February 2022 Standalone BOTM - A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara

[Alaina]

When four classmates 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cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their center of gravity.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.

**This BOTM thread will be open until March 5th @ Midnight (in your time zone)**

[Haley]

Ooo I just got this book for Christmas! I might join in on this :)

[Shay]

Part I
(view spoiler)[
I kinda like it so far. The part about Willem and his relationship with his brother was so emotional. The way the book is written makes me want to read more of it so I can know more about Jude's background, at the same time I think I want to shout at him for refusing to get help.
(hide spoiler)]

[Shay]

Part II
(view spoiler)[
Here is the thing. The way the book is written already tells you to expect more pain and more bad things that these characters will live through in the next pages. I like the book so far, but there are times when it gets harder to read because the terrible things that happened to Jude at such a young age.
I somehow find myself taking longer breaks before going back to the book.
(hide spoiler)]

[Isabel]

Starting this today! I've heard that it's heart-breaking

[Isabel]

As a question: Can one finish this like a BR until two weeks after the one's last post ?

[Isabel]

Update 1:

22%
(view spoiler)[ The switch between the present and the past is so well done.
I'm really enjoying the relationships between the four boys. Jude has had a hell of a childhood but I'm a little disappointed as to why no one tries to push him harder to get help. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

Today is the last day to post on this thread! Tomorrow it will be closed.