'A Little Life' by Hanya Yanagihara

Gorgeously crafted, Yanagihara’s ‘A Little Life’ is truly special. I was hooked throughout, devouring it chapter after chapter, so that the 700 plus pages felt like nothing at all. A true signifier for any stunning work, I was stuck in a paradox: I wanted to keep reading but didn’t want to finish - I didn’t want to leave the characters behind.

The relationships in the novel are absorbing and complex, focusing on four friends: Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcolm. It is so wonderful to see this small group of men throughout their lives together, from their college days at Lispenard Street to their later years. Throughout, their individual personalities are expressed alongside their interactions with the others in their lives, and the shifting dynamics between each of them — the way they change or realise each other’s qualities as they grow — is intricately beautiful. As they age, there is a tone of reminiscence, and these emotionally charged reflections feel both honest and homely.

An interesting feature of the novel is the switches in perspective. This gives us not only an insight into each character’s life, but also allows us to appreciate their thoughts, actions, and - most importantly perhaps - feelings. It is intriguing to see what they think of their own lives and of each other, the situations around them, sometimes with conflicting ideas from different characters. At times, it makes one wish they could simply hear each other’s thoughts; the things they will not say.

Another key feature is the manner of narration. Not quite chronological, the story parallels the “present” with memories, jumping around in time in the way that one may reflect on the past. The men grow older, but it is in the gradual revelations of their pasts that we see even more of them and what has carved who they become.

Utterly charming and profound, Yanagihara’s writing is poetic and absorbing, making the reader truly love the characters. I felt sorry to leave them, like they were my own friends as well as each other’s, a segment of my life that I will not easily forget. It sounds cliche, and perhaps one does not know it until it happens, but I can honestly say that this is a life changing work.

There is a question whether one can discuss the topics discussed in this novel without some aspect of voyeurism. The sensitivity with which Yanagihara handles these subjects, however, is apt and graceful, marrying shock and raw realism with poetic thought and consideration.

There is so much I could discuss, so many springboards for incredible conversations, but there is the phenomenon of tricksy things called spoilers, so I’ll leave the discovery to you.