A Little Life audiobook cover - An Epic Novel About Queer Life, Friendship & Human Endurance

A Little Life

An Epic Novel About Queer Life, Friendship & Human Endurance

Hanya Yanagihara

★ 4.8 / 5(40 ratings)
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A Little Life
The Four Friends+
Jude's Trauma & Psychology+
Love and Healing+
Tragedy and Inevitability+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6
What is the primary function of Willem's relationship with Jude throughout the novel?
  • A. He serves as Jude's professional rival in the competitive New York landscape.
  • B. He acts as a stabilizing force and a primary source of love that keeps Jude's traumatic demons at bay.
  • C. He is the only person from Jude's childhood who truly understands his past.
  • D. He represents the unattainable artistic success that Jude secretly desires.
Question 2 of 6
What cruel action by JB causes a significant and lasting rift between him and Willem?
  • A. He steals money from Jude to fund his escalating drug addiction.
  • B. He refuses to invite Willem to his prestigious art exhibitions.
  • C. He cruelly imitates Jude's limp during an intervention.
  • D. He reveals Jude's childhood secrets to the press.
Question 3 of 6
According to the text, what underlying psychological pattern drives Jude to stay in an abusive relationship with Caleb?
  • A. Jude's desire to rebel against his adoptive father, Harold.
  • B. Jude's belief that he is hideous, which Caleb confirms while offering just enough affection to keep him attached.
  • C. Jude's ambition to climb the social ladder in New York's elite fashion industry.
  • D. Jude's desperate need to make Willem jealous so Willem will leave his girlfriend.
Question 4 of 6
Who was Brother Luke in Jude's life?
  • A. A fellow orphan who escaped the boys' home with Jude.
  • B. A monk who initially promised to save Jude but ended up exploiting and abusing him.
  • C. An orthopedic surgeon who helped Jude manage his chronic leg pain.
  • D. A strict but loving mentor who taught Jude how to become a litigator.
Question 5 of 6
How does Jude primarily use self-harm (cutting) throughout his life?
  • A. As a way to cleanse himself of difficult memories and feelings.
  • B. As a method to manipulate his friends into staying close to him.
  • C. As a form of performance art inspired by JB's paintings.
  • D. As an attempt to recreate the physical pain he felt during his car accident.
Question 6 of 6
How does Jude's story ultimately conclude after the tragic death of Willem?
  • A. He finds solace in his legal career and becomes a prominent judge.
  • B. He moves into a monastery to confront his past and find peace.
  • C. He is saved by JB and Harold, who help him fully recover from his grief.
  • D. He loses his will to live without Willem's balancing love and eventually commits suicide.

A Little Life — Full Chapter Overview

A Little Life Summary & Overview

A Little Life (2015) follows the lives of four friends in New York City: aspiring actor Willem, moody painter JB, quiet architect Malcolm, and the brilliant, mysterious litigator Jude. Over the years, the four friends grow together, drift apart, find love and success, and struggle with loss and addiction. As enigmatic Jude gradually moves into the center of the narrative, the full extent of his unbearable burden begins to reveal itself. 

Who Should Listen to A Little Life?

  • People who enjoy character-driven literature
  • Fans of stories about complex relationships 
  • Anyone in need of a good cry

About the Author: Hanya Yanagihara

Hanya Yanagihara is a US-American journalist and author with Japanese, Korean, and Hawaiian roots. Her first novel, The People in the Trees, is a fictional autobiographical account of the controversial life of anthropologist Daniel Carleton Gajdusek. Her latest novel, To Paradise, deals with questions of family, disease, and nationhood and became a #1 New York Times best seller.

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