zulhamsyah's reviews
99 reviews

Re-read it after discussion with a friend. I guess I'll write my thoughts here. I really am in the middle of loving it and meh. I really find the book a masterpiece, but is overrated at the same time. Beautiful story indeed! Like never before. Grown-up characters yet living the youth life with everything so vigorous. It potrays the homosexual romance combined with beautiful friendship, parenthood, and indescribable struggle to fight the past and nurturing the loved one. The book brings up awareness as it talks about sexual abuse and self harm. Yanagihara has succesfully drawn me into feeling the excruciating pain of Jude. It aches down to core more as I learn his past and the emotion is so real, so strong to realize how much it has impacted him. The failure and fear of acquiring happiness as they were so easily taken away. The unhappy life behind the mask Jude puts everyday. The light of hope and meaningful life when you have someone to fully trust, yet knowing how much it can destroy you when you lose him. Overall, it's the book that dazzled me with its plot and story.

On the other hand tho, I was expecting much more from this book because the insane amazing reviews from people. To me, honestly, the book isn't worth the 800++ pages. Too many unnecessary setting/plot/information while the story stuck and is not going anywhere. It also kinda repetitive (I know the notion but it keeps being repeated). Hence it's a little hard to keep me motivated finishing the book (for reall). Also, it's, uumm, so overly melodramatic in someway which makes me so mad how pathetic the characters are. I know they illustrate the emotion but I just can't lie to myself it's tiringly melllow. It also soo centered on Jude (which what the book mostly talk about) I feel like the friendship (especially of the four; Jude, Willem, Malcolm, JB) isn't so strongly explored as my expectation of this book would be.