Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
To Paradise
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
125 posts | 58 read | 2 reading | 68 to read
From the author of the classic A Little Life, a bold, brilliant novel spanning three centuries and three different versions of the American experiment, about lovers, family, loss and the elusive promise of utopia. In an alternate version of 1893 America, New York is part of the Free States, where people may live and love whomever they please (or so it seems). The fragile young scion of a distinguished family resists betrothal to a worthy suitor, drawn to a charming music teacher of no means. In a 1993 Manhattan besieged by the AIDS epidemic, a young Hawaiian man lives with his much older, wealthier partner, hiding his troubled childhood and the fate of his father. And in 2093, in a world riven by plagues and governed by totalitarian rule, a powerful scientist's damaged granddaughter tries to navigate life without him - and solve the mystery of her husband's disappearances. These three sections are joined in an enthralling and ingenious symphony, as recurring notes and themes deepen and enrich one another: A townhouse in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village; illness, and treatments that come at a terrible cost; wealth and squalor; the weak and the strong; race; the definition of family, and of nationhood; the dangerous righteousness of the powerful, and of revolutionaries; the longing to find a place in an earthly paradise, and the gradual realization that it can't exist. What unites not just the characters, but these Americas, are their reckonings with the qualities that make us human: Fear. Love. Shame. Need. Loneliness. To Paradise is a fin de siecle novel of marvelous literary effect, but above all it is a work of emotional genius. The great power of this remarkable novel is driven by Hanya Yanagihara's understanding of the aching desire to protect those we love - partners, lovers, children, friends, family and even our fellow citizens - and the pain that ensues when we cannot.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
review
BookNerd9906
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Panpan

I feel like ambiguous endings are a litmus test that I failed lol. On occasion ambiguous endings can add complexity and be so thought provoking they leave your mind blown (The Life of Pi) but often they just leave me feeling baffled and unsatisfied. To Paradise was the latter for me. HY‘s prose is beautiful and moving, but overall this book (or these three books ambiguously wrapped up into one) missed the mark for me. #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 5d
19 likes1 comment
blurb
TrishB
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

#12booksof2022
Definitely this one for January and will make my pick for best of 2022.

Andrew65 Keep seeing this over the past 24 hours I clearly need to read it. 3mo
squirrelbrain This was nearly my favourite of January….. 😁 3mo
Ruthiella While I‘m determined to never read ALL by her, I did like her debut and this one sounds intriguing. 3mo
See All 8 Comments
TrishB @Andrew65 I really loved it! 3mo
TrishB @squirrelbrain I just looked at yours - I loved yours too! 3mo
TrishB @Ruthiella it doesn‘t leave you on your knees like ALL! 3mo
Megabooks I still think about this one a lot. 3mo
TrishB @Megabooks me too 😁 3mo
75 likes1 stack add8 comments
review
KarenUK
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

The writing is excellent of course, each of the stories capturing humanity and compassion. Each story(or should I say book!) echoed the others, with common names, themes and location-an NYC of the past and future, imagined and real. Characters often have little agency, complicated love, struggle with family, illness, grief. But after investing so much time, I ended up feeling a little like I was at arms length from what the book was trying to say.

BarbaraBB I can relate to your review very much! Kudos for finishing Booked and - almost - Pop! 3mo
See All 10 Comments
squirrelbrain Great review! Nearly there with the challenges….! 3mo
KarenUK I don‘t know what possessed me to leave 2 chunksters to December, when @) I work in retail, and b) I have page count phobia!!! 🤦‍♀️ #imsuchadumbass 😂 @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB 3mo
Cortg Great review and I totally agree! I have 2 books to go. Next year I want to finish the challenge before December 🤣 3mo
BarbaraTheBibliophage Great review!! 3mo
Reggie Do you think Charlie made it to the UK? 3mo
Reggie Great review, btw. 3mo
KarenUK I really hope she did…. I little glimmer of hope, but I don‘t know… it all seemed a bit bleak. @Reggie 3mo
49 likes10 comments
review
Rissreads
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

