#oughhhhhh NOT THE GREAT AMERICAN GAY NOVEL C'MONNN

[woundedearth]

i have COMPLICATED feelings about a little life like as much as i honestly abhor that novel for many reasons, i struggle with the gripes of Unrealistic Trauma--like for ex. that article i just rbed talks about the many chronically ill and dying characters in the periphery of yanagihara's novels, how miserable everyone is. i don't think that's the problem! i think the issue is refusing to engage with the material consequences of trauma, pain, sickness, etc bc it very often feels like she's writing from a place of economic privilege. a little life is the only book of hers i've read, but personally i was frustrated with how fucking ungrounded it felt. like you present a Relatable queer character, a deeply traumatized disabled gay nerd who struggles to open up in fear of being hurt again........and then you remove all the structural problems in his life by making him a rich corporate lawyer with a famous movie star boyfriend and his own custom accessible flat in NYC......and then you have to add conflict back in by contriving these fucked up situations like, the most evil love interest in the world or a horrible accident. contrived it just feels so contrived