This book, written in an ethereal tone and with great tenderness, is filled with vulnerability, love, and a cultural blend. It tells a beautiful love This book, written in an ethereal tone and with great tenderness, is filled with vulnerability, love, and a cultural blend. It tells a beautiful love story between a Latina girl and an Italian-Pakistani trans boy. While the story deals with delicate issues such as gender identity, I mostly liked this book for its magical realism theme and airy writing!...more
I can see why so many people like this book. It's so brilliantly written! The author Hanya Yanagihara is exceptional at getting inside the heads and hI can see why so many people like this book. It's so brilliantly written! The author Hanya Yanagihara is exceptional at getting inside the heads and hearts of her characters - JB, Malcolm, Willem, and Jude. These characters have all been meticulously crafted, each with distinct interests, hopes, and fears. As the story follows, Jude's brutal childhood full of sexual abuse becomes interwoven with his complex adulthood. Once again, it's simply marvellous! I was truly captivated by the vivid descriptions of J.B.'s art projects. They came alive on the pages, and I yearned to witness them in person and to touch them. The American edition of Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life features a poignant photograph by the artist Peter Hujar. In this striking image, a handsome young man, his eyes clenched shut and his head cradled in his hand, displays an overwhelming sense of despair. This photograph, titled Orgasmic Man is part of a series crafted by Hujar in 1969. As I delved deeper into Hujar's body of work, I couldn't help but draw parallels between his artistic sensibilities and what I imagined J.B.'s art project to be!
Then again, some people are calling it torture porn and I get that too! Yanagihara has portrayed violence with a masterful touch. The depictions are gut-wrenching, unflinchingly violent, and deeply painful to witness, reaching a point where it almost seems deliberate. Not to mention, the section titled "The Happy Years" is nowhere near happy, in fact, it is the most brutally intense part of the story. As a reader, you find yourself contemplating how much more suffering Jude can endure, only to discover that reality surpasses even your darkest expectations! At times, I felt deep a sense of resentment towards the author for making Jude suffer such relentless agony. Every time Jude cut himself or threw himself against the bathroom walls, I felt intense bitterness at Hanya Yanagihara. It all felt so uncomfortable and unreal.
To say that Jude had an abusive childhood would be a major understatement. I can see how the shadows of his past continued to haunt him well into adulthood. At the same time, it's heartwarming to see the unwavering love and support he gets from his chosen family. Willem, J.B., Malcolm, Harold, Julia, Andy, Richard—each of them offered unwavering love and support. Yet, every time they extended their affection or assistance, Jude seemed determined to push them away. The complexities of Jude's relationships, particularly with Willem, were both fascinating and intensely depressing. Jude feared that his own personal troubles might end their friendship, and this fear was palpable throughout the story, and the extent he tried to hide them made me feel deeply sorry for him.
I have a fondness for melancholic literature, for books that have the power to shatter my heart into pieces, and for narratives that make me sob like a baby. However, A Little Life goes beyond merely being a sad book; it's a profoundly depressing read. It's the most depressing book I've ever read. I wouldn't even consider recommending it to my worst enemy!...more
“If you cannot love me, I will die. Before you came I wanted to die, I have told you many times. It is cruel to have made me want to live only to make
“If you cannot love me, I will die. Before you came I wanted to die, I have told you many times. It is cruel to have made me want to live only to make my death more bloody.”
Giovanni's Room penned by James Baldwin transports the readers to the heart of Paris in the 1950s, where he explores the complex issues of sexuality, identity, and love. The story follows David, an American expat living in Europe, who is engaged to Hella, a woman he does not truly love. His life changes when he meets Giovanni, a charming Italian bartender, who awakens a deep and passionate love in him. Their forbidden love unfolds in Giovanni's small and shabby room, marked by moments of both bliss and despair. Meanwhile, David's inner turmoil deepens as he wrestles with his emotions for Giovanni, all while contending with the ominous shadow of societal rejection.
“I was guilty and irritated and full of love and pain. I wanted to kick him and I wanted to take him in my arms.”
I had never experienced such passionate love in a romance novel as the one that Giovanni and David shared. It's raw, poignant, and hauntingly beautiful!...more
“Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows yo
“Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.”
Captivated by its delicate title, I picked up On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous and upon delving into its pages, I found myself immersed in a narrative that lived up to its promise!
