Quote by Hanya Yanagihara: “Friendship was a thing, like a river, that could be diverted.”

This metaphor suggests that friendship, despite its strength, is not immutable or entirely predictable. Like a river, it can change course, be influenced by external factors, or even cease to flow in the same direction over time, leading to shifts in relationships.

From a novel where friendships are central but also tested and transformed by life's hardships and the passage of time, reflecting the sometimes fragile and evolving nature of human bonds.

American novelist and editor-in-chief of T: The New York Times Style Magazine. Her 2015 novel A Little Life became one of the most emotionally intense and widely debated literary works of its decade, exploring friendship, trauma, and survival.