A Little Life Audiobook By Hanya Yanagihara cover art

A Little Life

A Novel

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A Little Life

By: Hanya Yanagihara
Narrated by: Matt Bomer
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About this listen

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.

©2025 Hanya Yanagihara (P)2025 Random House Audio
Coming of Age Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Sagas United States World Literature Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Tearjerking Thought-Provoking Scary
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What listeners say about A Little Life

Highly rated for:

Beautifully Written Story Compelling Character Development Heartbreaking Tragic Storyline Profound Exploration Pain
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Incredibly powerful, captivating, and unforgettable

Though deeply upsetting on many levels, this is one of the most powerful and well written books I have ever read. It is beautifully written, hauntingly real, and impossible to put down.

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This book is terrible! Read it!

This story is beautiful! I hesitate telling anyone to read it because the things that happen to Jude are horrendous and the way it informa his life is tragic. It is a traumatic read, one that will haunt you and have you screaming "Come on!!! How much more can this guy take?!"
Be warned!

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Broke my heart and filled my soul all at the same time

I had to listen to this over 3 weeks and take breaks in between to recover, reflect, and bask with gratitude and pain. This novel is not for the weak nor the strong, not for the brave nor the petrified; it is for the human who is hungry to be exposed to an utter masterpiece.

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The sad truth is

This book really makes you think about the pain people have in there lives weather or not they show it or choose to hide the pain, it is a very good representation of the human experience trying to cope with the pain of life and the tragedies it puts on us all.

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Detailing the small beautiful moments of life

This is an examination of friendship, the things we share and more importantly the things we choose not to share in intimacy with those closest to us. Feelings of worth, shame, guilt and the burden of carrying those to protect ourselves and those around us. It’s a beautifully written and crafted story of life’s moments in relationships. The author has a way of shifting narrative at heavy emotional moments. When as a reader you feel you might not be able to bear the pain, the story shifts to a different character’s experience or recounting of events. This lightens the readers emotional load so reader can continue to read or listen and let the story unfold. This story might lead to deep meaningful conversation with friends and loved ones.

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i’m unwell

this was one of the most beautifully written books i’ve ever expensive it was also the most heartbreaking. proceed with caution.

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thought provoking yet heart heaking

this will be a book I will forever remember. it's raw, gripping, and tragic. so beautifully written and I felt each emotion from every person. the narration was superb.

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The incredible story of Jude

Amazing book. Very sad. Beautifully written. The performance of the audio enhanced totally the experience.

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Beautifully Tragic

Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life is a beautifully tragic novel, exquisitely written but emotionally heavy. While I appreciated its depth and the rawness of its portrayal of suffering, I personally found it hard to connect fully with the story—not because I haven’t faced struggles, but because it felt deeply male. The friendships, relationships, and experiences all centered around a male perspective, which sometimes left me feeling like an observer rather than immersed in the story. That’s not a flaw in the writing; it’s just a reflection of how I connect to narratives. The book is undeniably powerful, but at times, I found my mind drifting. Perhaps it’s because my own experiences are so deeply tied to female struggles that I had difficulty anchoring myself in this one. That said, it’s a book that will stay with me—a haunting, beautifully written exploration of pain, survival, and the endurance of love.

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riving but real

It's a depressing story however it is real and It shows how meaningful but fragile life is. true meaning of friendship.

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