Just narrate

Book 2 very slow.
Book 3 kind of compelling, at times. I wish Dr Griffith’s narrator would just narrate - the acting got a bit too much.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Amazing, just too long

Heartbreaking, lovely, full of understated longing and despair but just too long. I usually love to read a big book, but I’m glad I listened too this, I’m not sure I’d have persisted if I’d been reading it myself.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Epic

Like A little life, this takes the reader on a journey - shows us how change we think is permanent can be overturned; how plagues can decimate, climate change - the desire to live and survive are primal. So enjoyed it.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Loved it

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect after reading A Little Life & reading some of the To Paradise reviews.
I can say now, that I thoroughly & absolutely enjoyed this book from start to end. From the 3 similar but also vastly different parts, to the perfect narrators. I agree with some others that part 2 dragged on a little, however pushing through it to hear part 3 is well worth it. Hanya amazes me how she can imagine such worlds - even weeks after finishing this book I still find myself thinking back to it & wishing I could read it for the first time all over again.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Soooooo depressing!

Very long and very depressing. I kept hoping for redemption by waiting to the end of the whole 30+ hours but alas it was not realised.
I LOVED a little life, which was also sad and horrific in ways but there was more joy as well.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Surprising

Brilliant narration! It really made the book for me. I wasn’t sure about the story line at first but by the end I was hooked! I’m still trying to work out all of the connections within the book. Cleverly written and not the tale I was expecting.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Worth a losten

Probably have to listen again to fully appreciate this book but I would happily do so. Great book and so different to a normal story....

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Good idea for a story, but could not follow the story with book changes - wasn’t sure of the flow of the story

As mentioned above - I have struggled following the story when books changed and found it a bit confusing. Changing narrator was also adding to the disruption of the flow of the book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Timely, terrifying & beautiful.

“A Little Life”, Yanagihara’s acclaimed, devastatingly beautiful second novel, is what led me “To Paradise”. Both epic in scale, and both deeply upsetting at many points, these two novels otherwise couldn’t be more different. “To Paradise” reimagines post civil war US, with NY and surrounds becoming “free states” with some very progressive social structures. Same sex marriage is both legal and normalized by the late 19th century, yet most marriages are arranged rather than love matches. The book is divided into three parts, with the first taking place during this period, the second largely set in the mid ‘80s and the third (and by far largest) taking place in a very dystopian mid to late 21st century. There are many through lines within the narrative, including most character names constantly repeated throughout the three time periods. It’s a beautifully written read with some very complex and interesting characters. But Part 3 is not for the faint hearted. It’s a brutal portrait of a world brought to its knees by decades of viral pandemics and the formerly “free states” of the US now a dehumanising totalitarian government. Given what the world has been through over the past two years, it really is a tough read, imagining a future of seemingly never ending suffering and loss of even basic human rights. But interwoven into the entire narrative is the author’s deep humanity and compassion. I made the mistake of listening to the large chapters on my headphones while driving to work, and had to stop myself from bursting into tears as it was so deeply moving.

As for the audiobook performances, they are somewhat of a mixed bag. Part 1 is very well done, Part 2 improved when played at 1.2x speed and Part 3 was very good, but I found parts of BD Wong’s largely excellent performance became a bit histrionic for my taste. All in all it’s a very solid four stars all round, and a novel I feel may grow more in my estimations with a bit of separation and time.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

All makes sense in the world the author crafted

Did I care about the characters Yanagihara created? Not particularly. She knows how to take neediness and tragedy to a high level, and it can be draining to the listener, But she has three perfect universes with their own rules where everything has a purpose, and everything makes sense. Throw in an excellent use of the English language, and you're in for a treat.

The readers do a phenomenal job performing their roles.

I wish she hadn't relied so much on letters exchanges, particularly in Book 3.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful