To Paradise
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- Create Date：2021-12-31 10:51:20
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Hanya Yanagihara
- ISBN：077101788X
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Summary
From the author of the classic A LITTLE LIFE--a bold， brilliant novel spanning three centuries and three different versions of the American experiment， about lovers， family， loss and the elusive promise of utopia。
In an alternate version of 1893 America， New York is part of the Free States， where people may live and love whomever they please （or so it seems）。 The fragile young scion of a distinguished family resists betrothal to a worthy suitor， drawn to a charming music teacher of no means。 In a 1993 Manhattan besieged by the AIDS epidemic， a young Hawaiian man lives with his much older， wealthier partner， hiding his troubled childhood and the fate of his father。 And in 2093， in a world riven by plagues and governed by totalitarian rule， a powerful scientist's damaged granddaughter tries to navigate life without him--and solve the mystery of her husband's disappearances。
These three sections are joined in an enthralling and ingenious symphony， as recurring notes and themes deepen and enrich one another: A townhouse in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village; illness， and treatments that come at a terrible cost; wealth and squalor; the weak and the strong; race; the definition of family， and of nationhood; the dangerous righteousness of the powerful， and of revolutionaries; the longing to find a place in an earthly paradise， and the gradual realization that it can't exist。 What unites not just the characters， but these Americas， are their reckonings with the qualities that make us human: Fear。 Love。 Shame。 Need。 Loneliness。
To Paradise is a fin de si�cle novel of marvelous literary effect， but above all it is a work of emotional genius。 The great power of this remarkable novel is driven by Yanagihara's understanding of the aching desire to protect those we love--partners， lovers， children， friends， family and even our fellow citizens--and the pain that ensues when we cannot。
In an alternate version of 1893 America， New York is part of the Free States， where people may live and love whomever they please （or so it seems）。 The fragile young scion of a distinguished family resists betrothal to a worthy suitor， drawn to a charming music teacher of no means。 In a 1993 Manhattan besieged by the AIDS epidemic， a young Hawaiian man lives with his much older， wealthier partner， hiding his troubled childhood and the fate of his father。 And in 2093， in a world riven by plagues and governed by totalitarian rule， a powerful scientist's damaged granddaughter tries to navigate life without him--and solve the mystery of her husband's disappearances。
These three sections are joined in an enthralling and ingenious symphony， as recurring notes and themes deepen and enrich one another: A townhouse in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village; illness， and treatments that come at a terrible cost; wealth and squalor; the weak and the strong; race; the definition of family， and of nationhood; the dangerous righteousness of the powerful， and of revolutionaries; the longing to find a place in an earthly paradise， and the gradual realization that it can't exist。 What unites not just the characters， but these Americas， are their reckonings with the qualities that make us human: Fear。 Love。 Shame。 Need。 Loneliness。
To Paradise is a fin de si�cle novel of marvelous literary effect， but above all it is a work of emotional genius。 The great power of this remarkable novel is driven by Yanagihara's understanding of the aching desire to protect those we love--partners， lovers， children， friends， family and even our fellow citizens--and the pain that ensues when we cannot。
Reviews
Alwynne
，
More a series of linked pieces than a conventional novel， Hanya Yanagihara explores different versions of America moving from 1893 to 1993 and， finally 2093。 Each of the three main sections contains echoes of the one before: a specific house in Washington Square; the naming of key players; shared themes around concepts of freedom， trust and self-determination; and the force of familial and social bonds。 Although， ultimately， it’s very much a plot-driven piece。 The first part owes more than a pas More a series of linked pieces than a conventional novel， Hanya Yanagihara explores different versions of America moving from 1893 to 1993 and， finally 2093。 Each of the three main sections contains echoes of the one before: a specific house in Washington Square; the naming of key players; shared themes around concepts of freedom， trust and self-determination; and the force of familial and social bonds。 Although， ultimately， it’s very much a plot-driven piece。 The first part owes more than a passing debt to Henry James’s Washington Square except his unworldly， diffident heroine becomes a young， male heir， David Bingham， who falls for someone who may or may not be a fortune hunter。 Yanagihara draws on a history of widespread Utopian groups in nineteenth-century America for her portrayal of David’s life in New York。 It’s 1893， New York is an independent state in a bitterly divided country， notable for the centrality of gay and lesbian marriage， and a society that challenges traditional gender roles。 Yet this sense of liberty and progressiveness is undermined by the fact that it’s still a place founded on genocide， social inequality and racial segregation。 In the middle sections， James’s story again resurfaces， but this time the character of David’s Hawaiian in a world more closely resembling reality， living in Washington Square with his older， wealthier partner Charles。 Their plotline’s interrupted by flashbacks to the life of David’s father， a descendent of the last Hawaiian monarch， and yet another figure who sees the promise of rescue in someone else， someone who appears to offer a new， better life。 The more substantial， final section alternates between different times and character perspectives， featuring a scientist Charles and his granddaughter Charlie， with much of Charles’s story revealed in a series of confessional letters。 There’s a distinctly Atwoodian feel to these last episodes， set in a dystopia brought about by climate change and the aftermath of a series of pandemics and epidemics， each more deadly than the one before， all of which’s contributed to the rise of a bleak， totalitarian state。 Yanagihara’s ‘what if’ narrative’s clearly invested in raising concerns about America as a nation: what it has been， what it might have been and what it could be。 Yanagihara makes connections between the concept， or the possibility， of personal freedom with the long-standing fantasy of America as the land of the free， questioning what individual freedom might look like and at whose expense it might be bought。 But as the book unfolded these broader， semi-philosophical issues seemed increasingly buried， overwhelmed by Yanagihara’s highly detailed， complex storylines。 It’s a fairly absorbing， inventive piece even， at times， quite a moving one but I’m not sure it’s entirely convincing or coherent。 The sections don’t quite hang together and frequently felt a little stretched out， enough that I had to resist the urge to skim ahead。 Many of Yanagihara’s key points repeat across the book， in part to tie the disparate sections together， but sometimes these repetitions seemed redundant， with too much space given over to outlining the territory to be explored and not enough to developing the underlying ideas and arguments。 I thought it was definitely worth the time I invested in it but not as satisfying a read as it might have been。Thanks to Netgalley UK and publisher Picador for an arcRating: 3/3。5 。。。more
Jessica
，
3。5 stars
Troy Walker
，
