Another masterpiece by Hanya Yanagihara. Such beautiful written words over three different time periods that deal with so many raw human experiences. A long read but not tedious

I read this over a long weekend, completely absorbed. Just like I was in A LITTLE LIFE. However, this new story is very different, and there are several distinct time periods and really, several different worlds to discover. An alternative version of America, starting in the late 1800s, and ending in the too-near future.
Her writing is just as magical, but thankfully the story was not as terribly sad.

I think Hanya Yanagihara is a fantastic writer. I will admit that this book was not my favorite by her but I enjoyed the reading experience. It's a very interesting premise and I think it worked for the most part but I didn't find myself as captivated by it as I have been from her other works. I didn’t go into this book expecting anything like her other work which is something I think people need to do to enjoy reading it.
Overall, I thought it was a brilliant read and will be recommending it to people who are looking for an intense read.

Just to get this out of the way, A Little Life is possibly my favorite book of all time (it’s hard to say because I am physically unable to reread it, but I at the very least loved it and think about it to this day) and I think that drawing comparisons between it and Yanagihara’s new “novel” is natural. It also greatly colored my expectations of this book, which were incredibly high.

As is pointed out in the blurb, this is supposedly a novel in three sections, but it truly isn’t. These are two novellas and a full-length novel that truly do not make a cohesive whole. You could argue that there are THEMATIC ties between these parts, but there could be thematic ties between any two novels, which doesn’t make them a whole by any means. The thematic tie is that there is no actual paradise i.e. happiness, meaning, fulfillment to be achieved no matter how we try to do it. As a whole, I don’t think this works, and on their own I think these stories are kind of dull and unimaginative. It’s as if Yanagihara just could not choose what story she wanted to tell, and then she wanted to tell them all, which inevitably lead to neither of them being particularly good.

A Little Life was so very contained in the way it was told. While I loved that story, it was so hyper-focused on characters and their relationships, so completely insular that it was entirely unbothered by context, by culture or anything on the more macro narrative level. In To Paradise, Yanagihara tries to do the opposite and in my honest opinion just fails on every level. First of all, I found the first part set in an alternate post-civil war America so very weird. The society is very sexually liberal, but it’s still anti-Black and kind of classist. I guess that the idea here was to make a point how America will always be racist, no matter what, that that’s what it defaults to, but Yanagihara wasn’t very good at making that point. She never engages with that in anyway, but instead focuses on some incredibly trite story of the pauper and the prince and forbidden love. It was dull, but moreover, it was deeply frustrating that we had this specific alternate history and for what? It’s truly disquieting. Yanagihara also fell into so many cliches in her narratives. Finally, we have to talk about the last part, with its dystopian totalitarian society that makes NO SENSE. It’s a totalitarian pandemic-ridden world, with quarantine centers that people are forced to go to when they are sick, there are food rations, it’s extremely hot and there’s no water. And all of that is plausible, but then there are absolutely nonsensical parts, like needing clearance to read mystery novels or something like that and WHY. EXACTLY WHY WOULD THAT HAPPEN. Nonsense. And again, Yanagihara just did nothing with it. There wasn’t anything interesting being said, or explored, and even the setup was just so predictable and seen a thousand times before ). The characters having the same name also serves no purpose.

The thing I disliked most about this book was that the narrative choices that Yanagihara makes are so frustrating. In every single part, she specifically chooses to focus on relationships and characters that are boring, when there is so much potential in other characters she chooses to ignore. For example, in the part 1 of the second part, instead of focusing on David and Eden’s relationship, with Eden being the single most interesting character and their dynamic being the one that has the most potential, we get maybe two pages of that before going back to rich, privileged men’s problems. Again, in part 2 of the second part, instead of focusing on David’s relationship with his mother or even Edward, we get just a lot of fodder. In the final part, there are two storylines, with one being infinitely more interesting (and my favorite of the whole novel), but again, even here, there was so much room and potential to explore interesting dynamics and yet literally nothing happens. All of the storylines end abruptly and in an unsatisfying way. And I do not mean there are open-ended endings, or endings that are not neatly tied, not at all. They just end and you can see that Yanagihara had no idea where the stories were supposed to go. It was so aimless, there was no driving force behind them. Instead she overwrites, and delivers a deeply frustrating book that is over 700 pages of just plain dullness and bad choices.

