A Little Life
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A Little Life
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Narrated by:
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Oliver Wyman
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By:
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Hanya Yanagihara
About this listen
'I'm not exaggerating when I say this novel challenged everything I thought I knew about love and friendship. It's one of those books that stays with you forever' – Dua Lipa
The million-copy bestseller, Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life, by the author of To Paradise, is an immensely powerful and heartbreaking novel of brotherly love and the limits of human endurance.
Winner of Fiction of the Year at the British Book Awards
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize
Shortlisted for the Women's Prize
Finalist for the US National Book Award for Fiction
When four graduates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity.
Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he'll not only be unable to overcome – but that will define his life forever.
'Yanagihara takes you so deeply into the lives and minds of these characters that you struggle to leave them behind' – The Times
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Critic reviews
"In person Yanagihara is breezily intellectual; all bright red lipstick, sparkly jewellery and cobalt-blue heels. And yet A Little Life has at its heart a darkness so profound you wonder both where it came from and how she mustered the courage to confront it…She is, she says, very much the sort of person who walks past strangely located doors or evocatively seedy windows and immediately wonders what lives exist behind them. For Yanagihara, you feel, they’re more likely to be damaged than not." (Alison Roberts, Evening Standard)
"The English language novel that affected me most this year. It’s long and unrelenting but completely compelling - and it tells you, as no other novel I know does, that there are harms and injuries in life from which no recovery is possible." (David Sexton, Evening Standard)
"Unlike anything I’ve read before." (Alex Preston, The Observer)
What listeners say about A Little Life
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Little Bird
- 14-12-15
The most moved I've been by a book
Both the narration and the story were excellent. Moving, relatable, bittersweet, tender and beautifully written.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bethany Tamayo
- 12-09-18
Stunning
An epic. An absolute must-listen but be prepared for emotional turmoil! A true work of literature that explored the human condition.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sue156
- 20-11-16
Captivating
This is one of the most captivating books I have listened to. Although I was doubtful in the first few chapters and had to get used to the narrator's accent and delivery - I then became enthralled. The language of the book is beautiful - how she captures each characters thoughts and motivations through her description is truly breathtaking and had me going back to listen to a sentence again on more occasions than I have ever done before. The story of the long term friendship of the men and how it all interweaves is immense and Jude - well what can I say about Jude - I know he'd never let me hug him but that's what I did throughout the book. I'm going to give it a few months and then listen to it all over again. Be prepared for a deep intense powerful human story that is wonderfully written
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sam Leeming
- 24-02-17
Harrowing and Heartbreaking
The narrater was brilliant at translating the emotion between characters. It's a long book. It's really sad too...Thoroughly exploring how devastating a life its main character has. At times I didn't want to go on the journey but I'm glad I did. It is a well rendered world the author has created of a group of friends throughout their lives together.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- fiona
- 19-04-17
Excellent but harrowing
This book was absolutely fantastic,however and times very hard to listen too.I cried several times whilst listening to it but couldn't stop.Loved all the characters and their shared history and stories.A classic for our times ❤️
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ruby
- 31-03-16
Simply stunning
A long time to dedicate to listen/read a book but the story allows itself to be put down and picked up again.
A beautiful book
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- katie
- 10-04-16
Amazingly written, very worthy of being shortlisted for the Booker Prize
The first ten to twelve hours of the book is hard to follow and very slow, I abandoned the book twice before starting over again.
The first half of the book gives very little indication of what a fantastic story A Little Life is.one of the most amazingly written books I have read/listened to for a long time!
Loved the way one character thoughts blends into another's . Reader has a good voice.
A very gentle outlook on mental Ill health, self harm and child abuse. With a powerful look at survival
If you only read one book this year, make it this one ...amazing
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Catcaty86
- 18-07-16
Incredible
Loved it, heartbreaking, raw, talent, absorbing, brilliant, felt part of the story from the beginning
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joni J Mielke
- 21-03-20
Heartbreakingly beautiful, masterful narration
This book may be described as brutal because it deals with very painful, difficult subjects, but it is also beautiful and profoundly moving as it delves through the complexities and painful burdens of a life under siege. Deceptively simple in the beginning, A Little Life is the story of four very different men who meet and become friends in college. Gradually, however, the narrative focuses its intensity on Jude St. Francis, an orphan abused from a young age, who inflicts pain on himself with irresistible compulsion as he tries to quell the demons within himself. All the while, he maintains a thriving, successful career as a ruthlessly efficient prosecutor. His good looks belie his brokeness; this is a tale that goes so much deeper than the external facade. I don't know if "enjoyment" is the right word for what I got from this. There is no escapism here. But it is necessary, and for that reason more people should read or listen to it. But be warned, it isn't easy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Elsie
- 16-09-19
emotional rollercoaster
I found the first few minutes difficult to get into due to the number of male characters and trying to work out which one was speaking but then... wow.
Incredibly well written, made me cry (a lot), made me think, made me reassess my life, made me laugh. Brilliant narrator.
Thoroughly recommend.
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