dnf @ 35% （book II， part II） I might finish this book at another day and time， but I thought this would be a good time to abandon ship for now and move onto something different - I've been picking up and putting it down since mid November。 And while I mostly enjoyed part I， part II is not coming together for me in any meaningful way。 dnf @ 35% （book II， part II） I might finish this book at another day and time， but I thought this would be a good time to abandon ship for now and move onto something different - I've been picking up and putting it down since mid November。 And while I mostly enjoyed part I， part II is not coming together for me in any meaningful way。 。。。more
Audrey Haylins
，
Once again， Hanya Yanagihara delivers a queer novel that stuns in its scope， depth and heft of meaning and is written with a breathtaking vision that is executed almost to perfection。 It is as provocative as it is thought provoking。 To Paradise is a work in three parts: a loosely connected series of vignettes of American society across three centuries as imagined by the author。 The first set in late 19th century， the second in the 1990s at the height of the AIDS epidemic， and the third a bleak， Once again， Hanya Yanagihara delivers a queer novel that stuns in its scope， depth and heft of meaning and is written with a breathtaking vision that is executed almost to perfection。 It is as provocative as it is thought provoking。 To Paradise is a work in three parts: a loosely connected series of vignettes of American society across three centuries as imagined by the author。 The first set in late 19th century， the second in the 1990s at the height of the AIDS epidemic， and the third a bleak， dystopian future just 40 to 60 years from the present day。 Each story is distinct and captivating but shares similar themes of male love， belonging， heritage， sacrifice， and the constant desire for a better life: the eponymous paradise。 The characters are vividly depicted: whole and complex， endearing and frustrating， human to a fault。 Yanagihara’s prose vibrates and flows。 To read it is be immersed， invested， carried on a journey。 This is especially true of the final part， which takes up half the book’s 800 pages and portrays a world devastated by climate disaster and pandemics。 In this imagined future， the sole focus of every law， every activity， is the survival of the human race。 Everything is rationed， from water to food to daily essentials。 Everyone is monitored by the state。 All sources of information are banned and freedom is a luxury long forgotten。 It is the opposite of paradise。 It is paradise lost。 And humankind is to blame。 But it is in this sterile place that we find the beating heart of Yanigahara’s opus: the most beautifully wrought love story between grandfather and granddaughter。 Charles: the doting， protective grandfather， prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for his “little cat”。 And his namesake: innocent， damaged Charlie， a childlike woman who is lost without her grandfather’s compass to guide her。 A heart wrenching ode to the power of love and a fitting end to this majestic work of fiction。 4。5 stars rounded up to 5 。。。more
Svea
，
Rarely have I been more excited for a book than for Hanya Yanagihara's new work。 I haven't read her A Little Life mostly because I heard about how depressing and heartbreaking it is and I just haven't been in the right mental place for a book like this for a long while。 But people were mostly raving about it， about the gorgeous prose， the impact of this work。 So I couldn't wait to dive right into Yanigahara's To Paradise。And I now know why people are raving about her writing。 The prose is as gor Rarely have I been more excited for a book than for Hanya Yanagihara's new work。 I haven't read her A Little Life mostly because I heard about how depressing and heartbreaking it is and I just haven't been in the right mental place for a book like this for a long while。 But people were mostly raving about it， about the gorgeous prose， the impact of this work。 So I couldn't wait to dive right into Yanigahara's To Paradise。And I now know why people are raving about her writing。 The prose is as gorgeous as expected， vivid and boderline lyrical。 The sentence flow is so natural that it draws you in immediately and I couldn't stop reading。 The recurring motifs in the three parts of this novel are expertly woven in。 Yanighara is an exceptional， and exceptionally talented， writer。The aforementioned three parts of the novel could have been their own books， quite frankly。 Part I takes place at the end of the 19th century in an alternate reality America where a new state， the Free States， have emerged。 Slavery has been abolished， same sex marriage is completely accepted （and seems to be the norm， really）。 It tells the story of New York bachelor David who is being set up for an arranged marriage with an older man when he falls in love with another young man who might or might not have ulterior motives。 Part II takes place at the end of the 20th century， where another David has been dating a 30 years older man。 David is a Hawaiian in New York with a complicated history with his father， who tells his story through an egregriously long letter to his son。 Part III，。 which is by far the longest part and makes up about half of the entire novel， takes place yet another 100 years later at the end of the 21st century。 It's set in a kind-of-dystopian New York and in a world ruled by climate crisis and deadly pandemics。 This time， while there are once again Davids playing a role in the story， the protagonists are a girl named Charlie and， through letters，。 her grandfather Charles。Each part contains obviously much more than this short synopsis might lead you to believe， but that's the general gist of it。There are， as said before， recurring motifs: names， places （the setting is always New York）， themes （love， identity， loss， illness， freedom， to name a few）。 But still， it seems like all of these parts could have worked as a novel all on their own， and they never really form a whole entity。 The throwbacks （like a storyteller in Part III that tells the story of Part I） are quite fun to read， but in the end don't really add much to the experience， to the story as a whole。 I've heard a lot about how emotionally engaging the author's work is， so I was expecting to be， well， emotionally engaged。 While there are parts of the story that did touch me， as a whole I was more mesmerized by the writing itself than any emotions the story might evoke。 That's probably because my emotional engagement with any story tends to be tied to the characters， and I never really quite connected with either of them。 They were interesting to read about， but I never felt like I had real insight into who they were。 The recurring names didn't help either。I do have to say that I wasn't really that invested in Part I， but it was short enough to keep me from being bored。 Part II is probably my favorite - at least the part that focuses on David's Hawaiian father and his story。 Part III is tediously long， though， and while the premise is an intriguing one， especially now we're living through our own pandemic， there's just so much going on at such a slow pace that I had to actively keep myself from skipping pages。 The switch to a first person narrator was a little weird at first， admittedly， but I got used to it。 And again， places and names are being reused but it just didn't make sense to me。 These people have nothing in common with their counterparts in the first two parts， so why even choose to do this？ On the grand scale， it didn't add anything substantial to the book except maybe the guessing of "who might xy be in this part of the story"， which isn't really that exciting。 It seemed like a forced layer of faux complexity。And then there is the fact of the abrupt and entirely open endings of Part I and III。 Listen， open endings can be done so well。 Yes， there's always some frustration involved because we want to know the details of everything， but if done well， an open ending inspires thought and reflection and satisfies the reader without giving them all the answers。 