Breathe, godammit, breathe!

Breathing Lessons, Anne Tyler
My friend first described this book as depressing. “Too much like real life”, she said. I think it’s this quality that rescues it from being depressing. Yes, I must admit, as a reader you get frustrated when the characters act stupid. When the characters act human. When the characters act like YOU. The mother who talks about the proper actions of her son, even if they are make-believe. The ex-daughter-in-law who believes the grandmother, despite her own first-hand knowledge. The father who tells the truth, not matter what its consequences. They do it, and they survive. We do it, and we survive. Happily ever after, or at least alive and breathing.