Q U I C K S T A T S
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Setting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
// Content Warning: Ableism (violent) / Child abandonment / Child abuse / Child death / Child molestation / Child rape / Drug abuse / Domestic violence / Eating disorder / Emotional abuse / Gaslighting / Grooming / Lesbophobia / Manipulation / Paedophilia / Physical abuse / Prostitution (of a child) / Racism / Rape / Self harm (graphic) / Sexual abuse / Sexual assault / Suicide ideation / Suicide / Transphobia (misgendering) //
Publisher: Doubleday
Age group: Adult
Genre(s): Contemporary
Pub date: March 10th 2015
A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship” about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century.
• A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • A MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE •
P R E M I S E
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cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity.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.
M Y R E V I E W
Although this book didn't make me cry (which was a surprise really), it left me mentally exhausted and I was so thankful that I had planned to approach this book with 'a part a day' mindset.
The book spans decades and follows four college friends from the beginning of adulthood and occasionally contains flashbacks into their childhood or even their college life. It is a multiple point of view story and is told in two narrations: third person for the friends and first-person during Harold's narration (he plays a minor character in the beginning) which are mostly observations of Jude and a (sort of) letter to Willem toward the end. The author had really fleshed out these characters, even the side ones, and every point of view had its own unique voice. And while the beginning of the chapter doesn't specify which character you would follow, it became very distinctive once you've grown accustomed to the character voices.
My favourite of the four was definitely Willem. He was the sweetest and very down-to-earth, despite his visible success in the film industry. Jude is a close second and was the character I respected the most, because even after all the abuse and ill-treatment he had gone through as a child (and as an adult sometimes) he would never brush off someone else's pain. Jude suffered a lot and deserved so much better. JB and Malcolm are not to be forgotten. They were both immensely talented in their own way and were very thoughtful too. I loved how Yanagihara had created depth to all these characters and made them so... human.
Another remarkable aspect of this book was that the author hadn't used years to keep track of the passing time and had opted to instead use birthdays and holidays (even changing of seasons!). What's good about this method is that the author doesn't need to bother explaining the evolvement of technology or address world issues happening at the particular time. Someone could pick up this book many years later and it could still be considered modern.
The writing was absolutely beautiful and while I can't find the appropriate words to describe it, I can see why it was nominated/ won prestigious awards (listed above).
Take it from the ones who've read this and got their hearts ripped out; think thrice before picking this up.
T R O P E S
Friends to lovers
R E P R E S E N T A T I O N
M/M romance (main characters)
Non-specified POC (main character)
Black side characters
Indian side character
Disabled main character
PTSD (main character)
S I M I L A R B O O K S
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
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