The controversy of A Little Life

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A Little Life is a controversial novel that book lovers either “love” or “hate.”

Many books in the online community stir up debate, but none have been as controversial as A Little Life, a 2015 literary novel by Hanya Yanagihara. At a whopping 800 pages, this lengthy book follows the lives of four friends in New York City, flashing between their childhood and adulthood. 

There is one tiny thing not mentioned in this description: every trigger warning known to man is included and prevalent in this book. I mean it— an online trigger warning list mentions 25 total warnings. When graphic depictions of rape, abuse, and self-harm are not on the page, depressing character developments or situations will always be there to ensure a concerning frown remains on your face. 

As you may have guessed, many readers have labeled this book as trauma porn, a term used to describe any art or medium that exploits the trauma of another person for the mere benefit of shock value or getting a rise out of a reader. They argue that Jude, one of the main characters, endures an inconceivable amount of suffering that is not paired with any lesson or message.

One could argue that the book's point is that there is no point. This unofficial theme of “life can just suck” is either perceived as blunt and brave or edgy and corny by the online community— I have not seen any opinion in between.

I can see both sides: On one hand, raw, unapologetic art that doesn’t sugarcoat the narrative can be refreshing; however, what does a reader gain from slogging through hundreds of pages chocked full of unrelenting dread with no reprieve?

This poses a more philosophical question: Does art owe anything to those who consume it? For this reason, A Little Life can not be labeled as objectively useless; while many have claimed to gain nothing but a negative mindset from this novel, others have deemed it one of the most impactful things they have ever read. 

While I can not end this feud between A Little Life lovers and haters, I can add my own thoughts. I read this novel during my freshman year at college and — dare I say— enjoyed it a lot. The backlash and critiques on this book are incredibly valid, though, and I would not recommend it to anyone who wants to stray away from triggers and/or the absolute antithesis of feel-good stories. 

One thing that bothered me was the obscene amount of trauma Jude faces. If she had cut Jude’s trauma in half, I truly think the author could have created a more effective story with the same ending, plot beats, and character mindsets. His backstory was heart-wrenching at first, but as the pages went on, I would scoff in disbelief and think: What a surreal string of things to happen to just one person!

Unfortunately, the number of disturbing plot points accumulated to a laughable degree almost shattered my immersion in a book otherwise written in such a human, realistic, and relatable way. This is my one gripe, though it is so large that it prevents me from recommending this book to others. 

That said, I think A Little Life may be my favorite book— or, at the very least, one I think about the most. This is attributed solely to Yanigihara’s writing style; her prose is emotional and descriptive in ways that are not dense and bring these characters to life. The relationships and characters are so tangible that the fond times and emotional turmoil never fail to bring me to tears.

It is the little moments— like Jude making food for those he loves, the pure love between the characters, or when a mentor legally adopts his favorite pupil —where this book excels; you begin to understand every character like the palm of your hand. It is a shame that these elements get overshadowed by the gritty narrative. 

While it sounds silly, the writing saves this book for me. A novel was the perfect medium to portray this story, filled with horror and borderline sadism, as delicately and beautifully as possible. To depict this story on the big screen or as a stage play —an idea that actually came to fruition last year— would strip it of its redeeming qualities and, in my opinion, border on being unethical for viewers.