Hanya Yanagihara is a go to author for me. I love all her books although this was my least favourite. This book had one of the most moving and powerful dying scenes I‘ve ever come across. So insightful. 💚

Reggie Did Charlie make it to the UK or not in the 3rd book? What do you think? 4mo
Rissreads @Reggie I think she did. I hope she did! I need to believe she did. What do you think? 4mo
Reggie @Rissreads I didn‘t. In fact, I think she was under surveillance because of who her grandfather was they heard everything she said when she was telling her dead husband where she was going and they followed her. I‘m sorry. I hope she made it and that she got to try chocolate cake for the first time. But I don‘t think she did. 4mo
31 likes3 comments
review
mjtwo
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

31 Aug-9 Sep 22 (audiobook)
Consisting of three only loosely connected narratives set 100 years apart in versions of Manhattan. Character names, themes of illness, family and freedom, and a house bordering Washington Square Park reappear. And all are unresolved.
The third part is the most compelling and frightening, set in a future ravaged by pandemic and climate change. It would be unbelievable if we had not all lived through the past few years.

BookwormM Yep section 3 is scary as hell 6mo
12 likes1 comment
review
library.dreamer
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

I loved this one, but be ready to settle in for a while. It isn't a casual beach read. The third section was especially terrifying.

BethM Welcome to the best place on the internet! Check out @Chrissyreadit for tips and tricks! 7mo
CoffeeNBooks Welcome to Litsy! 7mo
robinb Happy to have you on Litsy! 😊 7mo
See All 10 Comments
Bklover Welcome!! I have thought about reading this one- haven‘t read many reviews on it. I LOVED A Little Life, but it was also so hard to read - it broke my heart a bit. Anyway, welcome to Litsy. Follow lots of people- there‘s so much to do here! 7mo
AllDebooks Oh this is soooooo good, loved it. Welcome to Litsy xx 7mo
BookNerd9906 Welcome! We love new book friends. ❤️ 7mo
Reggie Do you think she made it to the UK or was she imprisoned? 7mo
Mrs_B Welcome to Litsy!!! 7mo
BookwormM Very scary and a warning to those who think it could never happen here 7mo
LKK526 Welcome to my reviews! 7mo
72 likes1 stack add10 comments
review
Yossarian
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Mehso-so

Over the course of 700 pages, three people in three different centuries struggle with undiagnosed executive function issues before eventually taking action with inconclusive results.

Soubhiville This was so disappointing for me. 8mo
Yossarian @Soubhiville She could have called it “Three Even Smaller Lives.” 8mo
Soubhiville 😂 8mo
See All 7 Comments
Ruthiella I‘m on the fence about whether I should read this or not… 8mo
Hanna-B @Ruthiella don‘t bother. 8mo
Reggie @Ruthiella as someone who reads horror, this by far is the scariest book I‘ve read this year. In the third section, humanity is under constant threat from pandemics and lgbt rights have been rolled back. And like all the great fortune teller writers she knows it‘s coming. She just put it 60 years into the future. I‘d give it a go. 8mo
Yossarian @Reggie They also had greatly expanded LGBT rights in the 1890s, and fictional marriage brokers in the past and future (but not present) and American fractured into regional countries that are discussed but never developed… She‘s created a lot of pretty jigsaw puzzle pieces that don‘t all connect, and those that do don‘t make a picture. 8mo
42 likes7 comments
review
Brimful
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

I loved this book. Yes, at times it was unremitting but it was a thought provoking page turner. It is an important reminder that democracy cannot be taken for granted that inequalities and colonialism have long term consequences and that we should understand the politics of our times even if we appear to have everything we want. I loved the subtle connections and with her readers between the parts and the games yanagihara plays with her readers

TrishB Great review 👍🏻 8mo
sarahbarnes I loved this one, too. 8mo
Brimful I wonder if it will make the Booker long list. Not long before we know! 8mo
mjtwo Love this review 6mo
21 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
Hanna-B
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
Mehso-so