These are the kinds of endings that don't need a prologue or an explanation because the conclusion feels natural and fits with the tone of the book。In this case， it's just an abrupt ending that feels entirely unsatisfying and inspires nothing more than wondering whether I just wasted a lot of time reading this doorstopper of the book。 Yes， it's supposed to be bleak， but there's a difference between bleak and just plain mean。 Quite frankly， there is absolutely no need to end not one， but two of three parts of the book in a completely open， uninspiring way。 I was pretty frustrated and rolling my eyes when I came to the ending of Part III。 Yanagihara even teases a proper ending for Part I in said Part III， as if to dangle a carrot in front of the readers but then snatch it away with an evil witchy laugh。 These endings only exist to frustrate and cause the readers， who invested quite a lot of time into reading this long beast of a book， that delicious pain authors seem to like so much nowadays。 I just honestly do not see any narrative， structural or thematical reason to provide such non-endings in this particular book。Still， to end on a positive note， reading To Paradise is an experience for sure。 The writing style is gorgeous， the themes maybe a little too numerous but intriguing and hard-hitting。 It is not the tearjerker I know many of Yanagihara's fans are expecting it to be， but it is a solid work - it just didn't manage to emotionally engage me the way it will definitely do a lot of other readers。I'd give this a 3 star rating， though it's leaning more heavily towards a 2，5 for me。Many thanks to Pan Macmillan/Picador and Netgalley for the arc。 。。。more
Andrew Smith
，
The publication of Yanagihara’s follow-up to her uncompromising but magnificent tome A Little Life was always going to be a significant event。 So impactful was her last novel on me that I consider it one of the finest books I’ve ever read。 So， could her new book deliver a similar sized punch？It’s another monster， at over seven hundred pages， and is broken up into three main sections （well， in reality four as book 2 is really two stories set in the same timeframe）。 Book 1 takes place in the very The publication of Yanagihara’s follow-up to her uncompromising but magnificent tome A Little Life was always going to be a significant event。 So impactful was her last novel on me that I consider it one of the finest books I’ve ever read。 So， could her new book deliver a similar sized punch？It’s another monster， at over seven hundred pages， and is broken up into three main sections （well， in reality four as book 2 is really two stories set in the same timeframe）。 Book 1 takes place in the very late 19th Century and the other sections are each set a century further on in time。 I kept looking for linkages between the stories but in truth these seem tenuous: a house in Greenwich Village features in all of them and many of the character names are repeated in each tale， but as we travel through time it seems that this is about as far it goes。 We seem destined to move on to a new world with its own distinct history as we progress through this book。In the first section we are introduced to a rich businessman and his grandson， to whom it is hoped his business empire will in time pass。 It’s clear that same sex marriage is commonplace （though discrimination between races does exist） and indeed throughout this whole book most of the characters are married and gay。 The grandfather is attempting to broker an arranged marriage for his grandson but in the meantime the younger man begins an affair with a poor music teacher。 The second section follows the fate of a young paralegal working for a large law firm in New York。 The Aids pandemic is in full flow and a group of friends are saying goodbye to a member of their group who is dying of ‘boring old’ cancer。 And in a separate strand we meet the ailing father of the paralegal who is a descendent of the Hawaiian royal family。Section three is by far the largest， taking up half of the whole novel。 In a dystopian New York， overrun by an ongoing series of ever worsening pandemics， we follow the fate of a number of characters as they battle to survive in what has become a harsh totalitarian state。 Anyone familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs will identify with the differing factors motivating the various protagonists， though it seems that all are ultimately headed for the bottom tier。Where the author truly shines is in her descriptions of the full range of emotions felt by her cast。 Their struggles are beautifully captured as each of her lead characters faces up to their respective demons。 It can feel grim at times， but such is the power of her writing - her flawlessly constructed sentences， her acute ability to observe just the right details - that I found myself completely absorbed by this book for hours at a time。 And on top of this she proves up to the task of weaving these elements into a powerful series of narratives。 The only section I found wanting is that featuring the Hawaiian royal descendent， which I confess I had to force myself to battle through – to me this fairly short section just felt disconnected from the rest。Yanagihara interestingly stands history on its head: we start with a progressive view of sexuality and partnerships and end with a repressive stance on the same。 I was also struck by the way that each of her lead characters feels that they don’t quite fit in， that they don’t belong in this place they inhabit。 Inadequacy， lack of confidence and loneliness is a package that is much repeated。 There is much here to reflect on， snippets that stopped me and made me think。 I observed this in her last book too， where I absorbed messages about how we can all wring a little more value out of our interactions with others by soaking up and reflecting on what we see and experience。 Her writing prompts me to reflect on my own life and of those close to me。Though I failed to connect the dots sufficiently to spot any identifiable flow through the whole book， in the main I did enjoy each element as a stand-alone piece。 But what conclusions did I draw， particularly given the book’s title？ I’ll need to reflect on this further but as a first stab a couple of things stand out for me:1。tAs a comment on America – if the author desires it to be such – it seems to suggest a view that the country is in danger of failing to create the utopia the country’s founders set out to achieve， and that a that a mixture of political and social irresponsibility is to blame。2。tFor each of us Paradise inevitably looks quite different - we all have our own needs， wants and ambitions – so it follows that our paths will look very different too。 But can we each （can any of us） summon the confidence and the desire， and also have the luck， to give us a decent opportunity to reach that place？ This book is a puzzle， one I don’t claim to have in any way resolved。 But I think most readers will feel the same after working their way through its many pages。 I believe this is a great piece of writing， but maybe it’s a little too long and a just little too perplexing。 I look forward to reading the thoughts and theories put forward by others – maybe it’ll help me reach a higher level of understanding， but then again perhaps this is one of those books it’s just going to be impossible to pin down。My thanks to Pan Macmillan， Picador for supplying a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review。 。。。more
Lauren
，
