Andromeda by Therese Bohman
Publisher: Other Press
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Format: Paperback - 192 pages
Kindle - 1848 KB / 190 pages
Nook - 3 MB / 240 pages
ISBN: 978-1635424188
ASIN: B0D1QDBZ4P
BNID: 9781635424195
Genre: Literary Fiction / Women's Fiction
Buy The Book:
Disclaimer: I purchased a hardcover copy of the book via my subscription to Book Of The Month.
Book Description:
Working her way up at a storied Stockholm publisher, a young woman develops an ambiguous, shifting relationship with her boss, in this shrewd novel about the tension between tradition and modernity, and expectations and reality.
The publishing house is anchored like a ship along Stockholm’s main street, a large, bright building with an impressive rooftop terrace. The facade is a grid of wood and granite, flags with a cursive R sway in the wind. R as in Rydéns.
A young woman starts as an intern at this venerated institution, and over many years gains more and more responsibility for its authors and books. All under the supervision of Gunnar, publishing director of the most prestigious imprint behind the finest literature, Andromeda.
Over time their work relationship transforms into something neither of them can truly define. Perhaps built on mutual trust? Or is it something else?
My Book Review:
Andromeda is a thought-provoking novel that looks at the dynamics of a professional mentorship turned friendship/kinship between a young book editor and an older editor-in-chief of a publishing house in Stockholm, Sweden.
Sofie Andersson accepts an internship at the prestigious Rydéns Publishing House in Stockholm, Sweden. Her thoughts on a recently published novel draws the attention of Gunnar Abrahansson, the legendary editor-in-chief. This leads to a professional mentorship and collaboration, and over the years their relationship grows into a friendship/kinship. Their story is complex and multi-layered, told in two parts: Sofie and Gunnar share how their shared kinship for literature and cultural arts develops, a personal connection between a young woman and an older man, and what could have been if it was in another time.
Andromeda is an intriguing story that drew me in because of my curiosity towards the publishing world, but because this a Swedish Literature novel that has been translated, I felt that it read like a very dry and intellectual story. In any case, the story was told in two parts: Sofie and Gunnar's point of view. Sofie's story reflected upon the development of her mentorship/friendship with Gunnar, and how over the years her feelings became an unrequited attraction towards him. Gunnar's story reflected his life story from childhood to adulthood, and how his love for books led to his storied career in the publishing industry. He touched upon his professional relationship with Sofie, he felt they had forged a bond and how she made him feel young, and that their age difference didn't exist. But with time comes changes in both the literary publishing world and their personal lives as well. Overall, while I commiserated with Sofie's story of unrequited longing for Gunnar, I really enjoyed reading Gunnar's life story, it was fascinating, and I wished it was the major portion of the story instead. I also would have loved if the author had delved more into the fascinating world of the publishing industry.
Andromeda is a compelling story that delves into the complicated dynamics of a professional and personal relationship within the literary world.
RATING: 4 STARS 
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