--- product_id: 262219070 title: "A Little Life" price: "285.42 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/262219070-a-little-life store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # Set in vibrant NYC backdrop Multiple award finalist & winner 800+ pages immersive depth A Little Life **Price:** 285.42 DT **Availability:** βœ… In Stock ## Summary > πŸ† The modern classic that everyone’s talking about β€” don’t miss the literary event of the decade! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** A Little Life - **How much does it cost?** 285.42 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/262219070-a-little-life) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - β€’ **Epic Literary Journey:** Dive into 800+ pages of masterful storytelling that captures the raw essence of friendship and resilience. - β€’ **Emotional Depth & Realism:** Engage with complex characters navigating trauma, love, and ambition in a gripping, authentic narrative. - β€’ **Unforgettable Character Bonds:** Witness the powerful portrayal of brotherhood and chosen family that resonates deeply with millennial professionals. - β€’ **Critically Acclaimed Masterpiece:** Experience a National Book Award finalist and Kirkus Prize winner that defines modern literary excellence. - β€’ **Cultural & Intellectual Prestige:** Join a community of discerning readers who celebrate this modern classic and its profound themes. ## Overview A Little Life is a critically acclaimed, 800+ page novel by Hanya Yanagihara that explores the enduring power of friendship and love through the lives of four college friends in New York City. Celebrated as a National Book Award finalist, Man Booker Prize finalist, and Kirkus Prize winner, this emotionally intense and beautifully written story delves into themes of trauma, loyalty, and ambition, making it a must-read for those seeking a profound and unforgettable literary experience. ## Description NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A stunning "portrait of the enduring grace of friendship" ( NPR ) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century. NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST - MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST - WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE A Little Life follows four college classmates--broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition--as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara's stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. Review: A Moving and Memorable Book - I first discovered Yanagihara through her divisive first novel The People in the Trees. I found the story it told to be a grim yet fascinating one and when I heard about A Little Life I immediately wanted to read it. I ordered a paperback (I'm not a lover of hardbacks) from the States and waited with barely contained anticipation for it to arrive. The book follows the life of four best friends all the way from college to their later adult lives. The first third of the book is equally split between the four as they struggle through the years after college and look to forge their way in life. JB is an artist with a number of personal issues, Willem a kindly aspiring actor, Malcolm an insecure architect and Jude, a brilliant yet damaged man, who could do many things yet decides on a life in law. Essentially Jude is the crux of this friendship as, owing to an utterly horrific youth, his friends rally round to protect him and support him through the disabilities and fragilities he acquired along the way. After a point the book begins to focus solely on the relationship between Willem and Jude and JB and Malcolm become, for the most part, peripheral characters. They are replaced by Harold and Julia, a man and wife who meet Jude while he is at college and grow extremely fond of him. Although this shift in direction disappointed me at first (I especially enjoyed reading about JB's life and his problems in the first section of the novel) I soon slipped into this new groove and quickly began to enjoy the new narrative possibilities this change created. As a result of these changes, the end of the book comes as no surprise to the reader but, nonetheless, I found it difficult to fight back the tears. A Little Life is similar in some regards, yet greatly different to, The People in the Trees. In A Little Life, Yanagihara again confronts many of the harsh and unpalatable traits of the human condition (child abuse, self-harming, graphic violence) that turned many readers away from her first novel. However, many of the characters she writes about here display an abundance of enviable human qualities - patience, love, loyalty - that were sorely lacking in the ones she created for The People in the Trees. This book evokes strong emotion - just like People in The Trees did - but this time those emotions are more favourable than the utter contempt and disgust I felt towards the protagonists of her first novel. I won't lie, the book almost had me on the verge of tears a number of times and I'm usually a hard and unfeeling person. From the reviews I've read, many people found the book forced and schmaltzy but I found it genuinely affecting - perhaps I am getting soft in my old age. Yanagihara writes so cleverly and touchingly of the men's friendship that it genuinely helped me create a brilliantly vivid image of the friends in my mind's eye; an image which stayed with me throughout the entirety of the book. I was also able to strongly connect with the feelings of many of the characters within its pages and perhaps this helped me appreciate and enjoy them more than other readers were able. Sure, the book is long and can at times be repetitious, and in it Yanagihara has a tendency to reuse words too closely together (over and over, cried and cried, struggled and struggled, argued and argued, etc) but for me, strangely, the very mundanity of the book is one of its most endearing traits. Real-life friendships are often valued on how comfortable companions feel around each other through the more tedious aspects of our co-existence and I think Yanagihara conveyed these uninspiring moments with such skill that they became enjoyable. I will admit that there is a level of over sentimentality present, especially concerning Jude, which I can understand