This Should Be Written in the Present Tense

by Helle Helle · read November 23, 2019

Review

I usually really like minimalist books, but I wasn't a huge fan of this one (I'm willing to attribute it to timing and maybe try again later, it's pretty short haha). I did admire the matter of fact quality of the writing and the complete lack of indication towards significance - there were times where I thought the author would break and give me something, but it never came.

The best part of the book: a retelling of a trip that Dorte, the protagonist's aunt, took with her boyfriend – she is full of excitement on the train, he tells her that she should settle down, and "it was as if all the life drained away from her." That sentence sucker punched me when I read it. This is why I love to read, those fleeting glimpses of seeing my own reflection in someone else's.

Julia Rodenburg © 2024