Ocean Vuong's novel is a letter, a heartfelt confession from a son to his illiterate mother. Through Little Dog's voice, the story uncovers a family history anchored in Vietnam. Vuong's narrative is a testament to unfiltered honesty and heartfelt vulnerability. It gracefully captures the intricate dynamics between a single mother and her son, portraying a love that's simultaneously delicate and unbreakable. The book's exploration of race, class, gender, sexuality, grief, and masculinity is strikingly candid. It delves deep into the core of the American experience, juxtaposing addiction, violence, and trauma with compassion and tenderness.
This book doesn't even have a solid story. Just some 31-year-old married guy having an extramarital affair with a 21-year-old college girl. No surprisThis book doesn't even have a solid story. Just some 31-year-old married guy having an extramarital affair with a 21-year-old college girl. No surprise there that it filled with unlikeable characters. But I still read it (and enjoyed reading it to some extent) because Sally Rooney has a unique way of storytelling....more
Alice Oseman is such a powerful artist and storyteller! Heartstopper is a moving graphic novel about friendshSuch a heart-warming and adorable story!
Alice Oseman is such a powerful artist and storyteller! Heartstopper is a moving graphic novel about friendship, crushes, love, finding own identity and growing by accepting the differences! This is such a sweet story about Charlie and Nick's friendship. My heart sinks to see their friendship blossoming into a sweet love relationship!...more
“I remember how being young and Black and gay and lonely felt. A lot of it was fine, feeling I had the truth and the light and the key, but a lot of i“I remember how being young and Black and gay and lonely felt. A lot of it was fine, feeling I had the truth and the light and the key, but a lot of it was purely hell.”
Such a beautiful, vivid, poignant, and powerful memoir!...more
“This. This is why I never said anything. Because no one ever believes the girl.”
This story hits me so hard. I want to curl up into a ball and hide.
Ma“This. This is why I never said anything. Because no one ever believes the girl.”
This story hits me so hard. I want to curl up into a ball and hide.
Mara finds herself in an unimaginable situation where her beloved friend Hannah was raped and alleged rapist was Mara's most favorite human being in the whole world - who makes her laugh - with whom once she shared her mother's womb - her twin brother!
Mara is torn between the family she loves and her own sense of right and wrong. While her parents blindly support her brother she couldn’t. She knows Hannah would never lie about something like that. Hence she goes through great emotional turmoil not only by this unfathomable circumstance and but also haunted by a trauma from her own past. She shows us how you can love someone deeply and still say out loud that what they did was wrong.
This book reveals a dark face of Rape culture where victims are judged, blamed, and shamed by the society, where victims are silenced by the disbelief of others. This is a story about the endless suffering of a rape victim. This is also a story about becoming a SURVIVOR and reclaiming your body after it has been violated against your wishes.
“We are worth the telling. We are worth the fight. We are worth a good life and love after.”
This book is so important! It hits me so hard that all want is to curl up into a ball and hide.
Someday is an open word. It could mean tomorrow or it could be decades away.
Why did I find this book melodramatic?? I mean it has all the ingredien
Someday is an open word. It could mean tomorrow or it could be decades away.
Why did I find this book melodramatic?? I mean it has all the ingredients to make a five stars book yet I didn't find it as interesting and engaging as I expected.
Well, this was a story of a Prince who had different taste in dresses. He didn't like customary boy's dresses like everySo, what was this book about??
Well, this was a story of a Prince who had different taste in dresses. He didn't like customary boy's dresses like everyone else, rather he had a great fascination for stunning Princess's dresses! So, he hired a brilliant dressmaker for himself, Frances, whose dream was to be one of the greatest fashion designers in the world!
This was a story of self-acceptance. Everyone is unique in their own way. However, not everyone has the courage to celebrate their uniqueness.
This was a story of the super supportive parents. Listen up parents, don't impose things on your kids. Just let them be, okay?? And be supportive no matter what. Because this is how you do parenting.
This was a story of pure love (This part was predictable though!). Be yourself. Eventually, someone is gonna love you for your true self.
Now, it's time to praise the artworks in this book since it is a graphic novel. I must admit that Jen Wang's illustrations were absolutely adorable, colorful and lovely! I am telling you guys you don't wanna miss this treat for the eyes....more
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