Micro Review 28 (2025)

 

Barbara Isn't Dying by Alina Bronsky, translated by Tim Mohr (Europa Editions)

I really must start writing down where I see books mentioned that I go on to request from the library - I'd certainly not have discovered this book without seeing it mentioned somewhere but I really can't remember where and so can't thank the person who first brought it to my attention.

Walter Schmidt has lived his whole life within the narrow, “comfortable” confines of traditional gender roles: he has made it to retirement without learning how to fry an egg or use a vacuum cleaner. After all, he could always count on his wife, Barbara. But when one morning she can’t get up from bed anymore, everything changes.

With biting humour and great warmth, Alina Bronsky writes about how Walter, nearing the end of his life, is suddenly forced to reinvent himself as a caregiver and house-husband, and become the caring partner he never was in all his years with Barbara. Little by little, Walter’s rough facade begins to crumble—and with it his old certainties about his life and family.

At the very beginning I really disliked Walter, a man so useless he can't even make a cup of instant coffee, and to be honest he remains a prickly, proud, and annoying character throughout the book. However this is one of the things that really makes this book - Walter's changes are incredibly subtle and he remains uncompromising in so many things. By the end however I was rooting for him completely and became as frustrated by the people around him as he was - no one seemed to meet him half way. And the final things we learn about him are just heart breaking.

In other hands this would have been just another book about a character with a probable autism diagnosis struggling to fit in to the world but ultimately making compromises or having a talent so that everyone suddenly loved him, but Bronsky keeps Walter whole and the book is all the better for that. 

I am struggling to articulate what captivated me so much about this book but I really did love it, but I'm very grateful that Mr Norfolkbookworm is far more capable around the house!