A Little Life By Hanya Yanagihara

A Little Life is a special work of art because it consists of the two most important requirements for a great read - a story that captures, and skillful writing that elevates it. It is a tale that is thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, and sometimes frustrating and aggravating.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara - the description at the back of the book:

When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel painter pursuing fame in the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their center of gravity.

Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself; by midlife a terrifyingly talented lawyer yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by unspeakable childhood, and haunted by a degree of trauma that he fears he will not only be unable to overcome- but that will define his life forever.

This book is long, to say the least. It's a 700+ page novel that spans the life of four friends, Malcolm, JB, Willem, and Jude. Although it is based on this group of four friends and their lives together, it also takes a deep dive into the life of each character.

Although the story is set in the late 20th and early 21st century United States, none of the significant historical events of the time play a part in the story (for example, 9/11 and the events proceeding it). The troubles and triumphs of each character are timeless and do not need a definite cultural and historical setting to be understood.

The tone of the writing is sad, with a constant hint of nostalgia. Yanagihara is an especially talented writer and this is clear from the fact that the pain of the characters can be felt through the pages. No matter their flaws, you can't help but root for them. You truly understand that it is human nature is to make mistakes and not always do the right thing - but it is important to seek forgiveness, empathize, and grow.

The entire book is written in the third person, with only a small section of it in the first person. At times, writing in the third person can feel impersonal as it is hard to truly gauge the nature of the characters. But that is definitely not the case with this book. It is impossible to not get emotionally attached to these characters - who you feel like you completely understand by the end (whether you like them or not).

The impacts of race on friendship - the maintenance and continuation of it, are considered in a thought-provoking manner in the story. Willem is White, JB Black, Malcolm half Black and Jude's racial identity is unknown, just like a lot else of Jude.

Willem, who appears as just another nice, thoughtful person from a small village in the US, has a tough background. His brother Hemming has a disability and he is the only one in his family who ever tried to understand him. His relationship with his parents is tense. They never speak about anything really - significant or insignificant. But he is still grateful for them, for never protesting against his dreams of becoming an actor.

Malcolm is the only one from a wealthy family. His entire adult life is spent trying to prove to his parents (especially his father) that he can make it on his own, and that architecture was a good decision for him. His life is different from the rest owing to his family's wealth and his attitude towards success is different owing to the same reason.

JB (short for Jean-Baptiste) is an extremely talented painter. He's the most outgoing and fun-loving of the lot but is often inconsiderate towards his friends' feelings and other commitments. He quickly becomes a success in the art world, but this leads to a rift in his friendship with Willem and Jude - due to a reason concerned with Jude's fear of feeling 'exposed' in front of a large group of people. JB's life is filled with its own set of trials though. His eventual distancing from his friendships leads to him falling into bad company and bad habits. He struggles with drug addiction and Yanagihara paints a painful but realistic depiction of this experience.

Jude is the most mysterious of them all. He has a traumatic past that he never speaks about. He maintains a close relationship with his friends but is still very secretive. He is closed off, but kind; he always feels a sense of inadequacy amongst his friends and tries to make up for this by helping them with chores, always cleaning up the place, cooking, and taking care of them. Jude's story is the most painful of them all.

The book deals with very dark and adult themes, but the core of it is an almost childlike one- the power of friendship. As the characters grow older, their personalities, ideologies, and perspectives growing alongside them, they still maintain the fading and changing but the constant bond of their friendship. The author has painted a tragic story of lives filled with pain, suffering, and loss. But it is beautiful at the same time - due to hope and happiness found in the large triumphs and small moments of kindness and love. Reading this story will fill you with grief, warmth, hope, anger, sadness, and a mixture of other feelings.

If you're someone who loves a long book, you'll especially enjoy this one. And if you're someone who dislikes long books, this one will change your opinion.

Trigger warnings for the book: self-harm, addiction, abuse.

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