*4。5*As always thanks to edelweiss for fuelling my reading habits。To start， I wouldn't recommend leaving gaps in-between reading this massive beast otherwise you will get confused - learn from my mistakes。This is three books in one， so bargain。 This is an ambitious book and the author pulls it off。There is: The first part which is set in an alternate version of America where queerness is accepted。The second part is about a world that focuses on the AIDS epidemic and the annexation of Hawaii。The *4。5*As always thanks to edelweiss for fuelling my reading habits。To start， I wouldn't recommend leaving gaps in-between reading this massive beast otherwise you will get confused - learn from my mistakes。This is three books in one， so bargain。 This is an ambitious book and the author pulls it off。There is: The first part which is set in an alternate version of America where queerness is accepted。The second part is about a world that focuses on the AIDS epidemic and the annexation of Hawaii。The third part is set in the future （2040's/2090's） where this is a continuous influx of pandemics。Anyway， this is not like A Little Life - it did not make me cry （but I did get emotionally at parts）。 The first and third parts were my favourite， the second part did slow down the book for me at times。 But， I loved it。 The writing， as always with the author， was fantastic and kept me invested。 The premise of all the 'books' within the book were really intriguing and well done overall。 Will probably read again soon。 。。。more
Bob Hughes
，
Comparisons to A Little Life are naturally going to be everywhere with this book， but this is a very different book- one that feels both global and insular， both expansive and constricting。This book is smart， composed and utterly gripping。 Following three different time periods， all one hundred years apart （roughly 1880， 1980 and 2080） we get a real panorama of history， both real and imagined。 with characters facing down their own issues of illness， national emergency and tradition。 Pandemic aft Comparisons to A Little Life are naturally going to be everywhere with this book， but this is a very different book- one that feels both global and insular， both expansive and constricting。This book is smart， composed and utterly gripping。 Following three different time periods， all one hundred years apart （roughly 1880， 1980 and 2080） we get a real panorama of history， both real and imagined。 with characters facing down their own issues of illness， national emergency and tradition。 Pandemic after pandemic rages， and we see the realities of what happens when the most vulnerable are left without support。We see loops and repetitions， all with slight differences- time stops feeling linear in this book， as does the idea of 'progress' -characters' names return again and again until everyone feels like they are playing historical roles， but that never felt tired or cliched to me， or like characters were merely ciphers- every character felt incredibly well fleshed out and present。This book feels like Yanagihara has looked down the barrel of the gun of the world we currently live in， and has decided to keep writing even when it's uncomfortable。 Indeed the discomfort was one of my favourite parts of this book- Yanagihara allows us to squirm in the discomfort of imagined worlds that may never be ours， and also exposes us to worlds that are too real for comfort。 At one point， 2020 is included in a list of pandemic years， and there is something so unbelievably startling about seeing your current time in a book as characters in the future look back on it， knowingly。The book does not feel its length- the first two 'books' are about a quarter of the novel each， with the final book taking up the remaining half， and it builds towards such a breathless crescendo that it almost feels like a thriller。 I almost wept towards the end of this book， I was that invested in the characters and the story。 A very early contender for the best books of 2022， I think。 I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Pan Macmillian in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tilly Fitzgerald
，
Had to get my thoughts down as soon as I could with this one because I have SO many feelings！ I can’t tell you how desperate I was to get my hands on this book - like so many， A Little Life （ALL） is one of my favourite books ever and I couldn’t wait to see what came next…To Paradise could very well be three different books。 As it is， it’s split into three sections - the first in 1893， where New York is a free state rather than part of the United States， and where gay marriage is just as standard Had to get my thoughts down as soon as I could with this one because I have SO many feelings！ I can’t tell you how desperate I was to get my hands on this book - like so many， A Little Life （ALL） is one of my favourite books ever and I couldn’t wait to see what came next…To Paradise could very well be three different books。 As it is， it’s split into three sections - the first in 1893， where New York is a free state rather than part of the United States， and where gay marriage is just as standard as straight marriage。 We meet Edward Bingham， the grandson of one of the founding families， who is trying to decide whether to follow head or heart。 Then hop to 1993 NY， in the thick of the AIDS epidemic， where we meet David， a young Hawaiian man who comes from royalty but is too ashamed of his father and his history to admit this to the man he lives with。 And finally， we move forward to 2093 NY， to a world difficult to imagine， where pandemics have become part of the fabric and changed the way we live。 There we follow Charlie， a young woman whose grandfather had a huge part to play in this new world， and who is stronger than she thinks…So first things first， this is 100% a literary masterpiece and work of genius， and I’m totally in awe of it。 But， if you’ve come to this with the same expectation I had of being emotionally destroyed like ALL， I’m afraid you may be disappointed。 Where ALL felt grounded in reality and emotion， this feels far less tangible and real。 It’s far more of a ‘what if？’ than a truth， and felt very grounded in philosophy and an incredibly vivid and clever imagination。 Having said that， if you can just enjoy this as a completely separate piece of work with no presumptions， it is just brilliant。 It’s terrifying in its possibilities， and looks at a world I can hardly bear to imagine， but it asks so many important questions， and above all， it puts the human capacity for love， in all of its definitions， above everything else。 The scope is just INSANE and it’ll probably take me years to work everything out。 。。。more
Holly Pablo Monasterial
，
I need this， asap。
Karthik
，
Very ambitious！ And intense！
Ally
，
I have very mixed feelings about this。 I appreciate how ambitious and original this is， but the page length and long paragraphs often did not feel justified to me。 The third story was my personal favorite， and honestly I wish it was a stand alone。
Olivia （Stories For Coffee）
，
DNF 70 pages inI truly don’t know what Hanya was trying to do with a revisionist version of early America。 She went wild with inserting multiple instances where characters used the N word and there were far too many anti-indigenous comments thrown into the first half of the book。 I was grasping for a reason as to why she was setting the first third of her novel in this time period。 Was it to excuse the racism she so happily sprinkled into the novel？ What was the true point of this first third of DNF 70 pages inI truly don’t know what Hanya was trying to do with a revisionist version of early America。 She went wild with inserting multiple instances where characters used the N word and there were far too many anti-indigenous comments thrown into the first half of the book。 I was grasping for a reason as to why she was setting the first third of her novel in this time period。 Was it to excuse the racism she so happily sprinkled into the novel？ What was the true point of this first third of the novel？ I tried to understand her mindset but gave up because the plot was going no where and all these characters were irredeemable in my eyes， due to their blatant prejudice。Many will defend this novel and say， “Well， it’s set in 1893 America！ This is what happened back then！” Racism was still disgusting back then。 You see how “Hamilton” used none of that language on stage？Be more like “Hamilton。” 。。。more
