Jennifer Welsh's Reviews > The Anomaly
The Anomaly
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Jennifer Welsh's review
bookshelves: dark-odd-or-mind-bending, translations, contemporary
Jan 20, 2022
bookshelves: dark-odd-or-mind-bending, translations, contemporary
What a strange book. 3.5?
The Anomaly was recommended to me as getting buzz in the book world, but that’s all I knew going in. I read the first chapter and loved it – it’s from the perspective of a hit man, and the writing is clean. The second chapter is from the perspective of a female film editor, and I liked it less (no reflection on her occupation, nor her gender - I just wanted more of the hit man). I kept reading and meeting a new character in every chapter, and by page 80 I felt like I’d flitted through a party of introductions with no deep connections. I wanted to go home.
But I don’t, and now there’s something building. So I stay for the ride. And then the story turns into something clever and curious, and I’m wondering what I’d do in this situation. And then I’m enjoying the different reactions played out by those many characters I eventually meet again.
This was worth it, even fun, in the end.
The Anomaly was recommended to me as getting buzz in the book world, but that’s all I knew going in. I read the first chapter and loved it – it’s from the perspective of a hit man, and the writing is clean. The second chapter is from the perspective of a female film editor, and I liked it less (no reflection on her occupation, nor her gender - I just wanted more of the hit man). I kept reading and meeting a new character in every chapter, and by page 80 I felt like I’d flitted through a party of introductions with no deep connections. I wanted to go home.
But I don’t, and now there’s something building. So I stay for the ride. And then the story turns into something clever and curious, and I’m wondering what I’d do in this situation. And then I’m enjoying the different reactions played out by those many characters I eventually meet again.
This was worth it, even fun, in the end.
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Reading Progress
January 15, 2022
–
Started Reading
January 15, 2022
– Shelved
January 20, 2022
– Shelved as:
translations
January 20, 2022
– Shelved as:
dark-odd-or-mind-bending
January 20, 2022
–
Finished Reading
January 22, 2022
– Shelved as:
contemporary
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Jaidee
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Feb 25, 2022 06:18AM
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![Candi](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1721649817p1/3639005.jpg)
I'm with Jaidee! :D I'm definitely interested - but we are in agreement about the need to connect to our book characters :) Great review, Jennifer!
![Anne](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1577653837p1/2967061.jpg)
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![Anne](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1577653837p1/2967061.jpg)
Yeah. It's hard for me to read a book that doesn't engage me emotionally.
![Violeta](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713198636p1/114049471.jpg)
![Jennifer Welsh](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1651231317p1/12497452.jpg)
Ahhh, Violeta, your comment made me laugh out loud! It's true, isn't it? I did not find this story to be complex. Interesting, but not complex. Complex would've meant a much deeper look into each character's reaction and situation. That would've been even more fun. Naomi Alderman explored an idea similarly in The Power, but followed each character a bit more fully, and started off with a faster pace. That was fun. On the other hand, the idea here, along with the writing, felt more sophisticated than Alderman's. I would've loved to have merged the two.
![Violeta](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713198636p1/114049471.jpg)
Sophistication without fun, I find a bit smug :))
![Jennifer Welsh](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1651231317p1/12497452.jpg)
Sophistication without fun, I find a bit smug :))"
Smug as sophistication without fun - perfect, Violeta. I don't think you'd find this one smug, though. It doesn't have the weight for smug. And in the end, it is fun. Let me know if you ever decide to read it...
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