Ordinary Human Failings Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2024

"Really, who would care about a family like theirs? Theirs were ordinary human failings, tragedies too routine to be of note." This book is about a family who lives in the same apartment, but somehow they've forgotten to understand each other, everyone so preoccupied with themselves that rather than live together they live next to each other, never giving the other more than a passing glance. As a scandal puts them in the spotlight of a journalist you find out how this family fell apart and understand each member on their own. Set against the murder of a child, this book still feels more like an analysis of family dynamics rather than a crime story. On the one hand the characters apathy makes you understand their personalities, but it also makes you care less about what happens. Since most of the book you just explore backstories and the characters are stuck at a hotel, it doesn't feel like much happens and the pace is rather slow, so if you're looking for an action packed story, this might not be for you. However if you're interested in the exploration of different characters and their family dynamic, this is definitely an enjoyable read! "But still, they tried. The trying would be the life's work, they both understood this, and there would be no day when they would celebrate a resolution."