Savaş’s newest novel is an interesting one that draws from her anthropological background, focusing on Asya and her partner, Manu, and their lives in an unnamed city that is very likely in Western Europe (I got strong Amsterdam vibes, even though it’s more likely that Savaş based the city on Paris). The novel follows the couple’s deep desire to become a part of the city, to eventually become natives and shed their foreigner statuses; ultimately, they are looking to turn the unfamiliar into the familiar.

The Anthropologists was lyrically written and strongly reminded me of a literary version of the cinéma vérité style frequently associated with New Wave films; this is rather apt, considering that Asya is a filmmaker working on documentaries that focus on everyday life. The novel also focuses on Asya’s ruminations on her relationships with others (along with relationships in general), as well as how society functions and her place in it, all of which is then structured in close-up episodes (of sorts) to unfold other life musings through the banal.

Initially, I was pretty charmed by the novel’s premise and how Savaş decided to explore everyday life through an anthropological perspective (even if informal) that had this cinéma vérité style. However, as the novel progressed, I found that it lacked the je ne sais quoi so often found in New Wave films, mainly because I felt that the observations being made lacked depth. I especially wanted more development from Asya’s relationships outside of Manu, which would have been a really rich addition that would have really helped make the anthropological narrative all the more convincing.

Overall, I didn’t hate the novel by any means, but I definitely wanted more from it. I’m still eager to read more of Savaş’s future works though, since I do find her writing style distinct.