Book Log 2019 #8: The Infatuations by Javier Marias

Every day, the main character stops at a cafe in Madrid on her way to work, and as part of her morning ritual she imagines the perfect life of the young couple who also frequent the cafe in those early morning hours. But then the husband is killed, prompting the woman to approach the now-widow. Their deepening friendship is further complicated by a new romantic relationship for our main character, with a man who may be involved in the murder.

This is the very basic synopsis of the romance wrapped around a mystery covered in philosophical inquiry that this book presents. I wanted very much to like the book based on its premise, but found it way too discursive. I got to the point where I would skim the 10 to 20 page digressions so I could get back to the story. I'm not necessarily a plot-driven reader, but there were times where it almost felt like I was reading two separate books.

The Onion's AV Club picked this as one of their best books of 2013, giving the plot as the launching point for the author's "signature digressions and ruminations," so if that's your sort of thing you'll probably like this book more than I did. Of course, the New York Times and NPR also lauded the book, so it could just be that I've gotten more lazy in my reading.