will turn some people off. And, speaking of Jude, his unwavering self-loathing and total inability to even begin to accept his friends' feelings about him did grate occasionally but, overall, these elements rarely bothered me that much. Although the book was long I never found it a chore and I devoured huge chunks of it in single sittings, something I always associate with powerful books that resonate with me. Before I wrap up, a warning to potential buyers: there are, just as in The People in the Trees, some very shocking scenes within this book's pages. There are graphic depictions of sexual abuse (some involving children) and brutal violence. Yanagihara does not shy away from these unpalatable acts and actions and her no holds barred approach to these scenes may rear discomfort or indeed disgust in some readers. There are also a number of intense scenes involving bodily disfigurement and self-harm that people with a queasy disposition might find repulsive and, as such, should bear this in mind when considering a purchase. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about reading it - despite A Little Life clocking in at over 800 pages long I was sorry for it to end. Hanya Yanagihara is an accomplished and emotive writer and she is quick becoming one of my favourite authors; I am excited to see what she produces in the future. For me this has been one of the most memorable, moving and engrossing books I've read in a long time. I'm off to check out the actual Man Booker Prize winner now as, if it managed to best this novel, it must be some book. Review: One of the best books I have read - Every year I look at the Booker Prize shortlist and buy a couple of books from it, and frequently I read the winning book as well. A Little Life was on the shortlist in 2015 and has been sitting on my shelf for two years, until my break in August when I decided to actually read it, and it was well worth the wait. This is one of those books that will surely go down as a modern classic, it is so brilliant. The plot follows four friends who meet at college through life's up and downs and personal tragedies; JB an artists, Malcolm an architect, Willem an actor and Jude a lawyer. Jude is the glue to this group, and is the main focus of the narrative. There are a few chapters narrated in the first person by Willem and Harold, who is Jude's law professor, mentor and the nearest thing to a father her has. The writing of this book is sublime in its language and Hanya Yanagihara is able to write plot lines, that in some parts are harrowing, in a beautiful and lyrical way. I actually found her prose hypnotic, I was drawn into this book and couldn't tear my eyes away from the page. There are lots of difficult issues discussed in this book, rape, abuse, suicide, drug abuse, and many more but still I was entranced by this book. Hanaya Yanagihara shows a great understanding, intelligence and empathy towards these subjects. Her characterisation is again wonderful, with all her characters so true to life that at times I felt like I was reading a biography/autobiography rather than a piece of fiction. In a way A Little Life is a dark Fairytale with good, evil and romance at its centre. Jude is the main character in A Little Life, and all the other character's stories are all linked to his. In all my years of reading I don't think I have ever come across a character as damaged psychologically and physically as Jude. When we first meet him in the book we know he has physical problems and throughout the book his past is gradually revealed to the reader. Jude has experienced the best and worst of humanity through his life, and seen love in many guises from destructive love to the love of friendship that is all encompassing. Even though his story is hard to read in places, I found him a compelling character who I was really down to and wanted him to find happiness. Willem is the person whom he is closest to, a friendship that is unconditional and intense in places; it is Willem that is there for Jude at some of his lowest moments. Malcolm is different in that he comes from a wealthy family, very different from Jude who has no family and Willem whose parents are dead. His relationship with JB can be tense around the subject of race; Malcolm has a white mother and black father where as JB's parents are both black. JB is the typical troubled artist, very talented but also open to addiction. Through his story there is the time old discussion of what is art, figurative painting versus the modern art of the instillation, photography and performance art. I was really drawn into this as it something I studied with my degree and always find it a fascinating subject. To say A Little Life is a masterpiece, a Magnus opus, feels like an understatement. I have read the winner of the Booker Prize from 2015, A Brief History of Seven Killings, and have to say I think A Little Life is so much better. There are very few novels, except from the classics, that I keep to read again but this book will be added to that shelf to join other books that I found through the Booker Prize; Possession by A.S Byatt, Amsterdam by Ian MacEwan and The Goldfinch and The Secret History by Donna Tartt being on that shelf. This is a mesmerising, intelligent, all encompassing read and one that will stay with me forever. This is a monumental novel in my opinion and one I will always recommend as well as those mentioned above. A Little Life is fiction at its absolute best; the perfect novel. ## Features - Warning:This toy does not provide protection - A Little Life ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 255,036 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 4 in Coming of Age 64 in Literary Fiction (Books) 103 in Contemporary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 88,644 Reviews | ## Images ![A Little Life - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71If19m2RXL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Moving and Memorable Book *by H***S on 28 February 2016* I first discovered Yanagihara through her divisive first novel The People in the Trees. I found the story it told to be a grim yet fascinating one and when I heard about A Little Life I immediately wanted to read it. I ordered a paperback (I'm not a lover of hardbacks) from the States and waited with