Sophia
，
This book is not A Little Life。 To Paradise won’t make you cry and mentally exhausted， but it is equally a masterpiece if you read it as its own。 If you’re a fan of Hanya Yanagihara’s writing， this may even be better than A Little Life （in my opinion）。 There are engaging characters， vivid descriptions， developed relationships， and relevant themes。 Spanning three timelines， it’s an ambitious book; it succeeds in achieving this ambition。TLDR （before I start gushing about how much I love this book） This book is not A Little Life。 To Paradise won’t make you cry and mentally exhausted， but it is equally a masterpiece if you read it as its own。 If you’re a fan of Hanya Yanagihara’s writing， this may even be better than A Little Life （in my opinion）。 There are engaging characters， vivid descriptions， developed relationships， and relevant themes。 Spanning three timelines， it’s an ambitious book; it succeeds in achieving this ambition。TLDR （before I start gushing about how much I love this book）: It’s very different from A Little Life， but it’s amazing and I can write a thousand essays （willingly） about this book because it’s written so brilliantly。The three parts seem more like separate novellas， but there are many moments when the similarities between the three time periods are apparent。 The different timelines provide realities that filled in the ambiguity of the characters’ lives if they made a different choice。 The three parts are also quite coherent， as they enforce similar themes in different ways。 The first part is set in an alternate version of America where queerness is accepted。 It’s a section that sets up the rest of the book （but， of course， has its own compelling plot）。 It’s， in my opinion， the most exciting part of the book。 （But take it with a grain of salt because it’s just my opinion）。 The second part skips forward 100 years to a world that focuses on the AIDS epidemic and the annexation of Hawaii。 This part continued the theme of social commentary that was present in part one。 The second part of this section was my favorite part of the book。The third part is in the future， skipping forward another 100 years to 2093。 This section takes up half of the book。 The futuristic， dystopian world is so scary since the developments into this dystopia seem plausible。 （Literally， there were many elements that were similar to our current world）。 The continuous influx of pandemics in this future makes the current pandemic even scarier。 （Isn’t it ironic that I’m currently self-quarantining while writing this。） After being scarred by the abundance of underdeveloped dystopian novels that I read a few years ago， this book restored my hope that dystopian novels won’t all follow the same plotline。 I do think that this section is a little too long， and found myself caring more about the flashbacks rather than the present。 I finished this last night， and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it because I’m so amazed at how well it’s written。 But while I was reading， it felt so long and impatient。 Now that I’ve finished: it’s SO worth it。 thank you to Doubleday for sending this ARC！！ 。。。more
✡︎
，
i’m begging hanya to stop writing about gay men if she’s going to do it like she’s done in every book so far because jesus christ
Nina
，
After reading Rebecca Panovka's review of To Paradise in Harper's Magazine January 2022， I am so intrigued！ I'm highly anticipating this adventure of heartbreak， confusion and frustration， and seeing how the pandemic is reflected in this world。 After reading Rebecca Panovka's review of To Paradise in Harper's Magazine January 2022， I am so intrigued！ I'm highly anticipating this adventure of heartbreak， confusion and frustration， and seeing how the pandemic is reflected in this world。 。。。more
Michelle Dai
，
i’ve never been more terrified to read a book
Stephen Dilley
，
Hanya Yanagihara's first two novels， 'The People in the Trees' and 'A Little Life'， are two of the best novels I have read from the last decade， so there was no way I wasn't going to read 'To Paradise' too。 Her third novel has a lot in common with its two predecessors - it is striking in its originality， beautifully written yet still very readable， and willing to confront humanity at its very darkest。 I don't think I found this novel quite as compelling overall， but it still has a huge amount to Hanya Yanagihara's first two novels， 'The People in the Trees' and 'A Little Life'， are two of the best novels I have read from the last decade， so there was no way I wasn't going to read 'To Paradise' too。 Her third novel has a lot in common with its two predecessors - it is striking in its originality， beautifully written yet still very readable， and willing to confront humanity at its very darkest。 I don't think I found this novel quite as compelling overall， but it still has a huge amount to recommend it。'To Paradise' is divided into three sections， set in 1893， 1993 and 2093。 The first， entitled 'Washington Square' owes a lot to Henry James's novel of the same name， but is set in an alternate version of American history where same-sex marriage has been legalised within certain 'Free States' but other injustices related to race and class persist。 As the wealthy protagonist David Bingham is introduced to one prospective husband， he begins a liaison with a young music teacher who may or may not have ulterior motives in pursuing David。 The second section explores the impact of the AIDS pandemic on the gay community of New York in he 1990s， before looking back to the protagonist's childhood experiences growing up with his troubled father of royal descent in Hawaii。 The final section imagines a dystopian future and switches between a story about a married couple set in 2093 and a series of letters written over the preceding five decades。I found this last section， which is also the longest and comprises nearly half the novel， the most powerful although it is fairly uncompromising in its bleakness。 We see a world ravaged by climate change， multiple pandemics of increasing severity and an increasingly authoritarian political climate。 As in 'The People in the Trees'， Yanagihara's world building is comprehensive and scarily convincing， and there are some genuinely harrowing scenes。 This is tempered by the tenderness with which certain relationships are described， particularly between a grandfather and grandchild， but this is never sentimentalised。 I would have happily read the third section as a standalone novel， but the previous two sections add interest and complexity to the novel as a whole。 The three stories are linked in a number of intriguing ways - names and places recur even though it is unclear whether these three time periods belong to the same universe; so too do certain relationships such as protective grandfathers and neglectful fathers。 More generally， however， all three stories explore the nature of freedom and love and invite us to consider what paradise might look like for each of its protagonists。 Overall， this is a fascinating， multi-layered novel which I found increasingly absorbing as I moved through it。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review。 。。。more
Molly Thomas
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alternate history where gay men have arranged marriages and dowries （lol wut） and thats just the first 1/3！ If this woman's books are some sort of long term performance art piece critiquing the appetite of readers for disgusting misery porn about child abuse and complete lack of understanding or interest in anything other than fancy dinners and tired YA dystopian retreads。。。 then she might be the most brilliant artist of her generation。 alternate history where gay men have arranged marriages and dowries （lol wut） and thats just the first 1/3！ If this woman's books are some sort of long term performance art piece critiquing the appetite of readers for disgusting misery porn about child abuse and complete lack of understanding or interest in anything other than fancy dinners and tired YA dystopian retreads。。。 then she might be the most brilliant artist of her generation。 。。。more
