I really couldn't put this down. It was both detached and deeply personal and intimate with the main character, Anna (who is bored with her life and having many affairs but I will not say more.) Essbaum thickens our understanding of the story by plunging into the German and English languages, therapy, pyrology, and dreams. Some of the therapy sessions had me annoyed but even more deeply interested. Anyone who has spent time in Zurich (I have not) will enjoy exploring the city through Anna's eyes. I want to talk to someone about this. I have so many questions. What did Anna deserve? How would this be different if it took place in the USA? If Anna was a man? Why was I constantly reminded of The Catcher in the Rye? Is Anna relatable at all? This book touches on marriage, sex, desire, despair, and life/death. Essbaum's detached treatment of Anna lets us decide for ourselves who she is and why. Which is why I have so many questions. I can't stop thinking about Anna. She is hilarious and awful and sad. Where is she now?