barely contained anticipation for it to arrive. The book follows the life of four best friends all the way from college to their later adult lives. The first third of the book is equally split between the four as they struggle through the years after college and look to forge their way in life. JB is an artist with a number of personal issues, Willem a kindly aspiring actor, Malcolm an insecure architect and Jude, a brilliant yet damaged man, who could do many things yet decides on a life in law. Essentially Jude is the crux of this friendship as, owing to an utterly horrific youth, his friends rally round to protect him and support him through the disabilities and fragilities he acquired along the way. After a point the book begins to focus solely on the relationship between Willem and Jude and JB and Malcolm become, for the most part, peripheral characters. They are replaced by Harold and Julia, a man and wife who meet Jude while he is at college and grow extremely fond of him. Although this shift in direction disappointed me at first (I especially enjoyed reading about JB's life and his problems in the first section of the novel) I soon slipped into this new groove and quickly began to enjoy the new narrative possibilities this change created. As a result of these changes, the end of the book comes as no surprise to the reader but, nonetheless, I found it difficult to fight back the tears. A Little Life is similar in some regards, yet greatly different to, The People in the Trees. In A Little Life, Yanagihara again confronts many of the harsh and unpalatable traits of the human condition (child abuse, self-harming, graphic violence) that turned many readers away from her first novel. However, many of the characters she writes about here display an abundance of enviable human qualities - patience, love, loyalty - that were sorely lacking in the ones she created for The People in the Trees. This book evokes strong emotion - just like People in The Trees did - but this time those emotions are more favourable than the utter contempt and disgust I felt towards the protagonists of her first novel. I won't lie, the book almost had me on the verge of tears a number of times and I'm usually a hard and unfeeling person. From the reviews I've read, many people found the book forced and schmaltzy but I found it genuinely affecting - perhaps I am getting soft in my old age. Yanagihara writes so cleverly and touchingly of the men's friendship that it genuinely helped me create a brilliantly vivid image of the friends in my mind's eye; an image which stayed with me throughout the entirety of the book. I was also able to strongly connect with the feelings of many of the characters within its pages and perhaps this helped me appreciate and enjoy them more than other readers were able. Sure, the book is long and can at times be repetitious, and in it Yanagihara has a tendency to reuse words too closely together (over and over, cried and cried, struggled and struggled, argued and argued, etc) but for me, strangely, the very mundanity of the book is one of its most endearing traits. Real-life friendships are often valued on how comfortable companions feel around each other through the more tedious aspects of our co-existence and I think Yanagihara conveyed these uninspiring moments with such skill that they became enjoyable. I will admit that there is a level of over sentimentality present, especially concerning Jude, which I can understand will turn some people off. And, speaking of Jude, his unwavering self-loathing and total inability to even begin to accept his friends' feelings about him did grate occasionally but, overall, these elements rarely bothered me that much. Although the book was long I never found it a chore and I devoured huge chunks of it in single sittings, something I always associate with powerful books that resonate with me. Before I wrap up, a warning to potential buyers: there are, just as in The People in the Trees, some very shocking scenes within this book's pages. There are graphic depictions of sexual abuse (some involving children) and brutal violence. Yanagihara does not shy away from these unpalatable acts and actions and her no holds barred approach to these scenes may rear discomfort or indeed disgust in some readers. There are also a number of intense scenes involving bodily disfigurement and self-harm that people with a queasy disposition might find repulsive and, as such, should bear this in mind when considering a purchase. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about reading it - despite A Little Life clocking in at over 800 pages long I was sorry for it to end. Hanya Yanagihara is an accomplished and emotive writer and she is quick becoming one of my favourite authors; I am excited to see what she produces in the future. For me this has been one of the most memorable, moving and engrossing books I've read in a long time. I'm off to check out the actual Man Booker Prize winner now as, if it managed to best this novel, it must be some book. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of the best books I have read *by B***I on 5 September 2018* Every year I look at the Booker Prize shortlist and buy a couple of books from it, and frequently I read the winning book as well. A Little Life was on the shortlist in 2015 and has been sitting on my shelf for two years, until my break in August when I decided to actually read it, and it was well worth the wait. This is one of those books that will surely go down as a modern classic, it is so brilliant. The plot follows four friends who meet at college through life's up and downs and personal tragedies; JB an artists, Malcolm an architect, Willem an actor and Jude a lawyer. Jude is the glue to this group, and is the main focus of the narrative. There are a few chapters narrated in the first person by Willem and Harold, who is Jude's law professor, mentor and the nearest thing to a father her has. The writing of this book is sublime in its language and Hanya Yanagihara is able to write plot lines, that in some parts are harrowing, in a beautiful and lyrical way. I actually found her prose hypnotic, I was drawn into this book and couldn't tear my eyes away from the page. There are lots of difficult issues discussed in this book, rape, abuse, suicide, drug abuse, and