Ana Linden: Frames

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Ana Linden Frames

 

I’ve always liked Ana Linden’s books. She’s very good at getting inside her characters’ heads.

Frames consists of four short character driven stories. These are not ordinary characters and through their flaws Ana Linden gives us insight into relationships and human nature.

The subjects of her stories range from the damaged educational system, the cruelty of abuse, loneliness, losers and guilt.

Sometimes you just need to feel a bad day for what it is. Unpleasant. Unexplicable. Normal.

In the opening story, Choices, two strangers meet on a plane. One is planning a vacation while the other has been hired to follow her. It is a fresh twist to the “strangers on a train” theme, filled with its high dosage of suspense and an intriguing love story in a noir atmosphere.
The second story, titled Frames, is about two retired teachers, married to each other and disillusioned with the educational system and marriage. As the story progresses each character individually and separately finds meaning in his/her life and a closer connection to each other. It is a story filled with empathy, kindness and hope. Life is not all doom and gloom. There are treasures to be recognized.
Drive, the third story in the collection presents the sad, long term effects of abuse and the power of guilt. In this story, Ana Linden makes us see child abuse from the opposite angle where it is the mother who is the abuser and the father who silently stands by. The secret the son shares with his father is both touching and sad and as the young boy becomes adult we see how his abuse affects his relationships with women until he meets a woman who is worse battered than himself.

Read a sample of Drive here.

The last story Trespasser is also about abuse and once again here we have the woman abusing her boyfriend – both need each other in their twisted ways. Ana Linden presents a very in depth description of both characters and their inner workings, the abuser making the argument why they are not right for each other while the abused seems unable to let go. This is a good story for anyone interested in the dynamics between a dysfunctional couple and why someone stays in an abusive relationship.

Linden’s writing is not ordinary. She is unafraid to show the rawness of human nature in a unique literary voice. She is an artist using words as her medium. It is reflective writing.  The stories in Frames are the kind that you want to savor and allow the beauty of the writing sink in. There is no sermonizing in these stories and we understand what is not being said. This makes for quite satisfying reading.

 

 

26 thoughts on “Ana Linden: Frames”

  7. You left me speechless, Carol! I couldn’t dream of a more amazing review… nor could I find a better way to sum up my own stories (I know, because I’ve tried 🙂 ). You made my weekend and I’m so happy you enjoyed the book! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  8. Pingback: Frames – A Fulfilling Review – Ana Linden

  9. Pingback: Takeaway from Frames by Ana Linden (and Resources for Authors) – priorhouse blog

  10. Hi Carol, I read your awesome review of this book during the summer (but was not logged in to comment).
    Anyhow, you have a way of reviewing with succinctness and your review prepped me for what I would find in the pages. I do not read a lot of fiction but try to make room for some and then also wanted to support my friend Ana – and especially loved the way you broke down each story and then summed it up with this:

    Linden’s writing is not ordinary. She is unafraid to show the rawness of human nature in a unique literary voice. She is an artist using words as her medium. It is reflective writing.
    🙂

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    • Oh Thank you so much, Prior for your sweet and inspiring comments. It is very kind of you and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to comment. I’ve read all of Ana’s books and have enjoyed all of them. There is something pure about her writing that I find very appealing.
      Thanks for being here and Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. ❤

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      • Happy holidays to you too – and my favorite part of her writing is the fresh original angles that have social psychology
        This might sound prude but I really
        Do not like erotic
        Scenes and so that would be my only drawback – but I am a big girl and I can skim or skip that ((but I had to stop offering to review some self punishing authors because it was staining me in a way that I try to guard – and again – that is not everyone’s concern)
        Further – Ana graciously reads my writing that sometimes has a faith/religious section and so maybe she does the same – skims and skips because we value each other as authors – ya know?
        Anyhow – once again I wish you a wonderful holiday as well and looking forward to connecting more in 2021
        #for the love of books!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Oh no worries – I go by both and used to only be “prior” but you know how it is – I think as we get to know bloggers the first name just comes out so I roll
        With it
        You know, Carol?
        Ha
        And hope you are having a nice week so far

        Liked by 1 person

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