You can call A Little Life emotionally manipulative, but it’s hard to argue that it is not emotional and that she does not construct great characters. The characters in To Paradise are mostly dull, with some of them being even nonsensical. I cannot say that they are one-dimensional, not really, but they feel like characters you have read about a thousand times before, but somehow less. Less engaging, less emotive, less interesting. This book just never made any emotional impact. Every single story is from a privileged point of view, even when Yanagihara tries to not make it so, but there’s no actual engagement with that privilege. And the relationships that are being explored are rarely done well, overfocusing on minute, irrelevant details instead of the actual dynamic. And there are moments when the relationship tension gets really interesting, and there are great nuggets in it, but it never goes anywhere beyond brief moments of potential greatness amidst the incredibly trite and superficial.

Overall, this was a disappointment for me personally.

The first section of To Paradise reads like a Henry James or Edith Wharton novel. There's a young man, David Bingham, living in a turn-of-the-century New York, heir to a family of old and distinguished wealth, and he's in the midst of navigating an arranged marriage to a slightly less wealthy New England widower when he begins to fall in love instead with a penniless music teacher. As we follow the story that slowly unfurls, we get glimpses into this world that's similar but very different from our own.

Part two tells us another story of another David in another alternate America. This David lives in a New York of 1990s and is involved in an affair with a senior partner at the law firm at which he works. He has an estranged father who's dying and whose story forms the most interesting part of this section as he recounts his life story through a letter.

Part three takes us another hundred years forward, to yet another David in yet another alternate America, although the images of a world ravaged by a pandemic and climate change certainly resonates with us. The America of this part is a totalitarian dystopia, and this section is perhaps the most complex and compelling of the triptych.

Through these three disparate stories, Yanagihara explores questions about what the idea of America is, where we came from, how we got here, where we could have been, and what might lie ahead. This is a book that captivated my attention from the first page and managed to hold it for over 700 pages. It's one that made me think a lot about a multitude of topics and one that I frequently wanted to return to. This book will be on all the best of lists for sure.

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara follows an alternative universe for three timelines: 1893, 1993, and 2093 in New York. In this alternate 1893 version, America is broken up into regions including the "Free States". In Free States, like New York, individuals can seemingly live free lives regardless of their race, sexual orientation, and so on. in this timeline we follow David, the eldest son of a wealthy family that navigates his attraction to a poor music teacher, despite his intent to marry someone in his pedigree. We also jump to 1993 and follow a second man named David who struggles leaving his traumatic childhood behind, which plays out in his relationship with an older, wealthy man. Finally, we follow the granddaughter of a scientific titan who is trying to figure out her husband's disappearance in a post-apocalyptic world filled with plagues and dictatorial control.

The characters in each of these timelines were compelling to me. From the first line and reading the interior mind of the characters, I came to know who each was. David from the 1893 timeline really drew me in as there was something almost fragile about him, scared even. The atmosphere of each timeline was distinct, it was incredibly clear how each differed from the next and truly created a sense of place.

As for the writing style, it is quite clear the author has an incredible talent. Each line was beautiful without being overwrought. While this book won't be for everyone due to the length, I couldn't get enough of it. When I read the ending of the 1893 timeline I was shocked and am still wanting more.

I think what is most powerful about this book is the themes explored in this book such as loneliness, the meaning of love, the impact of family, and lives unexplored. However, the writing does this in a nuanced way without hitting you over the head with it or making you forced to interpret things in a singular manner. Overall, I highly recommend this book and truly recommend it for anyone willing to take the time to read a longer novel.

Many thanks to the publisher Doubleday Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I was so excited to read this but also scared to read it since I never recovered after reading A Little Life.

This wasn't a bad book, not at all. It just lacked the reason I picked it up in the first place, the emotions. I know that A Little Life is hard to top however I expected more of this read.

It was written gorgeously and it kept me interested in the first half. It just lost me somewhere along the way.

