Scan barcode
A review by abbie_
Many People Die Like You by Lina Wolff
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
(Gifted by the publisher) I’m really torn on how to rate this short story collection overall. I think one of the reasons I struggled is that there’s no overarching theme to the collection. Obviously not every short story collection I read and enjoy has a theme, but like Atwood’s are usually dark and cunning, Florida by Lauren Groff is tied together by, of course, the Florida setting, Dark Satellites which I read last month was dedicated to exploring outcasts of German society... I feel like I need something to grasp on to.
.
But in a way this does allow Wolff to show off her versatility as an author. There are funny stories, shocking stories, dark stories, and honestly some stories I just plain didn’t get or didn’t like. She plays on unassuming, day-to-day scenarios, often twisting them into surprising outcomes.
.
My top two favourites were actually the first and last stories, one where a scene between a housewife and the detective she’s hired to trail her husband she suspects of cheating on her ends in a truly ‘OH SHIT’ moment, and the other featuring a desperate man who’s forced into selling all of his organs. Wolff is Swedish but has lived in Spain, and the stories are often an interesting amalgam of Spanish and Swedish culture.
.
Saskia Vogel’s translation from Swedish is pretty much flawless as far as I can tell; there’s no clunkiness and every story reads smoothly. When I’m trying out an author for the first time, I wouldn’t judge their whole body of work from a short story collection. I think fans of Lina Wolff will enjoy this new collection from her, while I’ll be giving one of her novels a go to see if I can click better with those, as I did really enjoy her writing style.
.
But in a way this does allow Wolff to show off her versatility as an author. There are funny stories, shocking stories, dark stories, and honestly some stories I just plain didn’t get or didn’t like. She plays on unassuming, day-to-day scenarios, often twisting them into surprising outcomes.
.
My top two favourites were actually the first and last stories, one where a scene between a housewife and the detective she’s hired to trail her husband she suspects of cheating on her ends in a truly ‘OH SHIT’ moment, and the other featuring a desperate man who’s forced into selling all of his organs. Wolff is Swedish but has lived in Spain, and the stories are often an interesting amalgam of Spanish and Swedish culture.
.
Saskia Vogel’s translation from Swedish is pretty much flawless as far as I can tell; there’s no clunkiness and every story reads smoothly. When I’m trying out an author for the first time, I wouldn’t judge their whole body of work from a short story collection. I think fans of Lina Wolff will enjoy this new collection from her, while I’ll be giving one of her novels a go to see if I can click better with those, as I did really enjoy her writing style.