#soursweet

idk, i sort of read the first few chapters where she’s kinda introducing everyone as like, this omnipresent voice of a New York Liberal with the way identities are discussed very flippantly and kind of dismissively rather than like, what hanya yanagihara thinks is the Right Way to think about identities, though that’s definitely not to say anyone has to like it or can’t criticize it because there are CERTAINLY aspects of that book that people hate for very valid reasons and it’s not my place to comment on whether the way she writes about her characters’ relationships with race is thoughtful or well done. re: lesphobia, i will say i didn’t read it that way but i understand if people did, i haven’t reread it in a while but if you’re at the beginning i assume you’re talking about lines like “ .” i WILL say that if you feel like she just uses lesbians as props to remind readers that this takes place in gay new york or kind of stereotypical setting details, some of the most objectively Good characters in that book are lesbians who emerge later, but like, tldr: i totally understand all of those criticisms and get how that would turn you off to it, if you do keep reading it’s worth nothing that the structure of that book is such that what ultimately emerges for the majority of the novel are the things you enjoyed about it, which is the domesticity and rich studies into characters (mainly jude’s) lives over a long period of time, which was also what i loved about that book most of all rather than the early chapters sort of sweeping portrait of college educated new york pretentiousness that ultimately reads like a curtain over the deeper traumas for every character, but also you would certainly not be the first person not to like a little life and i think that everything you said is worth calling out. it’s definitely not a perfect book but i do love it very much and if you keep reading you should DEFINITELY tell me your thoughts even if you don’t like it because i really love hearing what people think of it