I'd say give it a go but don't go with the expectations of ''A Little Life'' kind of experience. This was something entirely else.

I was prepared to be as emotionally devastated as I was by A Little Life, but I was relieved that this time I wasn't crying while reading this in public. To be clear, that doesn't mean this book isn't affecting--its dystopian themes and allusions to the COVID pandemic will bring up some intense emotions for today's readers--but it is not relentless.

By writing three novels smashed into one, all of which recycle and connect names, relationships, and character attributes, Hanya Yanagihara demonstrates her superb writing prowess. The first, which takes place at the end of the nineteenth century, grabbed my attention from the beginning with an exciting sense of alternative history within the traditional fin de siècle storyline. There's a sense of romantic drama that really resonated with me, a messy human who devours romance novels whenever she can. The second didn't work quite as well. The storyline of David living during the AIDS crisis drew me in, but the more ethereal epistolary part really took me out of the story. The third is by far the most ambitious and strongest of the novels-within-the-novel. By taking place in the 2040s-2090s, Yanagihara portrays a dystopian future that feels more realistic given our current circumstances and, therefore, makes the plot all the more terrifying.

I won't give more away; suffice it to say, this is worth the time commitment should you choose to read it.

Hanya Yanagihara is such a brilliant talent. Unlike many readers, I preferred her debut - The People in the Trees - to A Little Life. She creates such immersive worlds, conjures such vivid characters and weaves complex tales of woe. I think many readers will like this novel but it was not for me. I struggled with the structure, the use of identical names for characters in different timelines. I found the stories strangely dull and uninteresting. I think the book is an achievement of form and structure but has little in the way of substance. Perhaps I just didn't understand where she is trying to take the reader. Maybe others will.

As much as I love Hanya Yanagihara this wasn’t my favorite. The premise is interesting and the writing is beautiful but nothing about the actual work is captivating. I enjoyed the first story but as the novel continued I found myself less and less interesting in continuing. Every time I put it down I felt less likely to pick it up again. Which is such a different feeling than her other works where I just had to keep reading. Again, it had nothing to do with the writing quality as that was the only reason I stuck it out. Yanagihara truly has a way of crafting the most gorgeous sentences, but writing can only take you so far. I just wasn’t interested or gripped.

Perhaps I’ll revisit it later and completely change my opinion but for right now it’s not my favorite.

Thank you to NetGally for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Hanya Yanagihara has done it again. While this one did not impact me quite like A Little Life did, it was still a brilliant read. Savor your time with this book, I did not and now I crave the next book from the author, but it might take years.

A Little Life is my favorite book of all time, so the bar was set high to say the least for this book. As always Yanagihara did not disappoint. I love her ability to mix historical fiction with contemporary and even magical realism at times. I can't wait to have this book on my shelves and reread it. Again, Yanagihara has written a new classic that will resonate with people all over the world.

Let me get the most important bit out of the way: this book is not nearly as bleak as A Little Life. Is it bleak? At times, yes (it wouldn't be Yanagihara without exploring themes of loneliness, love, familial ties, and questioning major life decisions). But there's a great deal less despair and hopelessness in To Paradise. Yanagihara is an amazing writer. In fact, I frequently enjoy re-reading certain sentences just to bask in her unique style.

And yet I have mixed feelings about this book: I couldn't bring myself to care all that much about any of the characters, so the length and verbosity turned this read into a 700-page slog for me. Unfortunately, for me, this book is a bit too long, overly descriptive, and the characters insufficiently compelling compared to those in A Little Life (though that I'm judging against a book that I've now thought about for two years and still can't even decide whether I love it or loathe it isn't lost on me).

In the end, for fans of HY, I recommend. But if you're looking for somewhere to start, go with A Little Life.

This is a singular book. It is three stories in one, an alternate history of New York at the turn of the 20th century; an examination of the life of a young Hawaiian man in New York at the turn of the 21st century, as the city faced the AIDS epidemic; and a portrayal of New York, and the larger world, over the course of the second half of the 21st century, as a serious of plagues and the efforts to contain them reshapes the relationships among societies and the day-to-day experiences of individuals. Through these stories, the author examines issues related to inequality, freedoms, creations of societies, and, above all, relationships of all types -- familial, friendship, romantic, among members of a community, and with governments -- and the extent to which people are willing to go to protect these individual relationships in the face of extraordinary, and ordinary, pressures.