It was always going to be hard after the brilliance of A Little Life. Part one I was very engaged with and was disappointed when it finished. The characters and relationships were super interesting. Section 2 could have been amazing but the section in Hawaii was just long and dreary. I would have liked more in New York. Section 3 was ok. Other than Section 1 the rest of the book needed a MAJOR edit, it would have helped with the monotony

quote
Brimful
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

You should always have a close friend you‘re slightly afraid of. Why? Because it means that you‘ll have someone in your life that really challenges you, who forces you to become better in some way, in whatever way you‘re most scared of: their approval is what will hold you accountable. But was that really true?

review
BookwormM
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
Pickpick

Wow that was some book!

When this was written I can imagine readers thinking that will never happen now 6 months later we move ever closer to it happening here.

Full review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4805972453

Images not currently working for me 🙁

Reggie Seriously, this book especially that 3rd book, is the scariest thing I have read this year. And I read a lot of horror. 8mo
BookwormM @Reggie I know what you mean and it is so easy to see how it could happen 8mo
35 likes2 comments
quote
Brimful
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

Now it was time to seek. Now it was time to be brave. Now he must go alone. So he would stand here for another moment, the bag leaden in his hand, and then he would take a breath, and then he would make his first step; his first step to a new life; his first step - to paradise

17 likes1 stack add
review
thereflectiveflaneur
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Mehso-so

An interesting concept but needed a robust edit!

blurb
Leniverse
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

Quite a marathon, but I finished these two with just enough time to get to the library. 😅 The Paper Palace will be returned unread to be borrowed again later.
And now I need some light escapism with a guaranteed happy ending where no one gets ill or dies, before I attempt How High We Go In The Dark. Because while Sorrow and Bliss at least had some surprisingly funny parts, To Paradise was 700 pages of unremitting and unresolved discomfort.

Ruthiella Having just read your comment on my earlier post about sad books, I feel you on the Yanahigara book. I did read and appreciate her debut, but 100% will not read A Little Life. I know I won‘t be able to take the pain. 10mo
Leniverse @Ruthiella Yes, A Little Life is Too much sadness + cover that actively repulsed me. So I have passed on that one. 10mo
squirrelbrain Well done on finishing them both! 10mo
TrishB Yes, if you thought To Paradise was unremitting, A Little Life is a different stratosphere! I don‘t have the repulsive cover! And well done on finishing. 10mo
Leniverse @TrishB IF I were to read it, it would have to be with a different cover, but I think maybe I'd rather not at all. 😂 Although I think it was not the bad stuff happening in itself that bothered me, it was the lack of agency, sometimes willfully so, by the characters. 10mo
40 likes5 comments
review
Cazxxx
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Bailedbailed

DNF. I didn‘t get on with a little life either so this author obviously isn‘t for me

quote
Leniverse
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara

Even his new grossness was a kind of shout, a defiance; he was a body that took up more space than was allowed, than was polite. He had made himself into a presence that couldn't be ignored. He had made himself undeniable.

quote
Leniverse
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara

"Self-pity is an unattractive quality in a man," he heard his grandmother say.
What about in a woman?
"Also unattractive, but understandable," his grandmother would say. "A woman has much more to pity herself for."

julesG Well... Granny has a point. 😂😂 10mo
29 likes1 comment
blurb
Leniverse
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

Tried to renew some library books. Turns out these three have holds and must be returned on Monday (Saturday for one of them, but let's go with Monday). So... I guess I know what I'm spending the bank holiday weekend doing! Good thing I have at least read Part 1 of To Paradise already. But I admit I might have to return at least one of the others unread. 😬

Leniverse And I will definitely be late with the first #CampLitsy check-in for 10mo
squirrelbrain I‘d read Sorrow and Bliss first, even before To Paradise…. 10mo
Leniverse @squirrelbrain Thanks for the rec! I might alternate between them. I'll probably need a break from To Paradise after book two. Or even after part one of book two. 10mo
squirrelbrain Book two is the least interesting one of To Paradise. 10mo
38 likes4 comments
review
Sophronisba
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Mehso-so

