To anyone who has read the book “a little life” or is currently reading it-
How far into the book does it get SAD sad? (I’ve seen videos of people howling over this book in public)
And am being silly for thinking this book didn’t need to be 700 pages long?
I need a tiny bit of hope to keep reading it…
I’m reading it right now and I am 260 pages in. It’s nice and I like the writing too even tho there’s times I find the details a little too much. However, the book is over 700 pages long. As someone who doesn’t usually gravitate towards such lengthy reads, I am not sure how much more of this I can carry on reading.
I did pick this book up because I heard people say that it’s the saddest book they’ve ever read and i wanted to see how sad it can get. I do like super sad books. That doesn’t entirely mean I’ve come to read it with any sort of preconceived notion. And im not guarding myself from finding it sad either. It is sad so far
Maybe knowing that it’s all leading up to a big point will keep me going through?
I just can’t see myself going through these details for the next 450-ish pages. Am I not seeing it from the correct angle and just being impatient? Or is it because maybe I’m just not used to reading lengthy books and this is how they usually are?
Do these “extra parts” really play a role further down into the book?
Please let me know what im doing wrong.
by Ok_Koala_9056
3 Comments
I haven’t read this book, but…
From what I understand, the “big point” the author is leading up to is that some people’s lives are so miserable that they should just die. She doesn’t believe in mental healthcare and is trying to put together a strawman who is completely unhealable, and then make you sit with him for 900 pages to belabor the point.
… I will not be reading this book. But YMMV.
Hands down one of the best reads. It’s certainly a journey. You become invested in them like they are your friends and you miss them the second that last page is done.
If you finish it, and I’m wrong, tell me what I’m doing wrong.
The book follows a continual cycle of bad thing > self loathing derived from the thing > recovery > hope that things will be okay this time > another somehow even worse thing.
That cycle goes for the entire book. If you’re already feeling doubts about whether it’s for you, I’d probably recommend letting it go. To be clear, A Little Life is one of my favorite novels, I really love it. But it’s not for everyone.