many more but still I was entranced by this book. Hanaya Yanagihara shows a great understanding, intelligence and empathy towards these subjects. Her characterisation is again wonderful, with all her characters so true to life that at times I felt like I was reading a biography/autobiography rather than a piece of fiction. In a way A Little Life is a dark Fairytale with good, evil and romance at its centre. Jude is the main character in A Little Life, and all the other character's stories are all linked to his. In all my years of reading I don't think I have ever come across a character as damaged psychologically and physically as Jude. When we first meet him in the book we know he has physical problems and throughout the book his past is gradually revealed to the reader. Jude has experienced the best and worst of humanity through his life, and seen love in many guises from destructive love to the love of friendship that is all encompassing. Even though his story is hard to read in places, I found him a compelling character who I was really down to and wanted him to find happiness. Willem is the person whom he is closest to, a friendship that is unconditional and intense in places; it is Willem that is there for Jude at some of his lowest moments. Malcolm is different in that he comes from a wealthy family, very different from Jude who has no family and Willem whose parents are dead. His relationship with JB can be tense around the subject of race; Malcolm has a white mother and black father where as JB's parents are both black. JB is the typical troubled artist, very talented but also open to addiction. Through his story there is the time old discussion of what is art, figurative painting versus the modern art of the instillation, photography and performance art. I was really drawn into this as it something I studied with my degree and always find it a fascinating subject. To say A Little Life is a masterpiece, a Magnus opus, feels like an understatement. I have read the winner of the Booker Prize from 2015, A Brief History of Seven Killings, and have to say I think A Little Life is so much better. There are very few novels, except from the classics, that I keep to read again but this book will be added to that shelf to join other books that I found through the Booker Prize; Possession by A.S Byatt, Amsterdam by Ian MacEwan and The Goldfinch and The Secret History by Donna Tartt being on that shelf. This is a mesmerising, intelligent, all encompassing read and one that will stay with me forever. This is a monumental novel in my opinion and one I will always recommend as well as those mentioned above. A Little Life is fiction at its absolute best; the perfect novel. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Nothing like I've read before. *by M***S on 23 June 2016* A Little Life is nothing like I've ever read before. From just the first 25 pages It felt like I already knew so much about the characters. It's a mammoth of a book but is definitely worth the read. A Little Life is about JD, Jude, Willem and Malcolm, who are four classmates that move to New York. The book tells you about how they live in New York and how their relationship get deeper and more complicated the more they get to know each other. I don't want to say anything else but I will say that the overall book is very harrowing but very intriguing. All the characters have their own lives in the book but the main character is Jude. You learn all about his troubles in his past and what he is currently going through in the present. Everyone who reads this book is bound to feel for Jude because I know I did. It's not just the events that happen to Jude but it's the writing too, it sucks you in and you have not choice to feel all his emotions. The roller coaster of emotions he goes through, you will end up going through also, and you will be totally drained by the end of the book. This book is full of all depressing subjects and I can see why some people are saying that it is too dull and gloomy and unrealistic, but it is an addictive read, I was hooked. Once I started reading all I thought about were all the characters and what they would be doing and up to next. I never wanted to put the book down and I tried to find all the free time I could to read all 720 pages. Some people might be put off by the size of the book and the small font. I know when I first opened the book I was a little daunted about the amount of pages and the tiny font, but once you start reading you forget about all that and just notice the beautiful writing and the brilliant stories. Hanya Yanagihara's writing is a pleasure to read and makes you want never finish the book. While reading you go through every emotion ten times over and you go from feeling all warm and fuzzy inside to feeling sad and lonely. While you read you learn so much about the character but the writing isn't full of boring descriptions. I hate reading books that are full of useless descriptions that are there just to bulk out the book, but this book has no filler. All the writing is needed to make you feel for all the characters and every reader will be in tears at some point in the book. Overall I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to read a story full of character development with hard hitting subjects. No one should be put off by the size of the book because it is worth it. Yes this book is a very harrowing and and some parts a depressing but it is also an addictive and thought provoking read. I rate this book 4/5 stars ## Frequently Bought Together - A Little Life - The Handmaid's Tale - 1984: 75th Anniversary --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - πŸ›’ **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** β€” Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** β€” Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - πŸ’° **No Hidden Fees** β€” All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - πŸ”„ **15-Day Free Returns** β€” Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - πŸ”’ **Secure Payments** β€” Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** β€” Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/262219070-a-little-life](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/262219070-a-little-life) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-07-04*