Each of the three parts of this novel are remarkable on their own -- original and thought-provoking, while also being great stories. Together, they make for a unique reading experience.

This is a book you are not going to want to miss. Strongly recommended!

Ms Hanya Yanagihara has done it again. I loved this book! Between the 3 different stories told and how they connect it was amazed. It can get lengthy at times but I enjoyed it.

This was enjoyable. No, this is not and will never be A LITTLE LIFE but I found the discussions on what our past could have looked like and what our future WILL look like emotional and devastating. Queue the tears.

I have very mixed feelings about this. I appreciate how ambitious and original this is, but the page length and long paragraphs often did not feel justified to me. The third story was my personal favorite, and honestly I wish it was a stand alone.

So this is one of the most expected books. Hanya Yanagiharah blew many minds away with #Alittlelife. Many people cried Out their soul and were bursted in Million pieces. Me Not btw. So can you compare "To Paradise" to "A Little Life" Of course Not. To Paradise is divided into three stories with different storylines. The first storyline is set in an alternative Version of New York in 1893 which is really openly queer. Everyone can marry whomever the Person wants. But is this true? Of course not. We learn know David who is pushed to marry by his family. But why they push him? Isn't this his own decision? Yanahigara talks here about family, tradition, racism and more. In the second part we learn know another David and another Charles. It's set during the HIV crises. And in the third part we go into the future. Hanya Yanahigara shows us a very dark world which is changes because climatic change and pandemic (hello C) changed everything. So we have three stories with so many messages and so many complex topics. Then as reader I asked myself "Is that the same person and this is just a different universe?" I didn't have to crie but I am really impressed by this novel. The themes connect the whole book (three standalone stories) into one masterpiece. All stories showed us an alternative version of the USA and their citizens. We see so many diverse characters (sometimes with the same name which was quite confusing). This novel is thought provoking. I bet we Yanahigara will get a lot of prize nominations because it's just brilliant

I have so much admiration and respect for author Hanya Yanagihara. I practically jumped up and down when NetGalley approved me for the “To Paradise” ARC. My first impression was that this would be a bold, “Cloud Atlas” kind of trip through time with all of the elements that made me fall in love with “A Little Life.” After two years of bad news and staring at my walls, I’m looking for books that are mind-blowing and operatic and over-the-top.

While I tore through “A Little Life,” “To Paradise” just doesn’t pack the same punch. I’ve put in hours and hours of reading and can’t believe I’m only just past the first of three sections. At this point, I have to put the book down and move along because it’s feeling more like an assignment than a pleasure.

I don’t mind a long book at all, but I think “To Paradise” could use a significant trim. Our first story set in an alternate United States had some fascinating elements - a love triangle, a battle between passion and duty, an anxious young man preparing to forge his own path in life. I wanted to love this book so badly and I could see many glimpses of brilliance but ultimately it’s suffocated under the weight of excessive diversions.

This latest book hasn’t dimmed my love for Yanagihara at all and I’ll definitely pick up any books she publishes in the future.

This author is bewitching and this story is compulsively readable -- and I am not at all a speculative fiction reader. Each of the three parts in this book are unputdownable. It's true that they stories don't meld sequentially but they weave together in a sort of weird, fever-dream sense with similar names, one or two recurring characters, and the setting of Washington Square. The third part especially is uncanny -- it's realistic fiction with in-depth character development and a compelling, heartbreaking plot -- told in a dystopian future. The whole thing is a masterpiece and I especially loved the way the epistolary aspect showed a society in decline from one scientist's point of view, through letters to a friend. It turns out the end of the world is not cataclysmic -- it's a slow burn. And it's very very sad, aided along by human ego and foibles, all the way along.

I loved this. There is nothing like Hanya Yanagihara's writing. I read A Little Life from beginning to end on my honeymoon (yes, really!) -- and although it broke my heart it changed my life. This one is the same. Worth it!