A review by savvylit
Swimming Home by Deborah Levy

dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This oddly riveting book is peopled by mostly unlikeable and exaggerated characters. Joe is an eccentric artist. Isabel is an absent career woman. Jurgen is a lazy stoner. Mitchell is an overweight foodie with a spending problem. Nina is a petulant teenager who is disgusted by her parents.

Levy satirizes each of these "foreigners abroad" stereotypes to great effect. What ultimately comes out of Swimming Home is a fascinating look at the humanity of the people that we struggle to take seriously.
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