On a sentence level, Hanya Yanagihara is a compelling writer -- I nearly always find her books hard to put down because the paragraphs just flow so well. But we don't see the world the same way. Yanagihara's relentless darkness and bleak vision just don't work for me. I loved the first section, set in an 1893 with legal gay marriage, but I barely remember the second and I loathed the third.

review
youneverarrived
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

I‘m glad I took breaks in between the sections, really worked for me! Still found myself trying to figure out how & if they connected in any way (besides the repeated names). I enjoyed all the parts pretty equally. I love her writing. It didn‘t have the same emotional punch as ALL but glad I read it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Megabooks Yay for finishing before the baby!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 10mo
squirrelbrain Great review! 10mo
Cathythoughts Nice review ❤️ 10mo
See All 6 Comments
BarbaraBB Finished in time 💛😘 10mo
youneverarrived @Megabooks @BarbaraBB I made it my goal 😂❤️ 10mo
61 likes6 comments
blurb
Sophronisba
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

Just finished and not really sure what my opinion is. I don't think Yanagihara is a brilliant prose stylist but something about her writing just flows for me -- I find it so hard to put her books down, even when I am baffled or put off by her plotting and characters.

12 likes1 stack add
blurb
youneverarrived
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

I read other books in between the different parts so this didn‘t feel so daunting to read (plus I had a lot of library holds come in one after the other.) Think it‘s time for part three so I can finally finish it!

sarahbarnes Part 3 was my favorite. ❤️ 11mo
TrishB @sarahbarnes mine too 👍🏻 11mo
56 likes2 comments
quote
Sophronisba
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

It was as if he had been bewitched and, knowing it, had sought not to fight against it but to surrender, to leave behind the world he thought he knew for another, and all because he wanted to attempt to be not the person he was--but the one he dreamed of being.

blurb
thebluestocking
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

Here‘s how my bracket is shaping up! I love this way of thinking about my favorite book of month.

BkClubCare I have this image but I need to put it into play! Best to you on the tagged book. I plan on skipping it 🥺 11mo
thebluestocking @BkClubCare It‘s a fun graphic! I totally get you on To Paradise. I ended up reading it on the whim of library hold timing. But I really loved it. (It‘s way less bleak, to me, than A Little Life.) (edited) 11mo
40 likes2 comments
review
Branwen
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

Wow. I finally finished this last night and find myself blown away. I absolutely loved it! It's very different from her previous works though, so if you're going into it expecting it to be like A Little Life you may be disappointed. It's broken up into three sections, each one more intriguing than the last. I love how similar themes tie them all together as well as the closing words for each section which are, 'to paradise.' Simply brilliant! ❤📖

blurb
thebluestocking
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

March was a great reading month for me. To Paradise, The Island of Sea Women, I Must Betray You, and Syllabus were all 5-star standouts.

#marchreads #marchwrapup #monthlywrapup

BkClubCare I keep putting Think Again aside for library books with deadlines 🤣 Hope I can finish it this month. 12mo
BarbaraBB Such a good month! 12mo
62 likes2 comments
blurb
Branwen
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

I'm off today since I'm working all weekend, and the weather is very cold, windy, and cloudy! I guess that means I'm going to spend the day being cozy with endless cups of tea and a stack of books! 😁👍 I finally reached the third and final section of this book! I'm still absolutely loving it so far! ❤📖

RaeLovesToRead Have a lovely reading day!!! 🫖📚 12mo
squirrelbrain The third part is the best… have a great day! 12mo
Branwen @RaeLovesToRead Thanks! It's been a really lovely day! 😃💕📚 @squirrelbrain Oooh that's exciting to hear! I liked the first part and really loved the second part - so I'm super excited to see what's in store for this last part! ❤📖 12mo
50 likes3 comments
blurb
Branwen
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

Happy Monday from Rumpel! 😸💕 We are trying to get in as much reading as possible this morning before having to head into work! #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #rumpel

SRWCF Rumpel looks ready! 😹😹😹 12mo
rubyslippersreads Does that tummy actually want to be rubbed, or is it a trap? 😹 12mo
Liatrek 😻😻😻 12mo
See All 11 Comments
RaeLovesToRead "Rub ma belleh... I dare you!" ?? 12mo
Branwen @SRWCF She is ALWAYS ready for books and belly rubs! 😸 @Liatrek 💕😸 @RaeLovesToRead @rubyslippersreads Surprisingly she loves her belly to be rubbed- I think she's part puppy! 😂 She always lies on her back to try and coerce me into a belly snuggles session! 😸❤ 12mo
RaeLovesToRead @Branwen she is such a personality! 🥰 12mo
Branwen @RaeLovesToRead She really is! 😸💕 12mo
SRWCF @Branwen What a silly kitty! 😜 12mo
Branwen @SRWCF She is the silliest cat I've ever had! 😸 12mo
rubyslippersreads @Branwen My cats both love belly rubs too. 😸 12mo
Branwen @rubyslippersreads Awww! I love that! 💕 12mo
65 likes11 comments
review
Cortg
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

I‘m giving this a pick though I don‘t think I‘d recommend it unless they‘re big readers. The first two stories felt incomplete and it kinda frustrated me and I wanted a bigger, dramatic ending to wrap the timelines up and I knew it wasn‘t going to happen. I really enjoyed the third story. I like what she did with the timelines, characters, generations, altered universe, and it‘s a book to ponder for a while so I‘ll give it that. #pop22 #booked22

BarbaraBB Great review. And very relatable. 12mo
Cortg Pop22~a book published in 2022; Booked2022~about the AIDS epidemic, though only part 2. 12mo
Cortg @BarbaraBB Thanks! This one was tough to review. I‘ll be thinking about it for a while. 12mo
Cinfhen Totally agree with your review 😊 12mo
52 likes4 comments
blurb
Branwen
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

Happy Saturday! 🎉🎉🎉 Finally picking this back again and I'm so happy about it! There wasn't even any real reason I put it down other than the fact that I had a bunch of library holds I needed to read first! But as soon as I opened it up and started the second section I felt a wave of giddiness sweep over me. I just love the writing in this book so much! ❤📖❤ #catsoflitsy #chaplin

rubyslippersreads ❤️ those sunshine stripes! 😻 12mo
ShelleyBooksie Chaplin 12mo
61 likes3 comments
review
Minervasbutler
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

You wait 6 years for a Yanagihara novel and 3 come along at once. Less emotionally draining than A Little Life, perhaps, though the final section did leave me fairly drained. Superb, anyway.

sarahbarnes I feel the same way. 12mo
68 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
julesG
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

#LitsyCrafters @curiouserandcurioser @Catsandbooks

Progress pic: 30 triangles finished, 24 of them attached to each other. A gazillion more to go.

I'm glad my #audiobook is very long.

#audiocrafting #CrochetersOfLitsy #HookersOfLitsy

BarbaraTheBibliophage Beautiful!! 12mo
katy4peas 😍🧶 that looks fun! I‘m knitting a little women shawl and the last 4 inches are never ending! 12mo
julesG @katy4peas Seemingly endless rows are the worst. I once knit a circular shawl that had about 2,500 stitches in its last row, and then needed a stretchy bind-off. 😵😵 12mo
See All 7 Comments
AmyG I love all the colors!!! 12mo
LeahBergen Gorgeous! 12mo
thewallflower0707 I just finished To Paradise on Sunday. Enjoy it ☺️ 12mo
Catsandbooks That's so cool! Beautiful work! 12mo
76 likes7 comments
review
thewallflower0707
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

I read this all in one day. The three different stories kept me captivated.
First story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️,5 / 5 (best written)
Second Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (a bit confusing)
Third story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5 /5 (emotional & frightening)

#toparadise #hanyayanighara

BarbaraBB In one day?! 12mo
thewallflower0707 @BarbaraBB Yes, I‘ve spent two hours outside in the sun with a blanket and then spent another three hours in the train 🚂 ☺️. 12mo
23 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Lesliereadsalot
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

