Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Een klein leven

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Een klein leven by Hanya Yanagihara

19 reviews

farahbear's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I might edit in more of my thoughts later; But for now, I will say this book is pure trauma porn and I hate it. And I know “trauma porn” has been a term thrown around a lot, but I’m not saying that to dismiss a character’s suffering. It’s not that I don’t believe anyone can’t suffer that much. However, I think it is trauma porn simply because everything that happens in the book serves to provide more and more suffering. And I think that’s lazy writing.

For instance, her main character Jude is suffering but he has a support system. Most notably, his adoptive father Harold is there for him. But after noticing that Jude is in an abusive relationship, Harold just so happens to let him go back to his apartment to potentially get hurt again?? When it’s out of his character to do that? You could argue it’s a mistake, but I think because of how it’s written, it comes off only as a plot device to get Jude to suffer more.

Yanagihara is very careless with the reader’s emotions, her style is strong, but because of her atrocious plot structure and her attempts to make Jude a straw man, she ultimately sends a dangerous message to her audience. Additionally, she proudly claims that she has not done any research and it shows. This is especially concerning given that Jude is disabled while she herself is not. And I think if you’re going to write about a character that isn’t of your own community, you owe it to that community to write about them with respect.

Maybe I would’ve given this book 3 stars at the beginning, but once you get to the halfway mark, she neglects certain characters and starts to relentlessly hammer in her pessimism. You end up exhausted. She ultimately ends up sounding cartoonish as well, all in her attempt to tell the reader to give up. Some of Jude’s trauma is just tacked on too, compared to her previous attempts to flesh him out. And she proceeds to do this, and be repetitive, just to illustrate that some people (like Jude) aren’t worth saving. By the end, you feel apathetic, and I don’t think that’s a good thing.

Maybe I’m too optimistic, but I don’t want to ever EVER think that way about anyone and their suffering. I want to believe people can get better. In fact, despite how much suffering, I know people can. I’ve had serious depressive episodes, but usually, when I get to that point, I just want help. Relief. And that isn’t in the form of suicide. Most people are afraid.

So overall, it’s the book’s message that I can’t get behind.

Only credit I will give to the author is that her writing style is fairly accessible. But otherwise just fuck this book.

I urge anyone interested in this story to just not bother, and read something else. If you want a depressing read, I think there’s better books out there.

What makes a book good isn’t because of the depression and trauma involved. A book has to have downs and UPS. Otherwise, it’s not even an interesting story. I once wrote a play with almost the same level of trauma for class, and my screenwriting professor had to remind me that there’s need to be high points for a story to work. I think I didn’t get it at the time, because I used to equate pain with intellectualism. But I do understand now.

Content Warnings

hannahmontanareading's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I think this will be my first and only time reading a little life because that was so hauntingly beautiful, I don't think I'll forget it. I love a book that genuinely immerses me, through emotional response, or just as a page turner. This was both of those things. I found it so engaging and I was desperate to know all I could about that little life!! The way hanya depicts mindsets, and a varied assortment of such mindsets as well, is truly fascinating. I could just be super nosey, but I found the varied perspectives and opinions given to be one of the books most enthralling factors.

I think the author represents a lot of flaws in everyone - I do think perhaps it could be sending a message that one will never recover from trauma, but quite frankly it also creates a platform that viscerally shows the realities of existing with such trauma, possibly quite validating for victims. As the representation contradicts historical notions of insanity etc. associated with trauma and mental illness - Jude is capable of happiness, but perhaps never fully? Not sure where I sit on the ethics of it all...

Heartbroken but so happy to have read it (I would love to see the play version of it too)

Content Warnings