To Paradise: A Novel

Loved “A Little Life” from the same author but I couldn’t get into this.

I wanted to love this because I loved A Little Life, but I couldn’t finish it.

This book is one long exercise in asking how do politics and environment affect who we are and who we want to be. Through three separate experiences over the course of hundreds of years we see the human experience from the perspective of the marginalized even within powerful circles. What diminishes them is not just lifestyle but the freedom to pursue it with the love and support of family. Everyone is seeking their own paradise it just isn’t what they initially thought it would be. That quest for an Elysian future sets up an intimate look at the tough decisions we have to make to pursue our dreams, and spotlights the people we lose along the way. Each loss tarnishes the images of the past, present, and future and blur the lines between them. Our protagonists end up rewriting history into something that fits with their jarred worldview. That new narrative frees up the space to continue pushing toward paradise, though it will be incomplete. The structure of the book creates rich vignettes into three separate individual perspectives on love and life that also share some common themes. However, the same format creates some confusion as to what we’re supposed to be following and make for rough transitions. I hate to say it, but the book, or books depending on how you look at it, is too long. It droned on in sections that really added nothing to the story or added character development. It demanded a Herculean reading effort and provided no final resolution; leaving only the bitter taste of frustration on your tongue. Much of the plot and character development is lacking and could have been achieved to the same effect or better in short story format. Hanya Yanigihara is a brilliant writer with an ability to execute in different styles and language, which creates voices that are believable and unique. However, the packaging of these separate experiences just did not do it for me. I was left intrigued by some of the questions posed but also exhausted by the waves of endless exposition that could have been cut. “Leave the World Behind” by Rumaan Alam, accomplishes much of the same storytelling at a fraction of the length.