Emma Griffioen
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can’t wait to start 2022 off by getting destroyed by this book 🤪😘💖
Mikey Lindfield
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This book manages to live up to six years of hype。 It is a very big book – not just in length but in ambition。 It tells three stories， spanning two hundred years， set in an alternative， excitingly queer world。 The three stories are distinctly separate， but they have linking themes and concepts bringing them together。This is probably Yanagihara’s best work， displaying an exceptional skill in subtle but captivating world-building。 I found the middle story only slightly lagging， but the other two a This book manages to live up to six years of hype。 It is a very big book – not just in length but in ambition。 It tells three stories， spanning two hundred years， set in an alternative， excitingly queer world。 The three stories are distinctly separate， but they have linking themes and concepts bringing them together。This is probably Yanagihara’s best work， displaying an exceptional skill in subtle but captivating world-building。 I found the middle story only slightly lagging， but the other two are absolute knock-outs。 In particular， the final story， which is about half the book’s overall length， is an exceptional， dystopian page turner set in a pandemic-ravaged future that feels troubling possible。 I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time。 。。。more
Rainbookworld Rainbookworld
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So this is one of the most expected books。 Hanya Yanagiharah blew many minds away with #Alittlelife。 Many people cried Out their soul and were bursted in Million pieces。 Me Not btw。 So can you compare "To Paradise" to "A Little Life" Of course Not。 To Paradise is divided into three stories with different storylines。 The first storyline is set in an alternative Version of New York in 1893 which is really openly queer。 Everyone can marry whomever the Person wants。 But is this true？ Of course not。 So this is one of the most expected books。 Hanya Yanagiharah blew many minds away with #Alittlelife。 Many people cried Out their soul and were bursted in Million pieces。 Me Not btw。 So can you compare "To Paradise" to "A Little Life" Of course Not。 To Paradise is divided into three stories with different storylines。 The first storyline is set in an alternative Version of New York in 1893 which is really openly queer。 Everyone can marry whomever the Person wants。 But is this true？ Of course not。 We learn know David who is pushed to marry by his family。 But why they push him？ Isn't this his own decision？ Yanahigara talks here about family， tradition， racism and more。 In the second part we learn know another David and another Charles。 It's set during the HIV crises。 And in the third part we go into the future。 Hanya Yanahigara shows us a very dark world which is changes because climatic change and pandemic （hello C） changed everything。 So we have three stories with so many messages and so many complex topics。 Then as reader I asked myself "Is that the same person and this is just a different universe？" I didn't have to crie but I am really impressed by this novel。 The themes connect the whole book （three standalone stories） into one masterpiece。 All stories showed us an alternative version of the USA and their citizens。 We see so many diverse characters （sometimes with the same name which was quite confusing）。 This novel is thought provoking。 I bet we Yanahigara will get a lot of prize nominations because it's just brilliant 。。。more
Elizabeth
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“Now it was time to seek。 Now it was time to be brave。 Now he must go alone。 So he would stand here for another moment， the bag leaden in his hand， and then he would take a breath， and then he would make his first step: his first step to a new life; his first step - to paradise。”I’ve had a really hard time putting together my thoughts about this one， but here goes:I’m definitely a fan of Yanagihara; I absolutely loved A LITTLE LIFE， and while I think there are some valid critiques， it has remain “Now it was time to seek。 Now it was time to be brave。 Now he must go alone。 So he would stand here for another moment， the bag leaden in his hand， and then he would take a breath， and then he would make his first step: his first step to a new life; his first step - to paradise。”I’ve had a really hard time putting together my thoughts about this one， but here goes:I’m definitely a fan of Yanagihara; I absolutely loved A LITTLE LIFE， and while I think there are some valid critiques， it has remained a special book to me。 Like with her previous novel， Yanagihara’s prose in TO PARADISE sweeps you up completely into her characters’ lives and her speculative past， near-present， and future。 The book weighs in at 700 pages， but reading it didn’t feel like a slog; I would be deep into a chapter about some secondary character’s historical family drama， getting intensely invested， only to look up， blinking， dazed， wondering quite how she does it。 In that way it’s a beautiful， striking work of fiction。TO PARADISE tells three stories， each in a different time period with distinct characters living in a unique version of the world。 I won’t get too much into the content， but some main highlights that the stories deal with are queerness and how it exists in society， colonialism and its dissidents， pandemics and how we respond to them， and the American nationalist experiment overall。 There are some really powerful and interesting themes explored across all three narratives: tensions between fathers and sons， grandparents and grandchildren， within siblings; class differences， age gaps， and power dynamics in romantic relationships; those with magnetism and likability versus those who shunted， neglected， and lonely; feelings of regret， shame， and desperation; how far we will （or won’t） go for our family members and loved ones。 And of course， as the title suggests， there’s the overarching question of what makes a utopia， and for whom， and the sometimes blurry line separating a supposed paradise from what， at a different angle， feels much more like a dystopia。This book is essentially three shorter novels back-to-back。 The structure is a bit of a tease: you spend a hundred pages getting emotionally involved and solving the little mysteries Yanagihara scatters in for you， and right when something big is about to happen she drops you into a different narrative， a different world。 She reuses character names and locations in each of the three sections， with subsequent people and places both similar and different from the originals， creating an interesting simultaneous resonance and dissonance。While some aspects of the structure worked for me， some didn’t。 There are a few emotional through lines that somewhat carried me to the end， but I struggled to reinvest with each new crop of characters after the first。 I found myself at the end of the novel， crying， and also still wondering what happened to the main couple at the end of the first section （though there’s an interesting little bit in the third section referencing this exact experience - Yanagihara knows her audience well）。 There’s a sense of unsettledness， of dissatisfaction as each section ends unresolved that’s likely intentional - mimicking our inability to know the future and our desire to hope against all odds - but also frustrating。 I think if I resonated more with the some of the messages the novel seemed to carry， this may have been less of an problem for me。Which brings me to one of the most significant issues I had with this book。 