Book Review of ‘A Little Life’, by Hanya Yanagihara

‘A Little Life’, a 736-page novel by Hanya Yanagihara, is 736 pages of slow heartbreak. And it is one of the most incredible books I have read in a very long time.

The novel was published in 2015, and it still holds a strong presence in the literary world. A theatrical adaptation of the story by The West End Theatre ran in 2023, and the book itself has its own Instagram account. A book having its own account may sound silly, but the account still posts often, even ten years after the novel’s publishing date. The account posts content related to the novel, like photography, information about the theater adaptation, related art by fans, and even tattoos inspired by the book. 

‘A Little Life’ has sparked many discussions amongst readers and others involved in the literary community. The book explores many difficult and harrowing topics, and it would be a lie to say the story isn’t a hard read. The novel includes subject matter that is not only traumatic and highly emotional, but also graphic and blunt.

The novel follows four young men living in New York City who have been friends since college. The perspective from which we see the story unfold bounces around often among the four characters, Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcom. As the story continues, however, the narrators we actually get to hear from are whittled down to just two of the four friends. We watch as the men all struggle to find their place in the world after college, and we sympathize as they struggle through money problems, substance abuse and addiction, trauma, and their mental health.

I went into reading ‘A Little Life’ knowing that I would cry. That was all I knew. I’m glad I went into it so blindly, because if I had known the plot, I may never have picked it up, and that would be a grave mistake.

First of all, I am known to have a certain morbid love for stories that explore dark subject matter like abuse, mental health, and trauma, so if those things aren’t for you and you are more of a “happy ending” reader, I recommend proceeding with extreme caution. You should proceed, though. If you think you can. It’s just so, so good.

The novel has been criticized by many for being too focused on trauma, or for leaning into the trauma part of the plot and thus neglecting other aspects of the story. However, I think that while it is fair to say the novel fixates on trauma, I do not think this is in exchange for other aspects of the story. I have seen many reviews and articles labeling the book as “trauma porn”. The term itself seems a little vulgar to me, as I feel it exploits the feelings that are associated with trauma and twists it in a way that is marketed as pleasing to individuals with a “dark” taste in stories.

What classifies something as trauma porn? It is described to mean that the plot of a story is “fixated on the traumatic events experienced by their characters, perhaps neglecting other aspects of characterization or plotting in favor of detailed explorations of trauma” (Wall PhD in English Literature, 2025)).

This definition does not apply to ‘A Little Life’, in my opinion.

The novel is 736 pages. I may be blabbing about how incredible it is, but to be fair, it did take me a while to get through. The novel is so dense, the story so long and personal, that it is hard to imagine the book wouldn’t be a little slow. But why is it slow? Why does it feel like it takes a while to get to “the good stuff”? Because for at least half of the novel, we are living life right alongside the characters.

We watch them perform mundane tasks, do their jobs, meet with friends, fight with others, go to parties, and so on. We, as the readers, are completely intertwined with the four men long before much of the full story and graphic wording related to traumatic incidents even begins to come to a head. We follow Jude as he makes difficult work/life transitions, Willem as he works to become an actor, JB as he continuously struggles to be recognized for his art, and Malcolm as he creates model homes and dreams of designing them for his career. The personalities of the characters are thoroughly explored, both with and without the added aspect of trauma.

When we finally start to learn more about the trauma that some of the characters carry, it isn’t until pretty far into the book. I can tell you this because I was dragging myself through the mundane lives of these men day by day, slowly learning more about them and their lives, and then suddenly, I picked up the book and didn’t want to put it down again. The subtle hints and underlying issues began to rise to light, and I knew the men so well that it felt like flipping through an old friend’s photo album; finding out about their past and what made them who they are was a privilege.

While many of the events described in this part of the book are horrific and disgusting, I still felt that learning of them was a necessity to fully understand certain characters. So, no, I do not think this book should be called “trauma porn”. I think it is a deeply emotional book that explores subject matter that is incredibly difficult to digest, but because of that it only helps to create more of a raw connection between the readers and the story. Being faced with the traumatic past of characters you have grown to know and love truly touches your heart and pulls you through the pages.

