Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
A Little Life summary
Hanya Yanagihara
An Epic Novel About Queer Life, Friendship & Human Endurance
22 mins
Brief summary
"A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara is a heart-wrenching novel that follows four friends from college to adulthood, delving deep into themes of trauma, friendship, love, and resilience.
Topics
Table of Contents
A Little Life
Summary of 6 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 6
Lispenard Street: The beginning of adulthood
The story opens in New York City. Best friends Jude and Willem are fresh out of college, and they’re looking for a place to move into together. But while viewing one of the listings, they’re told that without guarantors, they’ll have slim chances. The guarantor issue proves tricky: Willem’s parents are dead, and Jude’s parents … well, they’re a mystery.
Jude and Willem are one half of the college friend group that is now trying to make it in the big city. There’s also Malcolm – a quiet, serious guy who’s on a solid path to becoming a respected architect.
And there’s Jean-Baptiste – JB to his friends – who’s an aspiring artist. For his latest series, he’s begun painting his best friends in everyday scenarios. He’s clearly talented, but he can be a little obnoxious. For instance, he teases Malcolm about his issues with his Blackness. Malcolm is African-American, while JB has proud Haitian roots.
Willem is the most kind and handsome of them all. He’s trying to make it as an actor, but like so many hopefuls, he makes ends meet by waiting tables. He hasn’t had the easiest life – his disabled younger brother Hemming died while he was in college, and his estranged parents passed shortly after.
But Jude is the real enigma of the four. We learn that he’s mixed-race, but his heritage is a mystery even to his friends. Jude is kind, caring, and multitalented, but his body is covered in brutal scars and he has a bad limp.
Willem and Jude eventually find a place to live: a small apartment on Lispenard Street in Soho. And although it’s quite run-down, they’re incredibly proud of it. On the day of their inaugural New Year’s Eve party, the four friends lock themselves out on the roof of the building. They have to jump down the fire escape to get back into the apartment.
ANALYSIS
The first part of the novel introduces us to the four friends at the center of the story: Jude, Willem, Malcolm, and JB. They have just moved to New York after finishing college, and are about to transition into adult life in the city.We experience their day-to-day lives through each of their perspectives, which reveal what they think of themselves and also of each other. They’re going through the typical struggles associated with this phase of life: grappling with questions of identity, sexuality, and earning recognition for their work.
Although there are some unspoken truths and unasked questions between them – about Jude’s past, for instance – it’s clear that they have a lot of love for one another.
But it also becomes apparent that Jude and Willem have a special, deeper bond that may have to do with their difficult childhoods. We don’t know what happened to Jude yet, but there are plenty of clues that he has gone through something traumatic – his scars, his limp, and his obsessions with locking doors and cleaning.
Want to see all full key ideas from A Little Life?
Key ideas in A Little Life
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is A Little Life about?
A Little Life (2015) follows the lives of four friends in New York City: aspiring actor Willem, moody painter JB, quiet architect Malcolm, and the brilliant, mysterious litigator Jude. Over the years, the four friends grow together, drift apart, find love and success, and struggle with loss and addiction. As enigmatic Jude gradually moves into the center of the narrative, the full extent of his unbearable burden begins to reveal itself.
A Little Life Review
A Little Life (2015) is an emotionally powerful novel that delves into the complex lives of four friends living in New York City. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:
- With its profound exploration of human relationships and the lasting impact of trauma, the book engages readers in a deeply emotional journey.
- It tackles sensitive topics such as friendship, love, and the struggle for identity and acceptance, creating a thought-provoking narrative that lingers long after the last page.
- Through its skilful portrayal of authentic characters and their interwoven stories, the book offers a raw and honest examination of the human condition, leaving no room for boredom.
Who should read A Little Life?
- People who enjoy character-driven literature
- Fans of stories about complex relationships
- Anyone in need of a good cry
Categories with A Little Life
Book summaries like A Little Life
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
33 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
A Little Life FAQs
What is the main message of A Little Life?
A profound exploration of friendship, trauma, and the limits of human endurance.
How long does it take to read A Little Life?
Reading time varies. Blinkist summary can be read in 15 minutes.
Is A Little Life a good book? Is it worth reading?
A disturbing yet powerful book that tackles complex themes and leaves a lasting impact.
Who is the author of A Little Life?
Hanya Yanagihara is the author of A Little Life.
What to read after A Little Life?
If you're wondering what to read next after A Little Life, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
- Difficult Conversations Don't Have to Be Difficult by Jon Gordon & Amy P. Kelly
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
- The Daily Laws by Robert Greene
- Read People Like a Book by Patrick King
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- You, Happier by Daniel G. Amen
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë