To Paradise: A Novel

Some might find the structure and/or the content of this novel challenging, but I find that it is so skillfully done that the result is an honest exploration of who we are as people, how our circumstances shape us, but do not have to define us, the risks of breaking free of the appearance of circumstantial safety, the striving towards something better, love & loss.There's three sections, but I count five distinct stories told from different POVs. The first section was difficult for me to get through because it seemed like the writer was not doing as much as she could with the alternate history she created. I found it hard to sympathize the protagonist. But, Yanagihara's prose is so strong, she is a highly skilled writer, that I kept pushing through it. Then the ending of the first section was brilliant and maybe the first spark of understanding I had of what she was doing. The next two sections I was fully engaged and quickly read through the rest of the novel. By the end, the brilliance of the framework and stories she constructed was impressive and resonated with me as a reader and human being.It's my first book I've read from Yanagihara and it makes me want more.

I’m glad I read this interesting book. There are shades of Cloud Atlas, or even Cloud Cuckoo Land (why did it not have “Cloud” in the title, I wonder?), with its three parts, which tell stories of NYC in 1893, 1993, and 2093. And let me tell you, none of us want to live in that 2093.All three stories are compelling. All are set in the same Washington Square mansion, and in each century we follow people named Charles, David (“That’s a lot of Davids,” one character happens to say, and we agree), Edward. In these alternate histories, same-sex marriage is legal and very common, there’s a strong Hawaii story line that starts out following the Hiram Bingham family (I live in Hawaii and found that interesting), and oh my god the pandemic situation does not improve in this imagined future (understatement).The recurring names in each of the three acts was slightly confusing but also interesting. My tidy brain wanted the relationships between the generations to be easier to follow. I had to make my own chart, or tried anyway, but things got unwieldy fast. Where’s the chart of who’s who? Please add to inside front cover. And everything doesn’t always get wrapped up in a satisfying way. Still. Really good read.

There is no need to repeat in other terms the observations by those who have recognized the extraordinary richness and creative complexity of this novel. Reading it is an emotionally difficult experience, and I required a break between sections in order to recover from just-read sections. Embedded, I also noted observations that transcend their location here. For example, on page 587 the comment on the “relevant” Charlie that “I cannot see her without experiencing her in triplicate.” “The shadow of who she once was,” her current reality, and “the projection of what she might become.” And with mourning for the first, bewilderment for the second, and “fear for the third.” Reading this, the book then becomes populated by my grandchildren, some who I frame similarly… and now within a new concept: in triplicate. And grandchildren who do not fit this form: they live in an upward trajectory. And so I spend time exploring my emotional life of loved ones.And the book’s third section…for me a reflection of the likely outcome of current trends with authoritarian governments, climate failures, the scarcity of food, and likely future pandemics. The observation by one character that “America is a country with sin at its heart…” (588) and now in my own words, as we murdered Native Americans and built our society on slave labor…Well, in addition to the failures noted in the previous sentence, this brings us to the consequences we now face as a society. Hanya Yanagihara speaks universally and in this novel, for the past and for our future, as well as the one in this book.

While I am not a huge fan of “A Little Life” I did appreciate the gripping, gut-wrenching realistic plot that unfolded in its pages. I looked forward to “To Paradise” hoping for similar depth of characters and plots the wove together the 3 timeframes, but was sadly disappointed. The plots would have been ok for stand alone novels. The characters lacked any real depth and interacted with one another so mechanically it was uncomfortable. Reusing the same character names between the 3 stories is fine, but it was done in such a way that felt forced and awkward. Overall, a pretty bland read.

This novel works on many levels. Here is one: to love is worth it--- even if not returned, even if it fails to save others or to help them, even if you come late in life to learn its value. Here is another: the universe gives us choices to love.Again and again her characters make the wrong choice, ignoring the opportunity out of fear or habit or God knows what. In the last section of the novel though there is a powerful passage(I I had to put the book down and return later) where one character says of another who is dying, " But I do love him." An unlikely pair the context of the novel but that it also her point: we should love outside the lines drawn for us, freely and without reservation. A profoundly moving read.

It was a good book easy to read and well written. But also heart breaking. No happy endings only pain and anguish.

Para quem espera algo do teor de "Uma vida pequena", lamento informar que este livro rompe com esta expectativa.A autora consegue, de forma primorosa, tecer as histórias encontradas neste livro de maneira impressionante. É uma das maiores autoras contemporâneas com toda certeza.

Yo había leído a little life y está entre mis libros más preciados, por eso decidí leer este libro. No tiene una secuencia coherente, quedan inconclusas muchas cosas. No me gusto nada.

Love this kind of books

Wow! This is a really powerful book. The prose is exquisite although the subject matter is challenging, as you would expect from the author of "A Little Life". It is a big book and took me the best part of a fortnight to read even though I was on holiday.It is written in three parts. The first is set in the eastern states of the USA shortly after the civil war and the emancipation of the slaves. The society is, however, rather unexpected and very interesting.The second part relates to a more recent period of time around the 1980s and contains much more recognisable events and ideas.The third is set in the future. It is always difficult to represent the future although the author gives full reign to her own ideas and imagination. Everything is plausible. There are frequent pandemics, global warming and a very regimented society with a repressive regime in power - a vision of New York that resembles soviet era communist Russia.Of course the important thing is what happens to the characters in the different periods and how they are related to each other. I don't want to give the game away as the book deserves to be read. I saw echoes of "Cloud Atlas" and "Dr Zhivago". It is superb and I strongly recommend it.

Nice book