A review by emreadsbooksagain
The Anniversary by Stephanie Bishop

4.0

Stephanie Bishop's writing has a precision of language which is deep and thoughtful. Her narrator ponders thoughts and ideas as we weave through the plot, so much so that it almost feels philosophical or existential. There's so much in this one: an exploration of marriage, the power differentials between heteronormative couples, especially when the female is much younger, some great depiction of female desire as well, gender roles in creating art and in relationships, the impact of traumatic events as well as the craft of writing and filmmaking, creating fiction, in and of themselves. There's so much to think about and I loved the meditations on the act of writing as a means of processing, understanding, and working through trauma and pain. I also loved the exploration of the lines between what is real and fiction, questions around how real memory is, and what we might hide and conceal and why.