Book Review - In Her Absence by Antonio Munoz Molina

When I picked up this book on the Holds shelf at my branch of the library I almost missed it. I had to indulge in a minor expedition of the row to find the little slip of paper that bears the last four digits of my card mumber and the last four letters of my name peeking out from the pages of the book. I was surprised at how slim the book was, and by how little the book was. It's smaller than a hardcover but larger than a paperback. With only 134 little pages of big print I figured it would take me no time at all to finish it, but I found myself stopping to let the imagery sink in and take hold before moving to the next bit of information that the author doled out.

The book describes the unravelling of a marriage, through the man's eyes. How he does everything to please her, tries to understand her world and downplays his own listless world so as not to bore her. How, even though they are so different, they marry with her never really loving him in the same manner he loves her. How it is possible to live with someone who is a stranger in the details.

I enjoyed this book very much. The author was able to call up imagery in his words so my attention was never diverted. So the constant noise in my head was kept at bay as each word was read.