In imagining utopias or dystopias， in the work of creating speculative fictions generally， authors are exploring some aspects of our world in contrast - playing out what it might look like if certain policies were taken to the extreme， for example， or if some essential trait of the past had been different。 What I as the reader am looking for in work like this is to gain insight for our current world， and I read into the novel the message the author is trying to convey - they’ve pictured how this plays out for a reason， so what are they trying to show me？ With TO PARADISE， I felt like some of the implications of Yanagihara’s authorial imagination were harmful。 There were times when the author’s voice seems to be condoning beliefs that contradict values many of us hold。 There are other moments when I really loved what the story was conveying， when Yanagihara struck right at the heart of some deep， universal human experiences。 I still have some unresolved complicated feelings about this。I was also troubled by Yanagihara’s use of queer characters， primarily gay men and frequently men of color， positioned consistently against more powerful characters， generally older white men。 Something about her consistent use of them， especially after reading A LITTLE LIFE， feels voyeuristic， or in a way fetishistic， capitalizing on the trauma and pain that queer people generally， and gay men specially， have experienced and using that oppresssion and pain to further the emotional impact of the storyline。 There’s very little queer joy in this book - though， unsurprisingly perhaps， there’s very little joy at all。And this might be why I’ve been left so unsettled and unsure about this book: not just because I question how I feel about this narrative， but because it’s made me rethink my relationship to A LITTLE LIFE as well。 Yanagihara is， in many ways， a brilliant writer。 Her work has captured our attention， and TO PARADISE will surely do the same。 But I’m just not sure these are the kind of queer stories I want to read anymore。I know this novel will generate much discussion， which I’m looking forward to; there’s much more to say that what I’ve said here by far more insightful and articulate voices。 I expect to continue reflecting on TO PARADISE， and I’m grateful Doubleday Books gave me the chance to read an early copy。 This novel comes out January 11。Content warnings: homophobia， racism， slavery， rape， forced removal 。。。more
Kate Wilson
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Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy。 It's been years since I read A Little Life and I'd forgotten how absolutely absorbing Yanagihara's prose is。 This is a novel in three parts， and could actually be three separate novels as the stories are linked tenuously through shared names and more strongly through themes of love， loyalty， identity and escape。 Once again characters and writing style had me completely immersed and I finished this very long novel a lot quicker than others of si Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy。 It's been years since I read A Little Life and I'd forgotten how absolutely absorbing Yanagihara's prose is。 This is a novel in three parts， and could actually be three separate novels as the stories are linked tenuously through shared names and more strongly through themes of love， loyalty， identity and escape。 Once again characters and writing style had me completely immersed and I finished this very long novel a lot quicker than others of similar length。 Definitely recommend。 。。。more
mylogicisfuzzy
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One of the most anticipated novels of 2022 and one that， I think， might divide opinions just as Yanagihara’s previous hit， A Little Life did。 I should confess to not having read A Little Life， at the time of publication， it sounded intriguing， but I’d had a long ‘to read’ pile and didn’t want to add another long novel to it。 To Paradise， then。 The novel is structured around people with same names living， at some point of their lives， in the same house in New York’s Washington Square a hundred ye One of the most anticipated novels of 2022 and one that， I think， might divide opinions just as Yanagihara’s previous hit， A Little Life did。 I should confess to not having read A Little Life， at the time of publication， it sounded intriguing， but I’d had a long ‘to read’ pile and didn’t want to add another long novel to it。 To Paradise， then。 The novel is structured around people with same names living， at some point of their lives， in the same house in New York’s Washington Square a hundred years apart: 1893， 1993 and 2093。 Their New Yorks and Americas are quite different in some ways， same in others。 This structure is what first attracted me to the novel， in interviews， Yanagihara said she wanted to explore different paths America could have taken。 So， in 1893， David Bingham is a 28-year-old scion of one of founding families of the Free States where white people can love and marry who they like （black people are helped to cross from the segregated Southern states and then encouraged to move on to the West or Canada）。 David is at a crossroads， deciding whether to marry the older， stable， unimaginative Charles Griffith or dashing， penniless piano teacher Edward Bishop。 Prone to long bouts of depression， he has led a secluded life controlled by his grandfather and this relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is a major theme of the novel。 The first part reminded me of both Wharton and Henry James and I rather liked that。In the second part， we move to 1993 and the unnamed but very much present AIDS epidemic where a young Hawaiian David lives with his much older lover Charles and reminisces about growing up with his grandmother。 His father， also David carries on the narrative， writing from the hospital bed he has been confined to for some years。 He reminisces of the time in his life he was involved with a different Edward Bishop， a man with revolutionary ideas to take back Hawaiian independence and dreams of being able to walk again and going to see his son。 I found this part of the novel the weakest， lacking direction and at times， it was a struggle to keep reading if I am being honest。The third part， set in future forms half of the novel。 America is segregated again but this time into zones， ravaged by the climate change and frequent deadly pandemics。 Charlie Bingham is a laboratory technician who misses her grandfather and wanders what her husband does on his weekly free nights。 Her life is very different and basic – work， home， sleep， eat and it is apparent that in this bleak， dystopian version of America， most freedoms have been sacrificed to ensure basic survival。 How this came about is slowly revealed in emails and letters written by Charlie’s grandfather Charles to his closest friend in Britain。 Charles was an epidemiologist and involved in some of the decisions that led to the current state of things， and I found his narrative by far the most interesting and the best part of the whole novel。 As we live in pandemic times， it is also the part of the novel that will surely resonate with most readers。 Apart from grandparent-grandchild relationships already mentioned， Yanagihara explores themes of love in its many forms， loneliness， feelings of inadequacy and not belonging， freedom， heritage and privilege。 Her characters have the same names， but they are not the same people or even related。 In another interview， I’d read that Binghams and Griffiths were some of the missionaries who came to Yanagihara’s native Hawaii and I thought it interesting how she used these names for foundation characters in her versions of what America could have been and what it could become。 At times， I loved her writing， in the first part I thought how wonderful， a modern Wharton-esque style。 I found the third part more and more affecting as the novel neared its end。 I liked the ways in which she connected the three parts， the first narrative is re-told as a story in part three， a speech from part two makes its way into one of Charles’s emails。 At the same time， I also found the book quite uneven。 The first part was enjoyable but also somewhat slight， the second part I already mentioned being a struggle while the third part was at times unnecessarily slow – but it did eventually win me over。 At around 720 pages， this is a long novel and I thought the different versions of America Yanagihara imagined could have been explored more， especially in the first two parts （the second part didn’t seem particularly different） or from a different perspective。 All of Yanagihara’s characters are from privileged backgrounds to some extent and it would have been interesting to hear from someone else， Charlie’s husband in the third part for example。 Three and a half stars which I’m rounding up to four for the ending。 My thanks to Pan Macmillan， Picador and Netgalley for the opportunity to read To Paradise。 。。。more
