#jb marion

[alittlepassionfruit]

Thinking about JB and Jude lately…

JB, who was Jude’s first friend. JB, who carried Jude to the college hospital when he witnessed him having an episode in their dorm.

JB, who shouted and made a scene in that same hospital until a doctor finally saw Jude - and that doctor was Andy, the only physician Jude ever allowed to care for him for the rest of life.

JB, who helped Jude move into the apartment he shared with Willem on Lispenard St. JB, who brought along his friend Richard to help that day. Richard, who later sold Jude his beautiful apartment on Green Street that Jude loved so much. Richard, who secretly looked after him more than Jude ever imagined, who at one point saved his life, and at another point reminded him his birthday was worth celebrating, when Jude himself had forgotten and his world was bleak.

JB, who envied his life, his looks, his career, his relationship (even his limp!). JB, who saw him as competition, rather than someone to pity. JB, who thought he was beautiful, who thought killing something small and adorable was worth it if it meant looking like Jude.

JB, who brought him to parties, who showered him with laughter and provocations.

JB, who asked too many questions and wanted all the answers but got none of them. JB, who then asked Harold to back off from asking all the questions and wanting all the answers as well.

JB, who captured his life in galleries, on canvas, on film. The good and the bad.

JB, who’s art invaded and celebrated and decorated. JB, who’s art froze Willem in time for him.

JB, who was Jude’s last friend. JB, who Jude resented, who Jude hated, who Jude never forgave, who Jude wanted dead.

JB, who found him at last, who put away his suits, who handed out his letters.

JB, who outlived his friends, who was left alone, with his pictures, and his paintings, and his pain.

[pjshermann]

The true “boys will be boys” is when all FOUR of you managed to forget your keys and phones and it’s freezing outside and the best solution you and your friends (Ivy League graduates, may I add) could come up with was launching yourself off the roof ledge to break into your own apartment

[jemcore]

*spends time with friends* this is just like a little life!

*cooks a meal* this is just like a little life!

*hosts a house party* this is just like a little life!

*goes to college* this is just like a little life!

*has a trauma flashback* this is just like a li

[falling-without-caution]

watched the play version of a little life this week and i haven't been able to stop thinking about it since it is consuming me

[mxqeme]

i'm definitely totally normal about jude st. francis

[theladwhoisweird]

Willem and Jude in JB's point of view:

Who's the frog? Who's the toad? It's still a debate.

[st-r-struck]

ik only a very niche group of people will get this but whenever i watch dead poets in nyc i think of a little life and how they acted the exact same way to being trapped on a roof. the parallels go crazy

[goeasyonjude]

here’s a list of spoiler free a little life findings & anecdotes

• JB’s grandmother sang to him in French.

•During their sophomore year of college, Malcolm, Jude, and Willem visited JB everyday while he was in the hospital with a broken wrist.

•Jude is compared to the sea, for his everlasting presence.

•Willem can speak two languages.

•Jude was the first to arrive in their dorm, Malcolm was the second.

•Harold never imagined he would have a child.

•Jude learned to drive in Harold’s car.

•Andy has a twin brother who is also in the medical field.

•Late October is Willem’s favorite time in the city.

•Malcolm’s gaze is described as a lighthouse’s beam, when inspecting spaces.

•JB once carried Jude into the hospital following one of his episodes.

•There are 3 books that Jude read that are mentioned, Emma, On Narcissism, and The Hobbit (which is read to him).

•Willem is an avid coffee lover.

•Malcolm gifted Jude one of his miniature houses for his seventeenth birthday.

•Willem once moved Jude out of the way of an oncoming bike.

•Both Jude and Willem are characterized as optimists.

•One of Jude’s favorite streets is also a street in which Harold lives.

•Willem retaught Jude how to shave in college.

•Jude’s smile is compared to the moon.

[saskiasdl]

[ 𝐈 ] 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞.

[ 𝐈𝐈 ] 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐧

𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝: 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧, 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝.

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞; 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.

[ 𝐈𝐈𝐈 ] 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲? 𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞 (𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤).

𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞, 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐦.

[ 𝐈𝐕 ] 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐱𝐢𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

𝐱=𝐱, 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬. 𝐱=𝐱, 𝐱=𝐱.

[ 𝐕 ] 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬

'𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬.'

[ 𝐕𝐈 ] 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞

𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞?

𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲?

[ 𝐕𝐈𝐈 ] 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭

'𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲', 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. '𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮.'

'𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞', 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝.

[playlistbyjo]

*sobbing while reading a little life with this playlist in the bg*

[judeaftersickness]

"Later, though, he would be embarrassed by his own gullibility, by how he had trusted that his wishes would be respected."

(the postman, pg 195)

[pjshermann]

[jemcore]

[artemisiamezzanotte]

Just finished A Little Life and, man, what to say.

First of all for a book that is 700+ pages long I did’t find myself glaze over or lose focus over a single paragraph or sentence. Every word in it felt necessary and absolutely heartfelt.

It is a heartbreaking book but not in the way I expected. There are some serious triggers in it - almost any trigger one could imagine - and yet rather than being shocked or disgusted by some of the things I read, I found myself relating so much to the characters and how they experienced these ‘triggers’. It made me realise that by the word trigger refers to the reader’s experience, and so inevitably takes one out of the world of the book. This book was so good that this didn’t happen, I was completely immersed.

I knew I would cry but I was surprised I didn’t cry when I thought I would. I cried because how real the character’s feelings were, and how beautifully the human experience is described and eviscerated in this book.

The title is right - this book is an eulogy to life, how transient and difficult and demanding it can be but also an ode to all the beauty and connection one can find in it.

Is this book for everyone? No.

Did I love it? Yes.

It will take a few days to digest it, metabolise it, mourn it even.

[mxqeme]

wish jude could help me with my math rn i know he'd be a real one

[lispenardlover]

how i imagine willem posed for jb’s photos: