As I reached the end of Part II, I found the Hawaii story poignant and gut-wrenching. David (the father) was such an earnest narrator and in some ways honest and self-aware (I was struck by his description of his decision to stay at Lipo-Wao-Nahele as due to “weakness” and “stubbornness”), but in others very childlike and blinded by his own naïveté. I don’t know what medical event has happened to him by the end, but I was wondering if he was neurodivergent even before that. I’m also comparing him to Charlie in Book III (2094)… but I’ll save more on that for Book III.

About the title… for Book I, paradise seems to be California. For Book II, Lipo-Wao-Nahele is kind of a false paradise. Is there supposed to be some parallel between David and Edward at Lipo-Wao-Nahele and David and Edward from Book I in California? The paradise he’s going towards at the end of Book II is a reunion with his son, and we don’t know if that will happen, just as we don’t know what happened with David and Edward in California (if they even made it that far).

I’m still working on Book III, but I will say this for it: Yanagihara has pulled off an incredible feat. When I put the book down, I look around and feel profoundly grateful for the state of the world. (In case anyone’s wondering: I listen to all of the Bulwark podcasts, I follow the news, I am aware of all of the very strong arguments that we are living in the worst of all possible timelines, but… it turns out we are not.)