Wow! This book is stunning: the stories, the complexities, the characters. It‘s long at 700 pages, but don‘t let that scare you. Three fascinating stories are told, 100 years apart. It‘s a masterpiece and will stay with you for a long time.

review
Chelsea.Poole
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

Grandfather, Charles, Edward. Mind boggling reuse of character names, settings, and situations but in totally different worlds/times. Split into 3 books, the 1st a very different past, the 2nd book the most recognizably to our current/recent past, and the 3rd a future in which one pandemic after another, climate change and the all-powerful “state” create a dystopia. I don‘t know if I “got” everything I was meant to in this huge book but I love it.

AmyG Exactly...not sure if I “got” it all eitther but I loved the writing and especially Book 3. 13mo
97 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
kbuggle
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

At 700 pages this is not a light read- it‘s heavy and weight and content. I will read anything Yanagihara writes (I loved A Little Life).
Split into three sections the last is the longest, and strongest. I may have missed the mark on why the other two sections even existed. That being said the writing is of course top notch, and I‘m looking forward to going back and reading her first novel, The People In The Trees.

review
sarahbarnes
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

What can I say, I‘m a huge fan of Yanigahara and this book didn‘t disappoint. Despite the length I flew through it. I loved the clever threads woven through the three stories and the variations on themes of race, colonialism, sexuality. I think my favorite was book 3, set in a very believable future.

TrishB Book 3 was my fave too ❤️ 13mo
AmyG Yep, Book 3 was my favorite, too. 13mo
Minervasbutler Mine too. Charlie broke my heart 12mo
33 likes3 comments
review
StellaB
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

This writer really knows how to do ‘vulnerable‘. Three stories that cleverly echo one another, all with main characters that have zero agency. As in ‘A Little Life‘ the writing is full of compassion for human suffering and weakness, but unlike Jude these characters are completely dependent on others. I enjoyed the imagined past and future worlds, which are written as an intelligent commentary on our present.

AnneCecilie Love your review. I‘m almost finished reading and this sums up my feelings too. 13mo
StellaB @AnneCecilie Thank you, looking forward to your review. Overall I‘m glad I‘ve read this, all 700+ pages of it… (edited) 13mo
Brimful Great review. I very much enjoyed this 7mo
17 likes3 comments
review
Tera66
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Panpan

#AlmostAChunksterChallenge @TheAromaofBooks
I don‘t enjoy short story collections because they leave me frustrated and unsatisfied, and while none of the stories in this book could be considered short they left me feeling the same way. I am so disappointed, I have not read A Little Life but have heard how emotional it is and how much the book hit people right in the feels. So I had hoped that I was about to read something similar. ⬇️

Tera66 But in the end I just felt angry!! I did start by reading the physical copy but I was struggling so I switched to audio. And while I did enjoy the audio much more, and the performances are great, I still feel let down. I did really like some parts and I think I would have liked the three parts as whole books on their own. I just don‘t know what the author was going for with this. 13mo
TheAromaofBooks Great review!!! Sorry this one didn't work out. So frustrating, especially when it's a longer book!! 13mo
33 likes2 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

For me, this beast of a book is just marvelous. I can see why it wouldn‘t work for all readers, with its three separate parts and reusing of names, but it really worked for me. I clearly need to go back and read A Little Life.

CuriousG People in the Trees is also very good. A brilliant author 13mo
Hooked_on_books @CuriousG I suspect I‘ll read that one as well. I‘m a believer after this book! 13mo
50 likes2 comments
blurb
Chelsea.Poole
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

Read by candlelight this evening to #remembersharon
Though I didn‘t know her, I am glad to be able to honor her memory in this shared space we all love 🕯 ♥️ 📖

Texreader 💙🌸 13mo
Bklover ❤️ 13mo
Wife ❤️ 13mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️🕯 13mo
Suet624 💕💕💕 13mo
95 likes5 comments
blurb
LatrelWhite
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

Loving this…start two days ago and already half way through😍beautifully written. Oh yeah this is a chunkster!