In the literary community, I feel like it is often that stories involving mental health, trauma, and other touchy or graphic subjects are put on some sort of pedestal. Books blow up on social media because of how much readers have sobbed while consuming them. Trigger warnings are not always heeded, in fact, in my personal experience, I have felt that trigger warnings act as a flame, and readers the moth. If a person is damaged in a specific way, would they not possibly feel drawn to stories about similar experiences? Is it not often an author’s intention to relate to people who are not often heard?

So, I do think ‘A Little Life’ is put on a pedestal, and while I think it deserves that place, I also see that it is not only the writing that is being held in high regard. Hurt people read hurt. Is this a bad thing? Well, I think it depends. It depends on the reader, and their situation.

Such emotional subject material as that in ‘A Little Life’ is not what I believe should place it upon a pedestal, but I do think the book itself deserves a very high scoring. The ability to write trauma well and to draw such emotion from readers is an incredible skill, though, and for that I do place this book highly on my list of favorites.

Another topic that causes much of the discourse surrounding this novel is the topic of queer representation. The characters all have different experiences with their sexuality, and almost all of the men are seen in some sort of same-sex relationship at some point in the book. This, as well as the book’s fair reputation of being a damaging sob-fest, begs the question; Is this good queer representation? Also, what is good representation?

Slight spoilers about specific character experiences coming up!

There are many mixed feelings and arguments surrounding this book and its queer representation. In ‘A Little Life’, the character that suffers from the brunt of the traumatic baggage in the story (Jude) is also portrayed as being queer. This alone bothers some people, because it has long been a cliché that queer people are always damaged in some way and can never have a “happy ending”. It is hard to see it so often reflected in media that a person identifying as a part of the LGBTQ+ community cannot live a life without struggle and extreme hardships.

In addition to this specific character being queer in adulthood, Jude is the victim of sexual abuse as a child at the hands of men, including members and staff of the catholic boys home in which he spent many of his childhood years. This is another understandably sensitive narrative to people within the queer community. It is often a misunderstood and offensive narrative that someone is gay because of something that happened to them in the past, or they were “made” gay. This, in combination with the extra stereotype that catholic priests molest young boys, understandably creates tension within readers.

As the now adult version of that child grows and has relationships with only men throughout the story, it is assumed Jude is gay. He actually never “comes out” or truly states he even has a sexual preference. However, the idea that he was molested by a priest and is now gay in adulthood can be seen as a harmful message.

In addition to this character’s experience with queerness, two others in the group are also shown to have queer experiences. Again, no one actually comes out as gay or speaks too intensely about the topic. It seems to be accepted amongst the group that they are all growing and finding themselves, experimenting and allowing themselves to be fluid. There is no heavy conversation about being gay unless it is regarding Jude and his trauma, his confusion about his own body and sexuality as an adult, or about Willem coming to realize he is in love with Jude and what that means for him.

I do question, though, if this all means that ‘A Little Life’ is not good representation? Even though the story does take a dismal path and does not hold back from piling trauma onto queer characters, I feel that it is also a valid approach to representation. In truly representing such a diverse community, it makes sense to show so many different experiences. Stories like this peel back any curtains and allow a perspective that many shy away from. This is the real, gross, nitty gritty stuff that people are afraid to talk about. And in NO WAY is all the trauma in this book a totally accurate comparison to the average queer person’s experience. But it has all happened before. In history, in life, queer people have been abused, and I think that it would be a disservice to ignore the grotesque reality. To be reminded that evil does exist, and the need for change still thrives, is important. While this book does not necessarily represent the queer community in a happy light, I feel that it is still a valid representation of the community. It represents the hardships LGBTQ+ (and cis/het) people have faced, demanding its readers to think deeply and be inspired to fight for change.

‘A Little Life’ by Hanya Yanagihara is an incredibly touching and tortuous novel. There is so much discourse about it because of its greatness, and because of its horrors. Personally. I rated the book a 5/5 on Goodreads. The experience I had while reading this novel was raw and emotional, and it left my eyes red. It was hard to read, but it was, I think, worth it. The story is sad, but it is also happy at times. It is so many things, and I think that with everything it is, ‘A Little Life’ deserves all its praise.

Sources

·       Wall PhD in English Literature, N. (2025) Ten Years of a little life – what’s behind the enduring popularity of Hanya Yanagihara’s ‘trauma porn’ novel?, The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/ten-years-of-a-little-life-whats-behind-the-enduring-popularity-of-hanya-yanagiharas-trauma-porn-novel-252833 (Accessed: 27 March 2025).