The Anthropologists
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4.3 • 3 Ratings
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR
NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD LONGLIST * NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORKER, TIME, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, AND ELECTRIC LITERATURE * A DAKOTA JOHNSON x TEATIME BOOK CLUB PICK * VULTURE #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR * A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE SELECTION
"The Anthropologists is mesmerizing; I felt I read it in a single breath." -Garth Greenwell
"Savas is an author who simply, and astoundingly, knows." -Bryan Washington
Asya and Manu are looking at apartments, envisioning their future in a foreign city. What should their life here look like? What rituals will structure their days? Whom can they consider family?
As the young couple dreams about the possibilities of each new listing, Asya, a documentarian, gathers footage from the neighborhood like an anthropologist observing local customs. "Forget about daily life," chides her grandmother on the phone. "We named you for a whole continent and you're filming a park."
Back in their home countries parents age, grandparents get sick, nieces and nephews grow up-all just slightly out of reach. But Asya and Manu's new world is growing, too, they hope. As they open the horizons of their lives, what and whom will they hold onto, and what will they need to release?
Unfolding over a series of apartment viewings, late-night conversations, last rounds of drinks and lazy breakfasts, The Anthropologists is a soulful examination of homebuilding and modern love, written with Aysegül Savas' distinctive elegance, warmth, and humor.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this engaging novel, one couple’s very specific circumstances shine a spotlight on the most universal aspects of growing and maturing in the world. Far from the countries of their births, Asya and Manu have decided that their current living space isn’t “adult” enough. As they scour the city for an apartment to buy, the lives of their friends, neighbours, and families back home—or worse: those in town for a visit—keep pulling at their attention. Ayşegül Savaş never specifies what city we’re in, quietly highlighting the outsider status of her starring couple. The novel often feels like reading someone’s journal, where impressions are more important than details, and facts are surprisingly subjective. We loved the way that Asya’s documentary project about a local park allowed random outside perspectives to occasionally pierce through the insular narrative of her and Manu’s world. The Anthropologists ingeniously captures that moment in life where being a grown-up is no longer optional.
Customer Reviews
Unwinding
The usual aspects of this story unfold slowly, while the insight begins immediately. The direction of the story is easy and gentle allowing you time to sit and ponder your own comparative unwinding.