TrishB Loved it too ♥️ 13mo
20 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
Oryx
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

The fabulous Hanya Yanagihara on Manchester- she was so great. I loved hearing what she had to say about To Paradise. And now I want to read it again.
And bonus, a lovely catch up with @TrishB

TrishB She was absolutely amazing. Insightful, interesting and eloquent. Want to read all the books again! 13mo
Mitch Now that‘s an event I wish I was at! 13mo
BarbaraBB What a great evening, to meet eachother and the author. Very jealous! 13mo
See All 11 Comments
squirrelbrain You looked like you were quite close to the stage… 13mo
TrishB @Mitch @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain it was a great evening! We were in the second row 😁 13mo
Bookwormjillk Very cool! 13mo
Chelsea.Poole Oh wow! 13mo
Reggie @TrishB and @Oryx did she tell ya‘ll what happened to Book 3 Charlie? Lol 13mo
TrishB @reggie she said that none of us know what the next chapter in our lives will bring 😁 13mo
Reggie @TrishB Lololol what a totally Hanya answer!!!! 13mo
TrishB @Reggie it totally is ❤️ 13mo
81 likes11 comments
blurb
Oryx
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

On my way to see Hanya ❤️ hoping to get this signed

@trishb

rockpools Ooh! Have fun! (Also, an evening out… how amazing is that?!) 13mo
Oryx @rockpools I know! I'm marvelling at being out at all, nevermind on a week night! 13mo
rockpools @Oryx 😂 As I was typing that, I wasn‘t sure if it was just me! 13mo
See All 6 Comments
AmyG Oh wow. Let us know how she explains To Paradise...how the 3 stories connect. 🤣 Have a wonderful evening! (edited) 13mo
squirrelbrain Have a fabulous time! ❤️ 13mo
LeahBergen Lucky you! 👏👏 13mo
66 likes6 comments
blurb
Tera66
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

#Sharreadathon
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Professional_Book_Dragon
Today I participated in the Sharreadathon in memory of our Litsy pal @sharread , I didn't know her well, but from what I have seen from others she was a sweet, generous and very loved.💗
Today I did some Audiocleaning, listened to the tagged book and did a deep clean of my bedroom. Made it to the half way point.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks How is this one? I‘ve seen mixed reviews. 13mo
Tera66 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I've enjoyed parts of this, now more so since I switched to audio. But I'm kind of disappointed so far. I've heard how great A Little Life is, and emotional. I've only "felt" something in one small part in this one. Its a chunkster, not sure if it's worth it. But it may have an amazing ending ?‍♀️ 13mo
42 likes2 comments
review
rockpools
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

I am horribly behind with reviews, so going to try for some concise ones to catch up with myself. *waffle*. I may be behind because I just don‘t know what to say about this one! Here are some random thoughts.

I‘m glad I read it & the audio was fab. It‘s a very ‘clever‘ book with repeating themes, repeating names, a unique structure, & so many different ways to read it. You‘re left with SO MANY QUESTIONS. It really is crying out to be a bookclub

rockpools read (so that‘s handy!).

But… with one exception the characters are so distant. While book 3 was the most engaging, Book 2 is the one that has stayed with me (weird! Also, note I‘m not even mentioning book 1). The complete uncertainty made it almost difficult to care. And I found the ending bleak, almost inevitable (I know not everyone did!)

So a pick because it is unique & epic, but a low pick because I‘m not sure it‘ll stay with me.
13mo
Cinfhen Great review 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻I‘m so glad I went audio as well but so funny, I almost wish the second half of book two wasn‘t even included. I totally AGREE! THIS BOOK is SCREAMING for bookclub discussion 13mo
rockpools @Cinfhen Thanks Cindy! Unfortunately as I was uncharacteristically early reading this, I‘ll have forgotten all my questions by the time we book club 😂😂 13mo
See All 7 Comments
AmyG Ha...I think we all have questions. I wish I could discuss it with the author. So many WHYs. 13mo
rockpools @AmyG SO many whys! 13mo
Cathythoughts Great review! I may go audio too , sounds like a good way to go ❤️ 13mo
rockpools @Cathythoughts Thanks Cathy ☺️. The audio was really good - I find it easier with these chunksters sometimes!! 13mo
68 likes1 stack add7 comments
review
Addison_Reads
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

I really loved A Little Life, and although I enjoyed this one as well, it didn't have quite the impact.

