A LITTLE LIFE

by Hanya Yanagihara
 
I have been wanting to read this book for a long time, and I know I am quite late to the game in singing its praises.  This book is a modern classic, and one of the best books I have read in a long time.
 
For a while I hesitated because I knew the subject matter was dark, and it is over 800 pages, but in the end, I devoured it in less than a week.  A Little Life is the type of book that draws you in so deep that when you finally surface it takes time to re-adjust to the people and places around you.  And when it ends, you feel a physical loss for the characters you will not see again.
 
The story follows a group of four boys who become friends in college and then live most of their adult lives in New York City.  Their friendships and pasts are examined and revealed, and you see them grow and develop over more than thirty years.  One of the boys, Jude St. Francis, is more of a mystery, and as his story unfolds, a truly horrifying narrative takes shape.
 
More than a little bit of this book is disturbing, even hard to read, but I honestly couldn’t stop reading.  I was in love with these boys and wanted to know everything about their lives.  They break your heart over and over, and yet you want to be their friend and share their lives. 
 
If you haven’t already, read this book.  I promise you will be moved. (Lily)

A SECOND HELPING

A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara, which Lily reviewed in February of 2018, is the first book I’d like to offer a second recommendation for, having read it because of Lily’s strong recommendation.  It is quite long, but truly I could not stop reading it.  The characters are so compelling and the story so engaging, you will forget how many pages there are.  Read this book.  The characters will stay with you like old friends for a very long time after you’ve finished it. (Liz)