The Anthropologists by Aysegül Savas
I came to the conclusion one night, after I finished a reading session; I have no thoughts about this book. All I had taken away this far was that I knew this book, in its simplest form, was a story of a married couple’s monotonous relationship and the life they had spent time cultivating together as expats living in a foreign country.
I enjoyed the prose of this novel, which is what kept me motivated to continue reading, even if I had not been entirely captivated by the story.
One review I read perfectly described the feeling I had while reading: “This book is for people who love to watch strangers ‘morning routine’ videos in the hopes that they will rub off by exposure…”. This reader's perspective helped me realize that I enjoyed this book because it reminded me of my own relationship. Manu and Asya’s marriage carried a feeling of ease and stability, which I am lucky enough to experience in my own marriage.
Fair warning: Sometimes, I’m not sure I even understand the dynamics of the characters. So all of the above could be completely wrong.
It felt harsh to describe the book as thoughtless, but this was not meant to be a negative descriptor. Again, this book carried a sense of ease, which stayed true through the end, which was a major positive for me.
Final thoughts:
- I enjoyed this book enough to finish it
- It wasn’t very long, which was good
- I would recommend it to someone looking for a quick read or if they were looking for a slice-of-life book
- I doubt I will read it again, but I’m considering it, just to make sure I fully grasped what the book is about