Violet Daniels
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What a whirlwind of a book。 I have a lot to say but ill keep it short & sweet。 This book disappointed me and caused a slight reading slump。 I feel like it's too ambitious and causes confusion。 There's a lot to keep track of and I felt very lost reading this。 It falls short of being a masterpiece but it could be， if it were more concise。 That being said， there was so much i liked about it。 The characters， the world building， the messages about our own world and society。 More uplifting than 'A lit What a whirlwind of a book。 I have a lot to say but ill keep it short & sweet。 This book disappointed me and caused a slight reading slump。 I feel like it's too ambitious and causes confusion。 There's a lot to keep track of and I felt very lost reading this。 It falls short of being a masterpiece but it could be， if it were more concise。 That being said， there was so much i liked about it。 The characters， the world building， the messages about our own world and society。 More uplifting than 'A little life' for sure （but that is not hard） 。。。more
niri
，
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Tracey McHardy
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I have prevaricated about writing this review。 Partly this is due to knowing it's by the author of A Little Life which is one of my favourite books and which I obsessed about in a rare way。 It took over my life for two weeks。I have been mulling over how I feel about this book。The plot that I discuss here is more or less that outlined in the "blurb" so i don't think there are many spoilers in this reviewThe first section is mainly about David who is a member of a rich family in an alternate Ameri I have prevaricated about writing this review。 Partly this is due to knowing it's by the author of A Little Life which is one of my favourite books and which I obsessed about in a rare way。 It took over my life for two weeks。I have been mulling over how I feel about this book。The plot that I discuss here is more or less that outlined in the "blurb" so i don't think there are many spoilers in this reviewThe first section is mainly about David who is a member of a rich family in an alternate America in 1893。 In the Free States people may live and love how they please seemingly。 David has had illnesses in the past and his Grandfather wants him to marry a man who will care for him， but David falls in love with a penniless musician。 He wants a life "in colour"。 Yanagihara explores themes of freedom and choice and how love and hate is a spectrum。 She isn't afraid of looking at the dark recesses of the human personality and how we justify our motivations to ourselves and others。 David is not always a character you warm to。The 2nd section is set in a Manhattan in 1993 during the Aids epidemic。 A young Hawaiian man lives with a wealthy older man to whom he reveals little of his background and identity。 We find out more about this through his father's story。 The theme of exile from your own culture is explored here。The 3rd section is set in 2093 in a totalitarian world in which people's lives are controlled by disease。 A grandfather has the care of his granddaughter who seems to be "damaged" in some way。 He loves her but what is his own background？ Yanagihara is like a composer using recurring themes and instruments/notes to link the three parts together。 On a superficial level， names and a house recur。 More profoundly， themes such as wealth and poverty， power and weakness， racial identity， disease/illness resonate。 It asks what is a family？ The author says in an address "to the Bookseller" that "。。。 time and progress are not linear but a loop， one that pleats and folds back on itself， the future becoming the past before you know it "The role of science and its responsibilities reminded me of The People in the Trees。 The loving bonds between the grandfather and Charlie reminded me of the unconditional paternal love that Jude receives in A little Life from his tutor， Harold。 However， there are more conditions attached here…There is much in the third part that will be familiar from our own of a pandemic but also much more that is thought provoking and disturbing in many ways。 Like The People in the Tress and Frankenstein it asks difficult questions about science and how this balances with a human's freedoms and rights。 That’s the plot and analysis of the themes but what about the emotional response？ I didn't engage with it in the same way that I did with A Little Life。 This was more than just being about a non- linear structure。 Both Davids are hard to empathise with。 Charlie is probably the character that won my heart。 She reminded me a bit of Ishiguro's Klara （no spoilers here about why） Yes it's a powerful and well written book with many important things to say， but I think I may need to let it settle some more or reread it to understand more about it。 It was like eating an expensive tasting menu in a top- class restaurant。 Some flavours were there so subtly and others were not what you were expecting and maybe you thought at the end you were still hungry but you weren’t really。 I need more time to digest this book。 I feel that it's one to process slowly and carefully。Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nicky Hallam
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I'm still processing this， I'm not sure how to write what I feel in a short review。 It's an epic book， I read it on the kindle but I imagine the physical copy is massive。The story covers a span of hundreds of years in New York。 The portion set in the 2090s is a little dystopia and given our recent experience with pandemics a bit more scary than it would have been if their book was published a few years ago。The 3 sections are all quite different but there are themes running through， not least the I'm still processing this， I'm not sure how to write what I feel in a short review。 It's an epic book， I read it on the kindle but I imagine the physical copy is massive。The story covers a span of hundreds of years in New York。 The portion set in the 2090s is a little dystopia and given our recent experience with pandemics a bit more scary than it would have been if their book was published a few years ago。The 3 sections are all quite different but there are themes running through， not least the use of the same character names。 It's a skill of the writer that even though the names are the same I never confused the characters。It's a book I just want to talk about。 I need someone else to read it so I can discuss the characters， the stories， what might have happened after we left them。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=To Paradise
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=To Paradise&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,To Paradise&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0