Little: A Times and Sunday Times Book of the Year

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You can also still join BIPC events and webinars and access one-to-one support. See what's available at the British Library in St Pancras or online and in person via BIPCs in libraries across London. While of course far from definitive, the answers we have gleaned are fascinating – and we hope will make readers both wistful for the books they loved in their youth and ready to try out titles that passed them by, or were published after they came of age; for there is no reason that the greatest children's literature shouldn't be equally nourishing to an adult. In total, 1050 different books were voted for by 177 experts – critics, authors and publishing figures – who came from 56 countries, from Austria to Uzbekistan. Of these voters, 133 were female, 41 were male and three preferred not to say. Each voter listed their 10 greatest children's books, which we scored and ranked to produce the top 100 listed below. Yanagihara offers us temporary respite from the pain within Jude's past by showing us the power of friendship. A Little Life's most affective moments come not from its graphic depictions of violence, but from its quiet, uplifting portrayals of compassion. While the many abusive men in Jude's earlier life show us the depth of human atrocity, Jude's tender, bittersweet relationships with Willem, Harold, Andy, and others offer to us mankind's capacity for kindness. All of these complex characters make mistakes, and through their imperfections shines their humanness. Not only do all four friends become enormous successes in their fields, but they’re constantly jetting off to exotic places (Paris for the weekend? Why not?!), buying up lofts (stylish and trendy downtown, of course, NEVER uptown) and having Malcolm decorate them in the best Architectural Digest taste. And then there’s the cultural snobbery. I howled when Willem was going to film Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya and ALL OF HIS FRIENDS KNEW THE CHARACTERS FROM THE PLAY. I’ve seen Vanya several times, and even I don’t know all the characters in the play. So, yes, this book is about faith, but it’s also about being human, because believing in things is just part of our existence. So, wherever you sit on the faith spectrum, I’m here to tell you it’s okay. You don’t have to sign up to all of something to get something out of some of it. You don’t have to like every song on the album.

An extraordinary book . . . A Little Life is quite deliberately a fable, not social realism . . . and all the more powerful for it. The truths it tells are wrenching, permanent.' - David Sexton, Evening StandardHas so much richness in it - great big passages of beautiful prose, unforgettable characters, and shrewd insights into art and ambition and friendship and forgiveness.' - Entertainment Weekly There's a section of this book called "The Happy Years" and never has a title been more misleading, if you ask me. But let me give you some idea what this book is about first. It starts with four young friends moving to New York - poor and uncertain of themselves - and trying to make their way. The characterization of JB, Malcolm, Willem and Jude is, to put it plainly, marvelous. They are such complex, well-crafted individuals with their own passions, hopes and fears. I strongly caution those with chronic illness, mental illness or disability be very wary of this book This one from the London Review of Books is my favorite review of the book I've read so far. Let me quote my favorite part:

I have written a long, episodic review already on my blog ( https://iamreadingthereforeiam.wordpr...), which is too long to cut and paste, so I will try to summarise everything that is wrong with this book. He writes of the amazing people he met over the years and how his life was enriched by hearing insights into their remarkable lives (yes, dentists do allow their patients to speak sometimes!), fascinating tales of romance, intrigue and heroism. This memoir is full of humour, interspersed with some poignant and personal moments that encapsulate the life of a dentist and patients in a variety of situations.With a language disappearing every two weeks and neologisms springing up almost daily, an understanding of the origins and currency of language has never seemed more relevant. In this charming volume, a narrative history written explicitly for a young audience, expert linguist David Crystal proves why the story of language deserves retelling. Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being.' - A. A. Milne.

