“Friendship was witnessing another’s slow drip of miseries, and long bouts of boredom, and occasional triumphs. It was feeling honored by the privilege of getting to be present for another person’s most dismal moments, and knowing that you could be dismal around him in return.”

A story that will haunt me for the rest of my life, and I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing.

Aware that A Little Life would destroy me with its gut-wrenching story and would make me shed tears, I was still surprised that it was this heavy. I always say that I read books to escape this world, but this book brought me back to reality—the cruelty that it carries and also the kindness it gives—with the characters that you can't help but be astounded by their depth, making them as tangible as this life itself. And by the time I finished this book, I knew that parts of me would see this world differently. I would see him in everything and for everything that I see.

Hanya Yanagihara knew how to use her language, with each word having a visceral way that both tether you to the fine line between the darkest places and the beauties of life. It vividly captured the realities of people in adulthood having existential crises due to pressure and societal norms—having a clear path at certain age, relationship, marriage, children, etc. At its core, this book discusses traumas that will have you in misery and grief that will constantly remind you that Jude is only one of the many whose going through the same in this cruel world.

Note: I desperately beg you to read the TWs first before reading this book. PLEASE.