Perfection
Author: Vincenz Latronico; Translated By: Sophie Hughes
Genre: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Satire
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Favourite Quote: “It was all different, which was what they had wanted; and yet it was also somehow all the same. They had wanted that too, but still they weren’t satisfied.”
My Review:
Reading this book, “Perfection,” was like looking in the mirror – for me, for many of my generation, and for today’s “social media” society in general. Today, we are moulded differently: to not be happy, yet to project happiness and the near-perfect lives we live. There are trends we must follow, and we do. There are “freedoms” we must pursue, and we do. There are “good things in life” we must possess, and we do. And we must project “Perfection” through our alter ego on social media, and we do.
Perfection tells the story of a couple living the expat life in Berlin with good jobs. Like most of us, they project their “perfect” life to the world while feeling discontent within their hearts and minds. If there were a book about their social media account, we would see a couple to envy. However, reading this book reveals the reality. Many of us will relate to their experiences and will chuckle and sigh at the same time, recognizing how easily we all connect with Anna and Tom.
It is a satire on the current lives of us all or most of us. We hop from one “perfect” way of life to another, each time feeling dissatisfied yet failing to recognize the futility of our hopping. That’s what Anna and Tom do as they live their lives in Berlin and throughout southern Europe.
Beautifully written/translated, with a steady pace of narration. The narration is not sympathetic to Anna and Tom; it simply recounts their lives as they are. This portrayal of life captivates your attention, compelling you to follow it through the 100-odd pages.
In the end, you, the reader, will offer a tacit smile and close the book, perhaps posting on Instagram, X, Facebook, or TikTok to share your thoughts on the great, average, or awful book you read, while the familiarity of the story lingers in the back of your mind.