If a Little Life were not bad enough in itself, the things Yanagihara has said about it make it so much worse. Yanagihara originally said she was only interested in writing about suffering, and that she had not done any research into child sex abuse. Later, she wrote a very condescending piece about 'Upsetting the Reader' as some kind of meaningful pursuit, and after that claimed to be fulfilling some kind of public duty by forcing us to confront the depths of human cruelty. An acute and deeply insightful book of essays exploring poetic form and the role of instinct and imagination within form—from former poet laureate, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning author Robert Hass. Wasn’t friendship its own miracle, the finding of another person who made the entire lonely world seem somehow less lonely?” Understandably then--I think--when I found out that Ms. Yanagihara meant to toy with the emotions of everyone who read this, that she set out to write it in a way that would depress, oppress and dishearten unsuspecting readers, I was pissed. Would I go view a film if I knew the screenwriter's purpose was to inflict gratuitous pain and anguish? NO. This is different than emotions like cheer, fear, and sneers at irony. I know a horror movie's purpose is to scare, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Apatow rom-coms are intended to cheer me, and movies like Gladiator and Braveheart to evoke and satiate my inner urge for justice and vengeance. I could think of novels if I had more time. A Little Book of Impressions describes life behind the mirror, probe and drill. After his unexpected encounters with dentistry from an early age and his time as a student at Guy’s Hospital in the seventies, Gerald Feaver describes embarking on a fulfilling and rewarding career that became his great passion.This is one of those books that brings a whole lot of genius to the table but very little real enjoyment. It's long, slow in parts, and very VERY depressing. But if you are not put off by the length and the dark subject matter, I would say it's the kind of book that needs to be read. It's the kind of book people will talk about and it's the kind of book that has you saying "this is the most ________ book/relationship/characterization I have ever read". It may sound presumptuous to say in January that I've read the best book I've read all year, but reading is a lot like love. Sometimes you just know. I hate the term "triggers", but it's appropriate here. I have a few triggers of my own and they were part of this book, but I felt the writing here just brought me into those places that I don't like to go and left me, not upset or feeling traumatized, but more appreciative of my own ability to survive and thrive. I wanted to reach into the book and take Jude's hand and tell him we'd get through it together. Nothing in life is positive, there is only human suffering, true connection is impossible, predators will always find and ruin truly good people, everything is evil, the people who love you are not enough to save you, and your happiness will turn to ashes in your mouth. The End. Our Family Station in St Pancras is open from 10.00-12.00 every Friday and we're continuing to welcome schools, as well as families and adult learners to our courses and access events. All our in-person and livestreamed events are going ahead. Other services

So while it was an extraordinary experience, a one-of-a-kind story, maybe something I would otherwise have perceived as the type of book that keeps us reading... And I’d be remiss not to mention the language. Suited to its task. Occasionally it seems almost to take flight, but when it does, it seems more appropriate for a glossy travel magazine. And it almost always tries to take flight in just such a milieu: Bhutan, the Alhambra. Is Jude’s suffering perhaps a tad overwrought? It is starting to seem like everything bad happens to him forever. Maybe we should spend some time with one of the other characters. To accompany the top 100, you can read a series of pieces reflecting on the results of the poll. These include an essay about the poll winner, Maurice Sendak's beloved picture book Where the Wild Things Are; a piece giving a detailed rundown of the top 20, and what voters said about them; and an article on the poll's 21st-Century books and how they reflect how children's literature is evolving. And that's just the start: in coming weeks, we will also publish a series of features getting to grips with some key books and authors in the poll, and the ideas they embody, as well as some of the major issues surrounding children's publishing today.A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, will be one of those books people ask you if you've read yet. Beat 'em to the punch.' - South Coast Today Jude is a truly broken person; he's been broken by a childhood that is both a series of horrors that are difficult to read about and a testament to what a human being can endure. Jude doesn't come out of his childhood whole and I feel a little broken by having read about his life. I also feel that strange happiness that comes from being emotionally purged in the way that only great books can accomplish. Of course, the list is not designed as a fait accompli, but rather as an inspiration for further discovery and debate. Tell us what you think – and what you think is missing – using the hashtag #100GreatestChildrensBooks. We hope that you find the poll as fascinating and illuminating as we have – as a celebration of writing, creativity and the books that have truly shaped us all. I'll start by saying that I can't recollect the last time I felt so connected to characters in a story. I was so consumed with the four main characters seeing as how it's nearly impossible not to fall in love with them, especially Jude and Willem. ♡ They're so complex, it feels like you're living the story and you're associating with all of them.