Dissatisfied

Dissatisfied is the second of Ksenija Nikolova's novels I have read. After enjoying All Men Love Leah, I was keen to read more of her writing and jumped at this chance to review Dissatisfied. The book is written as a series of letters from Margot to her aloof husband, Arthur, most dated during one August. I felt this letter format worked really well with the premise of the novel. It means we only get to see the world through Margot's eyes, but as she gradually becomes more aware of her circumstances, so do we. I didn't particularly like Margot as a person, but her character is undoubtedly compelling to read about and this kept me hooked even while I found other aspects of Dissatisfied to be somewhat irritating. I did feel that Dissatisfied was paced very well, even while the short timespan during which its events take place seemed fast. Could someone turn themselves around so swiftly?

Unfortunately I didn't get on well with the dialogue which I thought often felt forced in the meaningful speeches, or too much like padding when the topics were inconsequential. This is a shame as it detracts from the claustrophobic atmosphere Nikolova builds up alongside these conversations. I'm not sure whether the original dialogue reads in a similar fashion or if it is the English language translation which is clunky. That said though, the psychology and relationships between the four main characters feel genuine with a strong sense of how their shared history impinges on their present day predicament. Overall I think that Dissatisfied is a worthwhile read with a lot to say about how we take responsibility for our own lives.