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Little: A Times and Sunday Times Book of the Year

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I have never loved characters like this, like I knew them. I have never gasped and cried and said "nonono" like I did with this. With a language disappearing every two weeks and neologisms springing up almost daily, an understanding of the origins and currency of language has never seemed more relevant. In this charming volume, a narrative history written explicitly for a young audience, expert linguist David Crystal proves why the story of language deserves retelling. All of our upcoming public events and our St Pancras building tours are going ahead. Read our latest blog post about planned events for more information. A Little Book on Form brilliantly synthesizes Hass’s formidable gifts as both a poet and a critic and reflects his profound education in the art of poetry. Starting with the exploration of a single line as the basic gesture of a poem, and moving into an examination of the essential expressive gestures that exist inside forms, Hass goes beyond approaching form as a set of traditional rules that precede composition, and instead offers penetrating insight into the true openness and instinctiveness of formal creation.

If I was writing this review as some sort of literary quasi-critic, I might give the book 3 stars for capable writing and full development of characters, as it thoroughly explores the devastating, lifelong impact of child abuse on the abused. According to Picasso said, "art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth." Unfortunately, the author's intentions were less than admirable in writing A Little Life.

What kind of book is this. How far does an author have to go? Why does an author have to get so disgustingly graphic, so horrific? Nothing in life is positive, there is only human suffering, true connection is impossible, predators will always find and ruin truly good people, everything is evil, the people who love you are not enough to save you, and your happiness will turn to ashes in your mouth. The End. He writes of the amazing people he met over the years and how his life was enriched by hearing insights into their remarkable lives (yes, dentists do allow their patients to speak sometimes!), fascinating tales of romance, intrigue and heroism. This memoir is full of humour, interspersed with some poignant and personal moments that encapsulate the life of a dentist and patients in a variety of situations.

Yanagihara created Jude to suffer in very specific ways, all the 'compensations' of his adult life are there to keep him alive and suffering longer (and really, who has such solipsistically dedicated friends in real life anyway?). At college, Jude meets Andy, a doctor willing to treat him privately and for free, thus avoiding any messy reality spilling in, or Jude being committed for his self-harming behaviour. Also, despite Jude's childhood abuse being filmed and photographed in the age of smartphones and the internet, none of those images reappear in his adult life, and despite being in a same-sex relationship with a Hollywood star, he is never chased by the paparazzi, and never has a reporter digging into his past. I strongly caution those with chronic illness, mental illness or disability be very wary of this book A darkly beautiful tale of love and friendship... I've read a lot of emotionally taxing books in my time, but A Little Life . . . is the only one I've read as an adult that's left me sobbing. I became so invested in the characters and their lives that I almost felt unqualified to review this book objectively . . . There are truths here that are almost too much to bear - that hope is a qualified thing, that even love, no matter how pure and freely given, is not always enough. This book made me realize how merciful most fiction really is, even at its darkest, and it's a testament to Yanagihara's ability that she can take such ugly material and make it beautiful * Los Angeles Times * I hope that the narrative’s momentum and suspense comes from the reader’s growing recognition — and [spoiler's] — that he’s too damaged to ever truly be repaired, and that there’s a single inevitable ending for him." Of course, the list is not designed as a fait accompli, but rather as an inspiration for further discovery and debate. Tell us what you think – and what you think is missing – using the hashtag #100GreatestChildrensBooks. We hope that you find the poll as fascinating and illuminating as we have – as a celebration of writing, creativity and the books that have truly shaped us all.

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Please keep in mind: A Little Life is ruthlessly depressing. In the end, Jude really receives no reprieve from his anguish. As someone who has suffered his own abuse - a version less intense than Jude's, yet still real - and as someone who reads a lot about abuse, I appreciated Yanagihara's dedication to showing the darker side of reality. Trauma is trauma is trauma. And while we can all fight for recovery, sometimes that absolvement may never come. Sometimes, we just have to act with whatever kindness we have left and hope that it brings even a moment of light into the dark.

To accompany the top 100, you can read a series of pieces reflecting on the results of the poll. These include an essay about the poll winner, Maurice Sendak's beloved picture book Where the Wild Things Are; a piece giving a detailed rundown of the top 20, and what voters said about them; and an article on the poll's 21st-Century books and how they reflect how children's literature is evolving. And that's just the start: in coming weeks, we will also publish a series of features getting to grips with some key books and authors in the poll, and the ideas they embody, as well as some of the major issues surrounding children's publishing today. Not only is Jude a top-notch litigator, but he’s also a brilliant mathematician. AND an excellent pianist. AND a singer of lieder. During school (full scholarship), he has a job at a bakery (oh, he’s also an amazing baker). So… when - and HOW - did he learn how to play piano and study German art songs? Seriously. I want to know. What bothers me is the assumption beneath all of this. Does he have to be so good at all of these things for people to love him? If someone has been abused and ISN’T as accomplished, isn’t this person just as worthy of love and understanding? For that matter, WHY do people love Jude? I don’t get it. All he seems to be doing for the entire book is saying, “I’m sorry.” Which brings me to... Those promised "The Happy Years" are some of the most heartbreaking chapters I've ever read. I read another review where the person said she had to put the book down because this part of the book was too close and personal. To quote the reviewer: None of them really wanted to listen to someone else's story anyway, they only wanted to tell their own."Our Family Station in St Pancras is open from 10.00-12.00 every Friday and we're continuing to welcome schools, as well as families and adult learners to our courses and access events. All our in-person and livestreamed events are going ahead. Other services And I’d be remiss not to mention the language. Suited to its task. Occasionally it seems almost to take flight, but when it does, it seems more appropriate for a glossy travel magazine. And it almost always tries to take flight in just such a milieu: Bhutan, the Alhambra. Not only do all four friends become enormous successes in their fields, but they’re constantly jetting off to exotic places (Paris for the weekend? Why not?!), buying up lofts (stylish and trendy downtown, of course, NEVER uptown) and having Malcolm decorate them in the best Architectural Digest taste. And then there’s the cultural snobbery. I howled when Willem was going to film Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya and ALL OF HIS FRIENDS KNEW THE CHARACTERS FROM THE PLAY. I’ve seen Vanya several times, and even I don’t know all the characters in the play.

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