Thank you to Scribner for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Usual Desire to kill is a novella about a long-married but also long-suffering couple of Brits living in a dilapidated manor in the French countryside. The story is told through letters from their younger daughter to their elder, diary flashbacks from the 1960s, and the occasional vignette of the granddaughter.

This book is not particularly plot-heavy. More of an atmospheric piece meets a character study, the bulk of the book really is a slice-of-life narrative. For those inclined to books that are highly plot focused this book may not be suitable.

The characters are truly what shine in this short book. The propriety-obsessed mother character, who masks loss and disappointment with criticism and a domineering nature is at constant odds with her pedantic and distance husband, mellowed by age and hearing loss.

The book examines marriages born from something other than love, juxtaposed by the singleness of the two adult daughters. Additionally the book deftly describes the dynamics of caring for aging parents, and the distribution of that labor between siblings. The book delves very heavily into family dynamics and the way our relationships morph with age and understanding (or lack of.)

I felt that despite all the absurdities (the horrific chest freezer, the paid of llamas), that the portrait of aging parents and the change from child to adult child-caregiver was very relatable. Dealing with the fading and changing of one’s elderly parents can be frustrating and can bring to light long-buried resentments, which the author perfectly captures

One of the more interesting characters in the book is Alice, whose role in the family as granddaughter shields her from some of the crueler and more peculiar elements of her grandparents. While her mother and aunt can be judgmental and impatient, Alice demonstrate the benefits that generational removal brings to a relationship.

Overall, the book was a sleepy yet lovely picture of an eccentric family. I’d recommend it for anyone who enjoyed the Royal Tennenbaums, or Grey Gardens. 4 out of 5 stars.