The Power and Pain of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Hanya Yanagihara A Little Life Retail Epub: A Review
If you are looking for a book that will make you cry, laugh, and think, then you might want to check out Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life. This epic novel tells the story of four friends who move to New York City after college and struggle with their careers, relationships, and personal demons. It is a powerful and emotional exploration of love, friendship, trauma, and redemption that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
Hanya Yanagihara A Little Life Retail Epub
The Plot
The book follows the lives of Jude St. Francis, Willem Ragnarsson, Malcolm Irvine, and JB Marion, who meet at a prestigious New England college and form a close bond. They move to New York City in their twenties and pursue their dreams in different fields: Jude becomes a successful lawyer, Willem an actor, Malcolm an architect, and JB an artist. However, their lives are not as glamorous as they seem. Each of them faces challenges and hardships that test their friendship and their sense of self.
The most complex and mysterious character is Jude, who suffers from chronic physical pain and mental trauma due to his abusive past. He was abandoned as a baby, raised in a monastery where he was sexually abused by the monks, kidnapped by a pimp who sold him to pedophiles, rescued by a doctor who became his adoptive father but also molested him, and tortured by his ex-boyfriend who cut his legs with a razor blade. Jude tries to hide his scars and his secrets from his friends, but they gradually learn more about his history and try to help him heal.
The book spans several decades, from the 1980s to the present day, and shows how the characters grow older, change, succeed, fail, love, lose, and cope with their tragedies and joys. It is a sweeping saga that covers many topics such as sexuality, race, class, art, fame, addiction, violence, illness, death, and more.
The Themes
One of the main themes of the book is the meaning of life. The title A Little Life refers to both Jude's life and the lives of all human beings who are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The book asks what makes life worth living when there is so much suffering and pain in the world. It also explores how people find happiness and purpose in different ways: through work, art, family, friends, religion, or something else.
Another theme is the power of love. The book shows how love can heal wounds but also cause them. It portrays different kinds of love: romantic love, platonic love, familial love, self-love, etc. It examines how love can be unconditional or conditional, healthy or toxic, mutual or unrequited. It also depicts how love can change over time: grow stronger or weaker, evolve or fade away.
A third theme is the impact of trauma. The book illustrates how trauma can affect people physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. It demonstrates how trauma can shape one's identity, personality, behavior, and relationships. It also reveals how trauma can be inherited, transmitted, or overcome. It questions whether trauma can ever be fully healed or forgiven.
The Style
The book is written in a rich and detailed prose that immerses the reader in the characters' thoughts and feelings. The author uses various literary devices such as metaphors, similes, imagery, symbolism, and foreshadowing to enhance the meaning and the mood of the story. The book is divided into seven parts, each named after a different character and focusing on their perspective. The book also switches between different time periods, sometimes using flashbacks or flash-forwards to reveal information or create suspense.
The book is very long, with over 700 pages and more than 200 chapters. Some chapters are only a few pages long, while others are more than 50 pages long. The book is also very dense, with many descriptions, dialogues, and inner monologues that can be challenging to follow. The book is not for the faint of heart, as it contains graphic scenes of violence, abuse, and self-harm that can be disturbing and triggering for some readers.
The Reception
The book was published in 2015 and received mixed reviews from critics and readers. Some praised it as a masterpiece of contemporary literature, a moving and profound portrait of human condition, and a rare and unforgettable reading experience. Others criticized it as a melodramatic and manipulative soap opera, a depressing and relentless torture porn, and a pretentious and overrated waste of time.
The book was nominated for several awards, such as the Man Booker Prize, the National Book Award, and the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction. It also became a bestseller and a cultural phenomenon, generating a lot of discussion and debate among fans and haters. The book has been adapted into a stage play in 2018 and is currently being developed into a TV series by Amazon Studios.
Conclusion
Hanya Yanagihara A Little Life Retail Epub is a book that will make you feel many emotions: sadness, anger, joy, hope, despair, etc. It is a book that will make you think about many questions: what is life, what is love, what is trauma, etc. It is a book that will make you appreciate your own life and the people in it. It is not an easy book to read, but it is a book that you will not forget.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the book and their answers:
Q: Why is the book called A Little Life?
A: The author has said that the title has multiple meanings. One is that it refers to Jude's life, which he considers to be small and insignificant. Another is that it refers to the lives of all human beings, who are nothing but specks of dust in the universe. A third is that it refers to the idea that life is short and precious, and that we should make the most of it.
Q: Is the book based on a true story?
A: No, the book is entirely fictional. However, the author has said that she was inspired by some real-life events and people, such as the AIDS epidemic in New York City in the 1980s and 1990s, the child abuse scandals in the Catholic Church, and the friendship between writer Truman Capote and actor Jack Dunphy.
Q: How did the author research the book?
A: The author has said that she did not do much research for the book, as she wanted to rely on her imagination and intuition. She did consult some experts on certain topics, such as law, medicine, and architecture, but she also made up some facts and details to suit her story. She also said that she did not visit any of the places she wrote about, such as Hawaii, Massachusetts, or France, but she used Google Maps and Wikipedia to get some information.
Q: What is the significance of the cover art?
A: The cover art features a photograph of a man's face with his eyes closed and his mouth open. The man is Peter Hujar, a famous photographer who died of AIDS in 1987. The photograph is called "Orgasmic Man" and was taken in 1969. The author has said that she chose this image because it captures both ecstasy and agony, which are two emotions that pervade the book. She also said that she wanted to pay tribute to Hujar and his work, which influenced her own aesthetic and vision.
Q: What is retail epub?
MOBI or AZW, which are usually converted from other sources or downloaded illegally. Retail epub books are supposed to have higher quality and accuracy than other formats.
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