A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
This is a very big book!! Just to give you a warning! Another warning is that this is not for the faint hearted and carries within it a very dark and disturbing reality which doesn’t get a full reveal until a long way through the book. It’s the tale of a group of friends who have just finished university and set up home together in New York. They have very strong connections with each other and we trace them through their professional careers and relationships. We have an artist, a lawyer, an actor and one who doesn’t need to work as he has wealthy parents. All the characters are interesting but the author increasingly focuses on Jude who is a very damaged soul both physically and mentally. We will him to enjoy life. We delight in his relationships with adoptive parents and lover…
The experience of entering Jude’s life is like becoming part of an obsession you can’t shake off, even when reading becomes painful .
Once you are hooked , and if you have a strong stomach, you will be unable to concentrate on anything else till the book is finished.
EM