A Little Life cover art

A Little Life

A Novel

Preview

Try for $0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

A Little Life

Written by: Hanya Yanagihara
Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $41.14

Buy Now for $41.14

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship” (NPR) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century.

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE

A Little Life follows four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves.

Look for Hanya Yanagihara’s latest bestselling novel, To Paradise.

©2022 Penguin Random House Audio (P)2015 Audible, Inc.
Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Tearjerking Emotionally Gripping Scary
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Editorial Review

A Little Life will leave you speechless with a beautifully moving and heartbreaking look at the evolution of brotherly love and friendship.

It’s been touted by critics as “all-consuming” and “maddeningly thought-provoking” and described by listeners as “life-altering.” In A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara crafted a masterpiece of literary fiction. Following the lives of four college friends struggling to make it in the concrete jungle that is New York City, this story is a testament to the limits of human endurance. The profound effects of the unspeakable childhood trauma suffered by Jude, the main character, will shape them all and challenge each one in ways only deep love can. Performed impeccably by narrator Oliver Wyman, this Audible audiobook original is best appreciated with as few spoilers as possible.

A Little Life has amassed a following for its transcendent look at the heart-rendering relationships forged and sustained among its quartet of characters across a lifetime. Yanagihara’s ability to delve deep into the abyss of human emotion is hauntingly moving. But what keeps people raving is how the writer captures the nuances and plight of the human experience. Listeners will find themselves and their singular struggles reflected in every single character in this book in one way or another. A Man Booker Prize finalist and a candidate for the National Book Award for Fiction, A Little Life is a stirring novel and essential addition to the listening library of everyone who appreciates superbly told stories of suffering, resilience, and the power of friendship.

Featured Article: The Top Audiobooks People Are Obsessed With on BookTok

For audiobook lovers, nothing comes close to the feeling of stumbling upon a new favourite adventure, love story, or thriller. Finding that new favourite is now easier than ever! The world of BookTok is overflowing with audiobooks ready to become your new obsession. A young girl cursed to live forever, Greek mythology reimagined, life-saving time-travel, and so much more. We've scoured this corner of social media and compiled a list of what titles are trending and are definitely worth the hype. So sit back, press play, and escape your world for a while with the most popular books on BookTok.

What listeners say about A Little Life

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    129
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    6
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    123
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    109
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing Book!

Such a moving and powerful read. Although the content was hard to hear at times, the under current of triumph rooted in the power of relationships was amazingly reassuring. This book is one that I hung on every word and feared them at the same time. The character development is fantastic and you become so attached to them. Definitely recommended

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Powerful

This is a must read. Enough said. Wow. The emotions I felt while reading this were so powerful.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

11/10 crying

So raw. So true. So painful. So beautiful. Would read 100 times again. This book is truly a masterpiece.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Impeccable writing

I loved the character development. The writing was captivating. 10/10. Don’t forget the Kleenex

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This book will haunt me forever.

I recommend to feel this book instead of trying to understand the logic behind of the story, Feel the struggles of the characters. Feel the pain of the characters. Feel the desperation of the characters. Some would say that there are some flaws in the story which I agree. But the emotional ride the book had brought me was extremely haunting (in a good way) and reflective.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Devastating and Beautiful

Ha ya is a master storyteller. This book will haunt me for a long time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Heartbreakingly beautiful

After 35 hours of listening time, I’d didn’t want the story to end. A little life captures the tragedy and triumphant’s of the human experience expertly. A beautiful story of friendship and enduring love.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I won’t get over it

I read this months ago now - and I still think about it. I got so drawn into the characters like I never have before. At times the trauma was a bit too much, but I can see why the author included all of it. Gut wrenching, heart breaking, emotional. I will never get over this book and will probably read it multiple times.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Friendship and deep love

I didn’t want it to end! The development of friendships was awesome! I can’t imagine how desperate Jud was to be able to cut so deeply into his flesh🤔😞

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I couldn’t stop listening even when I was gutted and unable to catch my breath

This book draws you and slowly. Making you feel like you are in a friend group listening to how they will grow together over food and milestones and then it ripped your heart out over and over in the most horrific and beautiful ways. I’ve never loved and hated characters more. I have never been so angry of screaming someone not there, pleading with an invisible person stop. This boys, men, people will stay with me. I feel like they are apart of my history now.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!