24 Mar Book Review: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

There are books that are difficult to read, not because of the writing itself, but because they demand so much of you emotionally. A Little Life is one of those books. It’s raw, devastating, and relentless in its depiction of trauma and suffering, but it’s also one of the most beautifully written and deeply moving novels I’ve ever encountered. It’s a book that lingers, weighing on you like a bruise long after you’ve turned the final page. If you’re looking for something light and hopeful, this isn’t it. But if you’re ready for an experience that will completely consume you, keep reading.

What’s it about?

At its core, A Little Life is a story about four college friends—Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcolm—who move to New York City in search of success, belonging, and meaning in their lives. Over the course of decades, their friendships evolve, their careers take shape, and their personal struggles unfold in ways both deeply intimate and tragically inevitable.

Jude St. Francis is the heart of the novel, though calling him a protagonist almost feels too simple—he is the axis around which the entire story spins. When we first meet him, he is a brilliant but reserved young man with a promising career in law. But beneath his composed exterior, he carries unspeakable trauma. He refuses to talk about his past, and his friends learn not to ask. What they do know is that he was raised in a monastery under mysterious and painful circumstances, and that he lives with chronic pain from injuries he won’t explain.

As the novel progresses, Jude’s past is revealed in fragments, and each revelation is more horrifying than the last. He was abandoned as a baby, raised in an abusive monastery, and later became the victim of horrifying exploitation at the hands of the very people who were supposed to protect him. His childhood was a series of betrayals and unimaginable suffering, and as an adult, he continues to inflict pain on himself as a way of coping with the deep-seated belief that he is unworthy of love.

Despite his trauma, Jude is surrounded by people who love him. Willem, his best friend, is an aspiring actor with a kind and patient heart. JB, a talented but self-destructive artist, provides both humor and conflict in their group. Malcolm, an architect from a wealthy background, struggles with his own sense of identity and purpose. Over the years, their friendships shift, sometimes growing closer, sometimes fracturing under the weight of their personal struggles.

Willem, in particular, becomes Jude’s greatest source of comfort. Their relationship, which starts as friendship, eventually deepens into something more. Willem is the only person Jude truly trusts, the only one who can get close without triggering his overwhelming sense of fear and shame. But even Willem’s love isn’t enough to undo the damage that has been done.

Jude’s self-loathing manifests in self-harm, which he hides from his friends for as long as he can. He believes, deep down, that he doesn’t deserve happiness, that he is irreparably broken. His past trauma is not just something that haunts him—it is something that actively consumes him, preventing him from fully embracing the love and acceptance he is offered.

The novel doesn’t shy away from depicting the brutal realities of trauma and mental illness. There are moments of light, brief glimpses of happiness, but they are often fleeting. Jude’s pain is unrelenting, and despite the unwavering love of Willem, Harold (his adoptive father figure), and others who try to help him, his suffering never truly abates.

As the years go by, the novel explores the limits of love and friendship—whether love is enough to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, and whether suffering on this scale can ever be escaped.

In the end, A Little Life is not a redemption story. It is not about healing, and it is not about overcoming trauma. It is about survival—about the ways people learn to live with their pain, and the ways they sometimes don’t. It is one of the most unflinching portrayals of suffering in modern literature, and it asks the reader to sit with that suffering without offering easy answers.

What This Chick Thinks

A deeply moving but emotionally exhausting read

This book is not for the faint of heart. It is brutal, relentless, and overwhelming, but it is also stunningly written. Hanya Yanagihara doesn’t just tell you Jude’s story—she immerses you in it, making you feel his pain as if it were your own. It’s one of the most visceral reading experiences I’ve ever had.

One of the most heartbreaking characters in literature

Jude St. Francis is one of the most tragic, beautifully written characters I’ve ever encountered. His pain is so deeply ingrained, his suffering so intense, that even the moments of love and warmth feel fragile, as if they could shatter at any moment. Watching him try to navigate relationships, to accept kindness even as he believes he doesn’t deserve it, is devastating.

A haunting portrayal of trauma and its aftermath

This book does not sugarcoat trauma. It does not offer easy resolutions or happy endings. It shows the long-term impact of abuse, the way it seeps into every aspect of a person’s life, shaping how they see themselves and the world around them. It is a difficult but important portrayal, one that doesn’t shy away from the darkest corners of human suffering.

Beautiful, immersive writing

Yanagihara’s prose is rich and poetic, filled with sentences that feel like punches to the gut. The novel moves through time effortlessly, weaving past and present together in a way that makes the reader feel like they are living Jude’s life alongside him. The writing is intimate, deeply introspective, and incredibly powerful.

Final Thoughts

A Little Life is a novel that demands everything from its reader. It is brilliant, heartbreaking, and emotionally devastating. It is not a book that offers easy lessons or comforting resolutions—it is a book that forces you to sit with pain, to witness suffering, and to ask yourself difficult questions about love, trauma, and survival.

If you’re looking for a light, hopeful read, this is not the book for you. But if you are willing to dive into something that will leave you emotionally shattered, A Little Life is one of the most powerful novels you will ever read.

Rating: 9/10

Try it if you like

• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – Another long, deeply introspective novel about trauma, art, and survival.
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro – A beautifully written but devastating story about loss and longing.
• The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne – A sweeping novel that follows one man’s life through love, loss, and self-discovery.