Best Books About Friendship
A Little Life is the best book about friendship — Hanya Yanagihara's 720-page novel about four men whose friendship defines their entire lives is the most complete examination of male friendship in contemporary fiction. It's best for readers who want the deepest possible examination of what friendship costs and what it gives. The tradeoff: Big Little Lies is more immediately enjoyable and the best choice for readers who want female friendship examined with humor and darkness.
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Quick Comparison
| # | Book | Best For | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara | Most Profound Friendship Novel | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 | Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty | Best Female Friendship Novel | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 | The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini | Most Affecting Betrayal/Redemption | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 | Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Most Unique Format | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 | The Secret History by Donna Tartt | Most Psychologically Complex | Buy on Amazon |
Full Reviews
1. A Little Life
by Hanya Yanagihara
Four men from college build their lives around a friendship that centers on Jude. The friendship is the emotional spine of a novel about what people owe each other.
Skip this if: Skip this if sustained trauma content is too difficult.
2. Big Little Lies
by Liane Moriarty
Three women in a school community protect each other and their secrets. Moriarty writes female friendship as a survival mechanism.
Skip this if: Skip this if you've already watched the HBO series.
3. The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini
A boy's betrayal of his best friend defines his entire life. The guilt-and-redemption arc is the most emotionally complete in friendship fiction.
Skip this if: Skip this if betrayal in friendship content is too difficult.
4. Daisy Jones and The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The friendship and tension at the center of a rock band. Reid writes the way artistic friendship and romantic feeling blur with extraordinary specificity.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want conventional narrative — the oral history format is central.
5. The Secret History
by Donna Tartt
A group of classics students whose friendship includes complicity in murder. Tartt examines what friendship looks like when it involves the worst of what people can do.
Skip this if: Skip this for readers who need sympathetic protagonists.
What to Consider Before You Buy
Male vs. female friendship
A Little Life is about male friendship. Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, and Where the Crawdads Sing focus on female friendship. Both modes produce excellent fiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best novel about friendship?
A Little Life for the most complete examination. Big Little Lies for female friendship with thriller energy.
Our Verdict
A Little Life for the most profound. Big Little Lies for the most immediately enjoyable examination of female friendship.