Summary

In first-person, stream-of-consciousness narration, Fia moves through her days and nights with live-in boyfriend Peter (“Peter. One man. Three years. Thousands of plans. Millions of dinner invitations. Vacuuming, dishwashing and cleaning, rushing on forever towards infinity” (3)). Her narration that she feels bored and frustrated, even while they keep making plans – for dinner, for their long-term future, for becoming a family. She finds Peter irritatingly affectionate (in his conversation with her, he repeatedly refers to her as “iggu,” which translates into “sweetie” or “cutie”). She struggles to find time to be away from him; to think her own thoughts; and to find ways of keeping him happy without giving away her negative feelings towards him. Sex is dull, and often unwanted. Her unhappiness becomes difficult to suppress, and she becomes increasingly pessimistic about their life together. “Hope: you must rest in...