To Paradise

A Novel

De: Hanya Yanagihara

Narrado por: Edoardo Ballerini, Catherine Ho, BD Wong, Feodor Chin, Kurt Kanazawa

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From the award-winning, best-selling 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.

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: VOGUE • ESQUIRE • NPR • GOODREADS

To Paradise is a fin de siècle 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 comprise an 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.

©2021 Hanya Yanagihara (P)2021 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S SUMMER READING LIST

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: VOGUE • ESQUIRE • GLAMOUR • NPR • GOODREADS • O MAGAZINE

“Remarkable…The emotional impact of this novel is less visceral than A LITTLE LIFE but only because the author’s scope is so vast and her dexterity so dazzling….TO PARADISE demonstrates the inexhaustible ingenuity of an author who keeps shattering expectations….she explores the dream of freedom that lures all these characters to risk everything for a paradise they desire but can barely envision. No matter the setting – past present or future – TO PARADISE stems from the hypnotic confluence of Yanagihara’s skills. She speaks softly, with the urgency of a whisper. She draws us into the most intimate sympathy with these characters while placing them in crises that feel irresistibly compelling.” — Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“We are given a patriarch, wealth, children; there is an arranged marriage, an inheritance, a true love, a class divide and a significant twist. Deftly paced and judiciously detailed, the tale makes hay with the conventions of the 19th-century novel. But that’s not all. With breathtaking audacity Yanagihara rewrites America….Yanagihara masterfully repurposes themes, situations and motifs…This ambitious novel tackles major American questions and answers them in an original, engrossing way. It has a major feel. But it is finally in [its] minor moments that Yanagihara shows greatness.” — Gish Jen, The New York Times Book Review (cover review)

"Tour de force…Yanagihara changes the novel landscape: What is different, we accept; what is familiar, we recognize. To Paradise resonates because of its exploration of human relationships and the dismantling of preconceived notions. Biases and hatreds lurk and linger, emerging periodically to remind us that while one form of discrimination may have been eliminated, others remain embedded in our institutions, and cannot easily be eradicated; in the end, threads of prejudice bind all three parts. And yet To Paradise is rich with characters that live and love, with few boundaries. Yanagihara asks us to consider an alternative America that could have existed at any point in history if other decisions had been made, and that might still prevail if we do the right thing." — Oprah Daily

a masterpiece

An exquisitely written, convoluted book. It will surely enter the canon of American literature.

Absolutely extraordinary

Breathtaking, sweeping, layered and rich tapestry of lives. This is the second book of Hanya Yanagihara’s I’ve listened to and they both kept me spellbound.

Thank you

Thank you to the brilliant author and wonderful readers, especially B D. Wong.
Magnificent story.

Absolute Genius

Hanya Yanagihara is a genius, we’ve all been waiting for this third book and it doesn’t disappoint. This is a story that must be savored like fine wine, scotch, a good cigar…to be fully understood. A book you want to listen to several times to truly understand the interrelationship of the three stories, you actually want to dive in like a great puzzle. The protagonist stays with you and becomes part of your psyche, just like the protagonist in A little life, and The people in the trees. You are left satisfied, however, you want more. Can’t wait for the next book.

Wow; just wow!

Incredible book with so many parallels it’s frightening. A must read or listen for anyone living in our current circumstances.

An instant classic

This is an ambitious epic that spans 200 years, the US past, present and future, in universes imagined, real, and somewhere in-between. The 28 hours of listening was an amazing experience - roller coaster rides in emotion, story trajectory and the fate of a nation. The book felt like a poetry, structured in three grand verses that rhyme, resonate and cross-illuminate. The author is without a doubt a major talent of our time. It’s so captivating and hard to even pause for a short break. The book is an absolute master piece.
p.s., I just read the review by Becca Rothfled on the TLS - that woman obviously had issues that kept her from appreciating this book for what it is. Total embarrassment for the TLS to have published such an irresponsible review by someone who did not have the capacity to comprehend a major work of modern American literature.

Strange and ambitious, terrifying and lyrical

So richly layered and dense. Compelling and elegant and magnificently thought-provoking. Variations on themes playing out through different times and places to create a symphony of the human condition.

Written beautifully. Excellent Narration. Weird story

Long, drawn out weird stories, all with homosexual themes. Trying to see how they all link together in the end. Artful. Beautifully written. Excellent narration. Overall theme/ story line was way too long.
I only finished it( 35hrs!) to see if the stories tied together and redeemed themselves. I wouldn’t recommend. Life it too short and this is too long a book with nothing to reap from it but a feeling of great woe.

the story stays with you

there are 3 different stores remotely connected.. its been a long while ago since I finished the book and it stays with me I return to think about them quite often
The performance is just brilliant, I had to look up people that read this book, amazing well well done!
I defiantly recommend
Tanya Yanagihara has a way with words for sure, such a gift, its a pleasure diving in the world that she created

Slow Build of a Story Across Generations

I love that Hanya Yanagihara follows a story across generations. It’s a very cool element to her stories that is very unique. Beautiful writing!