past is so vividly may bring trauma for the readers. Jude's character, even as the Author's intention to create an 'irreparable character', is so stubborn and proud. His friends said it was his charm, but for me, he is a dickhead. I have loathed Jude so much in one chapter because he is being narcissistic, sadistic and did not believe anyone at all. But I found my heart shattered at the next chapter because of learning Jude's past.
The vivid detail of how Jude frequently cuts his hand and leg is disturbing and sad. The author did a good job describing why and how Jude is Jude. What inside Jude's feeling and his consistent stubbornness.
Even all the main characters are male, I felt they are a very romantic person. Willem especially is very sensitive and caring. Even JB and Malcolm. And then Harold, how he treats Jude like his precious little girl. And there is a little portion of a woman in the book. Yes, there is Julia, but, she's just one level above cameo in the book. Aside she's being a scientist, I don't remember much about her.
I have an ambivalent feeling about reading this book. I love the Author's prose, I love the depth of his characterization. But reading this book, only give me depression. I don' see a silver lining aside from the sad, sad, sad story of a successful man who has anything in the present but is deeply trapped in the past.
And why they never visit the Vietnamese restaurant any more? since in the beginning it is described they fequently came to there. But it only took once in the book. Maybe it is because the author try to resume decades of their life in the book and didn't want to skip or jump, so sometime small detail is forgotten.
And finally, I don't feel Osamu Dazai's vibe in here aside from suicidal thoughts. The mind labyrinth that trapped a man. So, if you love a very sad story that is well written for 700+ pages, then this is your choice.
Ah, after reading this book, I realize one thing. That we must grateful for the present. What life has given us, loving people surround us, even if we have a regretful past.
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