Looking back, I'm fairly certain I requested this because it was translated from the Swedish, and I have a more than mild love for the Nordic area. Nordic noir, this is not. Fredrik Backman, this is definitely not.

Perhaps this is the audio format showing through, but it was hard to separate out the short stories, as they drifted one after another in close succession. Some make sense. Some don't. Most just bored me. There are better short story collections out there.

Lina Wolff writes delightful, quirky stories. They are always extremely engaging because they are about personal interaction, whereby the main character is usually an extremely open and honest young woman, who speaks and thinks without scruples, seemingly naïve, but actually very smart (the British narrator of the audiobook fitted these main characters very well).

The stories are all set in Spain, but they could be set in any European or American city: it is not about Spanish culture, but about regular daily-life situations, at work or at home, that suddenly take a turn for the bizarre – often something sexual – but whereby the main character keeps her head cool and confronts the situation unperturbed.

I still have to figure out what exactly Wolff’s bigger intention is with this unique approach and style (reminiscent somewhat of Sara Mesa, but slightly more absurd), but it certainly makes for wonderfully uncomfortable, refreshing and funny stories.

An unusual anthology of short stories set in Spain about sex, infidelity and the human condition.

Each short story is based around the turmoil of the central character, their inner monologue and feelings, throughout a series of events. Quite a curious, but enjoyable and poetic style, almost like reading various people’s diary entries with some intense descriptions, although I expected it to be more salacious from the blurb.



The narrator was also good.

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Montserrat Lombard
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

Many People Die Like You is a collection of short stories. My guess is they are different from the ones you usually read. They are sometimes quite weird but still entertaining. Although many stories are mundane, some are a bit surreal. They also contain a touch of dark humor and satire.

Weird situations appear constantly. A wife hires a detective to prove her husband's infidelity and complains about the report. She wanted just text, no photos. The wife's lover one day knocks on the door and wants a place to sleep because he has nowhere else to go. A woman cries in front of the web camera and tries to attract more followers.

Spain’s setting and quirkiness gave me Pedro Almodovar vibes. I love his movies, so I enjoyed these stories, too. And Lina Wolff is an author I will keep in my mind.

Thanks to Saga Egmont Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.