Yanagihara is an author though whose books will stand the test of time and people will read, cherish, and talk about for years.

I'm still not entirely sure why this book is divided into three books. There are similar themes of choices and freedom amongst them all, but each part is unique and could really stand on its own. (more in comments)

Addison_Reads By far the third book in this epic novel was my favorite. The world created was bleak, but the characters and the story are phenomenal, and scary. 😕 Using the character names again in each book was maddening at first. I kept trying to make connections, but sadly, I kept coming up without explanations. This book will not rip your heart out like ALL, but it will take you on an incredible, immersive journey. 13mo
AmyG I also loved the third book. It was so real. Good review…spot on. 13mo
BarbaraBB I felt the same! 13mo
48 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
BarbaraBB
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

What is Yanagihara trying to tell? Are the books even related? And the names made my head spinning. I enjoyed all three books and the writing but I am not loving it like many of you did. Too little of a reward after 700 pages! I still don‘t know what to think but am tending to think in line with the overall bleakness of the book.

#19822022 #2022 #pop22 #BookByAPacificIslander #52BooksIn52weeks #IncludesAMap #Booked2022 #MCLivingWithHIV

AmyG I, too, wasn‘t sure the books were related. Perhaps only in certain themes. I loved the first and third books, liked the second one. Loved the writing. I thought about this book for weeks and basically gave up trying to figure it out. 🤣 (edited) 13mo
BarbaraBB @AmyG I think that‘s best but for now it‘s still nagging. That last scene! 13mo
Cinfhen Stunning photo 🙌🏻💕it drove me mad, the recycling of names and the books not being related except for the house in Washington Park & overall themes @AmyG @BarbaraBB I still want to discuss and dissect this book but I feel like it‘s too far away from me now. I can‘t remember specifics anymore nor the correct names 🙄 13mo
See All 13 Comments
Librarybelle A worthy book for multiple challenge prompts! 13mo
RaeLovesToRead I will join the discussion in a few months 😄😄 13mo
Cortg I finished my bookclub book today and starting this one in a couple hours! We‘ll see! 13mo
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen I already have a hard time remembering the names 👵🏼😂 13mo
BarbaraBB @RaeLovesToRead haha yes it takes some time 😉 13mo
Cinfhen #TRUTH 😜🤣David, Charles, Edward that‘s all I can remember and grandfather 🤔🤷🏼‍♀️😉 13mo
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen I had forgotten about Edward while reading book 3 until he made his arrival 🤦🏻‍♀️ 13mo
AmyG It bugged me too for a while-but it passes. The names….who remembers anymore? I remember reading in an interview with her something about chaos theory. That always stuck with me. How some things happened to shape our world the way it is-and how our world could have been shaped in a million different ways. As with our entire world (macrocosm) and our individual world (microcosm). Oh yeah-I thought about this for weeks. 😂 13mo
Deblovestoread Excellent questions! If you figure out the answers let me know 😂 love the writing but didn‘t get real invested until Charlie in book 3 and then…. Was there a point to any of it? 13mo
BarbaraBB @Kdgordon88 Probably. But I didn‘t find it 😉 13mo
81 likes13 comments
review
ErikasMindfulShelf
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image
Pickpick

This took me a long time to read. I liked it, but I‘m not sure I totally got it.

blurb
Addison_Reads
To Paradise | Hanya Yanagihara
post image

#WeekendReading @Andrew65

I'm hoping to finish these three books this weekend. I'm currently on part 2 of the tagged book.

I'd love to know what you're reading this weekend @Reggie and @readordierachel

Andrew65 Good luck 😊👍 13mo
35 likes1 comment