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therealforeignspell · 6 years

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Inside Cover: “When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they’re broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their center of gravity.

Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever.”

First Paragraph: “The eleventh apartment had only one closet, but it did have a sliding glass door that opened onto a small balcony, from which he could see a man sitting across the way, outdoors in only a T-shirt and shorts even though it was October, smoking. Willem held up a hand to greet him, but the man didn’t wave back.”

Meeting Details: Friday November 10

Rating: 4 Bookworms

Final Thoughts:

Reading A Little Life was liked being pulled in every direction at once. The lives of these character’s had such verisimilitude. I felt like I knew each one on a deep personal level. Because of this, it was also a very difficult read. As I read Jude’s reasoning for his desire to harm himself, it brought up flashbacks of my own past and what I have come out of. His character put so poetically into words what it is like to feel that sickness of depression inside of you. Like it is an alien body trapped in your blood and flowing through your veins. It was so vivid that at times I had to put down the book, close my eyes, and breath again. I paced my living room while trying to calm my nerves and my husband would say “Good book, huh?” The amount of human suffering that Jude experiences is nearly unfathomable. Yet it’s the friendships that he forms that make it tolerable and not torturous to read. And these relationships are as inspiring and full of beauty as the book can be dark. A Little Life will make you ugly cry, it might induce an panic attack, but I promise you it is worth it. Beautifully written and a great example of the human ability to feel and love at great depths.

Talking Points:

Page 19- Why does JB choose to lie to his friends about his family life? Does he appreciate his family, or take them for granted? Is he ungrateful?

Page 25- Why can’t Willem acknowledge Jude’s pain and help him? Why have they never spoken about it?

Page 75- “But this was part of the deal when you were friends with Jude: he knew it, Andy knew it, they all knew it. You let things slide that your instincts told, you not too, you scooted around the edge of your suspicions. You understood that proof of your friendship lay in the keeping of your distance, in accepting what was told you, in turning and walking away when the door was shut in your face instead of trying to force it open.” in response to Jude suicide attempt. Do you know anyone who forces boundaries like this in your relationship with them? What could cause someone to be like this?

Willem skirts the issue of Jude cutting himself. He has multiple opportunities to confront his best friend who is clearly suffering but never draws the courage to do so. Is it a masculine trait to ignore these clues, to not talk about things so important because it is hard or scary or uncomfortable? Have you done this in past relationships?

Why does Willem play mostly “dark and complicated” characters as an actor? They are described as often quietly violent, usually morally compromised- that inspired different degrees of sympathy. Does this have a connection to his upbringing or friendships?

Page 275- Jude explains what aspects of his new job as a litigator he enjoys. Even thought it was the opposite of what he was doing before at the U.S. Attorney’s Office (where he worked for the people and the community making a difference which would have led to being a judge or justice) and now works for “the enemy”. What, in his past, makes him enjoy this work? What about his character makes him good at it? “Had the job made him venal, or had he always been so…?” See page 301 + 398

Was it surprising for you to hear JB’s true opinion of his friends? (Page 300-306) He speaks of how boring he thinks they are and how surprised by their success he is. His extreme selfishness and superiority over others and lack of empathy makes him a sort of Devil’s Advocate character.

Page 636- Jude tells JB that he has always been lucky. Why does he say this?After all he has been through, does he mean it? In What way?

How would this book been different if the main characters were not rich and famous? Why did the author choose this storyline?

Why did Hanya choose to make the main characters men?

Discuss young Jude’s reaction to Father Luke’s arrest. Were you surprised by it? Do you think it changed over time?

How did Willem’s experience with Hemming shape him?

Do you think Caleb beat his other boyfriend?

Vocabulary:

insensate | inˈsensāt, inˈsensət |adjective

1 lacking physical sensation

2 lacking sympathy or compassion; unfeeling

3 completely lacking sense or reason

blithely | ˈblīT͟Hlē | adverb

1 in a way that shows a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper

2 in a happy or carefree manner

flibbertigibbet | ˈflibərdēˌjibət | noun

a frivolous, flighty, or excessively talkative person

indolence | ˈindələns | noun

avoidance of activity or exertion; laziness

parcity |ˈpärsətē | noun

frugality, scantiness

vociferously| vəˈsif(ə)rəslē | adverb

in a loud and forceful manner

scrivener | ˈskriv(ə)nər | noun

a clerk, scribe, or notary.

dross | drôs,dräs | noun

1 something regarded as worthless; rubbish

2 foreign matter, dregs, or mineral waste, in particular scum formed on the surface of molten metal

verisimilitude | ˌvərəsəˈmiləˌt(y)o͞od | noun

the appearance of being true or real

interlocutor |ˌin(t)ərˈläkyədər | noun

a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation.

dirigible | ˈdirəjəb(ə)l,dəˈrijəb(ə)l

1 adjective capable of being steered, guided, or directed 2 noun a dirigible airship, especially one with a rigid structure.

parry | ˈperē |verb

ward off (a weapon or attack), especially with a countermove.

