Book Review: "Andromeda" by Therese Bohman, translated by Marlaine Delargy

I really don’t read much literary fiction because quite often, it makes me feel dumb and unsophisticated. I love beautiful storytelling and I love being moved by books, but for some reason, much of the literary fiction I’ve read left me wanting more.

Those thoughts were in the back of my mind when reading Andromeda, which was originally published in Swedish. This was definitely a character-driven book, although you don’t learn the main character’s name until halfway through. And even while the book spans a number of years, not much really happened.

A young woman takes her first steps into the world of publishing by becoming an intern at a well-known Swedish publisher. Her supervisor, Gunnar, is a venerated man, and she both admires and fears him.

Through the years, she picks up more and more responsibility and her relationship with Gunnar shifts and changes. Is it mutual respect? Embracing the power dynamic between them?

Maybe it’s because the book was translated from another language, but I found the writing really dry. I wanted something more from the plot, some drama, some powerful moment, but I didn’t get that. I think I’ll stick with the genres I enjoy.