A Little Life

Hanya Yanagihara's second novel is a gripping masterpiece plunging the reader into realms of the human experience ranging from the deeply poignant to abject cruelty. Set mainly in contemporary New York City, 'A Little Life' details the complex and evolving friendship uniting four men from disparate backgrounds whose sense of mutual interest extends beyond the mercenary needs of managing one's housing budget in a desperately expensive city. The mysterious Jude, the most fragile and vulnerable member of the quartet, becomes the hub around which their lives and destinies revolve in a way which simultaneously reveals both the possibilities of limitless compassion displayed towards this victim of trauma and Jude's own seemingly irrational reaction towards people of good will in his life. It is very rare that a novelist succeeds in creating a credible universe which is both thought-provoking and disturbing which the reader will deeply miss upon completing the novel. An unforgettable and very haunting read.