Philistine |ˈfiləˌstēn,-ˌstīn | noun

a member of a non-Semitic people of ancient southern Palestine, who came into conflict with the Israelites during the 12th and 11th centuries BC

stave | stāv |

1 noun a vertical wooden post or plank in a building or other structure

2 another term for staff1 (sense 4 of the noun)

3 verb break something by forcing it inward or piercing it roughly

4 avert or delay something bad or dangerous

carapace |ˈkerəˌpās | noun

the hard upper shell of a turtle, crustacean, or arachnid

querulous | ˈkwer(y)ələs | adjective

complaining in a petulant or whining manner.

benediction |ˌbenəˈdikSH(ə)n | noun

the utterance or bestowing of a blessing, especially at the end of a religious service.

fulcrum |ˈfo͝olkrəm,ˈfəlkrəm | noun

1 the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots

2 a thing that plays a central or essential role in an activity, event, or situation

simulacrum | ˌsimyəˈlākrəm,ˌsimyəˈlakrəm | noun

1 an image or representation of someone or something

2 an unsatisfactory imitation or substitute

civet | ˈsivət | noun

1 a slender nocturnal carnivorous mammal with a barred and spotted coat and well-developed anal scent glands, native to Africa and Asia

astringent | əˈstrinjənt

1 adjective causing the contraction of body tissues, typically of the skin

2 sharp or severe in manner or style

3 noun a substance that causes the contraction of body tissues, typically used to protect the skin and to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions

koan | ˈkōän| noun

1 a paradoxical anecdote or riddle, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment

venal | ˈvēnl | adjective

showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery

stultify |ˈstəltəˌfī | verb

1 cause to lose enthusiasm and initiative, especially as a result of a tedious or restrictive routine

2 cause (someone) to appear foolish or absurd

jounce | jouns | verb

jolt or bounce.

ni·hil·is·tic |ˌnīəˈlistik,ˌnēəˈlistik/ | adjective

rejecting all religious and moral principles in the belief that life is meaningless.

“an embittered, nihilistic teenager”

ob·tuse | adjective

stupid or unintelligent; not able to think clearly or to understand what is obvious or simple

tac·i·turn | ˈtasəˌtərn/ | adjective

Quiet, not speaking frequntly; saying little.

ep·och·al | ˈepəkəl/ | adjective

uniquely or highly significant.

aphorism

a short phrase that expresses a true or wise idea

ignoble

of low birth or common origin

lassitude

a condition of weariness or debility: fatigue

furtive

done in a quiet and secret way to avoid being noticed

contrition

the state of feeling sorry for bad behavior

vitriol

harsh and angry words

apoplectic

very angry and excited

uxoriousness

excessively fond of or submissive to a wife

succint

using few words to state or express an opinion

Quotes:

“Wasn’t friendship its own miracle, the finding of another person who made the entire lonely world seem somehow less lonely?”

“He experienced the singular pleasure of watching people he loved fall in love with other people he loved.”

“What he knew, he knew from books, and books lied, they made things prettier.”

“He now viewed a successful relationship as one in which both people had recognized the best of what the other person had to offer and had chosen to value it as well.”

“It had always seemed to him a very plush kind of problem, a privilege, really, to consider whether life was meaningful or not.”

“Friendship was witnessing another’s slow drip of miseries, and long bouts of boredom, and occasional triumphs. It was feeling honored by the privilege of getting to be present for another person’s most dismal moments, and knowing that you could be dismal around him in return.”

“…when your child dies, you feel everything you’d expect to feel, feelings so well-documented by so many others that I won’t even bother to list them here, except to say that everything that’s written about mourning is all the same, and it’s all the same for a reason – because there is no read deviation from the text. Sometimes you feel more of one thing and less of another, and sometimes you feel them out of order, and sometimes you feel them for a longer time or a shorter time. But the sensations are always the same.

But here’s what no one says – when it’s your child, a part of you, a very tiny but nonetheless unignorable part of you, also feels relief. Because finally, the moment you have been expecting, been dreading, been preparing yourself for since the day you became a parent, has come.

Ah, you tell yourself, it’s arrived. Here it is.

And after that, you have nothing to fear again.”

Homework:

Who is Malcolm Muggeridge? (Malcolm’s namesake)

Explore the work of Lee Lozano (performance artist)

How to make a Ten-Nut cake

Listen to interview with Hanya Yanagihara

Practice mindfulness

Express gratitude to friends & family

PAGE 4 | A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Inside Cover: "When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition.

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