I was going to get the book, A Little Life, after a lot of people recommended it to me. My favorite genre of books are dark fiction and non-fiction books that go into the psychological plagues trauma brings upon a persons mind. I read them too to examine how an author dissects a traumatic event or events and brings the characters into those situations and how the characters progress. What always shocks me is seeing how other people react to these books. I suffered severe childhood trauma in various different ways. So reading these books is sometimes comforting, sometimes I read them with the intent to relate to a character, in the thoughts of the character towards an event that others might not have thought one would even experience. But watching some peoples reactions to books like A Little Life, and becoming nauseous or being in disbelief, I find it shocking. What are the experiences of people who read books who did not read it with intent to relate to the character. Why did you pick the book up? Im interested to see the other side of the coin. Does the emotional experiences of the characters resonate with you? Do you see any parallels within your our own life and the characters?
I defs think there’s a worthwhile conversation to have about a little life and trauma porn etc but I agree that I struggle with the WAY people express this and react to it. It feels a bit dehumanising to insists that what Jude goes through is IMPOSSIBLY awful. He was a very vulnerable kid and people in those positions are more likely to be repeatedly abused. As are disabled people. Also, it’s a total fable but that’s beside the point. People will read A Little Life and basically insist it’s impossibly traumatic and then wonder why people don’t share their own stories of abuse more.
EXACTLY🤌🏽👏🏽
Glad I’m not alone. I feel like if I say that to a lot of people I’m told I’m weird/like child trauma porn/that it’s morally wrong to appreciate the book at all. I just think these extreme reactions are so toxic and antithetical to what I see as the benefits of reading.