A review by jayisreading
The Details by Ia Genberg

reflective medium-paced

3.25

I’d take this short reflection with a grain of salt, only because I was really not in the headspace for a novel that required the reader’s undivided attention. As the title suggests, this novel is all about details, particularly getting into the minutiae of them all. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that nothing happens in this novel, but I found that Genberg relies heavily on the reader to carefully work through the details to unravel the meaning of four impactful relationships that the narrator had. In other words, “nothing happens” in the sense that it’s not so much about having a plot, so much as it is about reflecting deeply on the people we hold close to our hearts. As a result of not being able to concentrate at the time of reading, though, I had a pretty difficult time getting through this book. I think what really didn’t help was that it had a near-absent and vague plot; even if I were in the right mood, this probably would have been my main criticism.

I can see why The Details got shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, because the writing and intention behind the novel are provocative. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t in the right headspace for this one.
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