OVER TIME

Two people wander in and out of each other’s lives in this contemporary novel.

Samantha’s friend Maria has set her up on a blind date with Rajeev. Samantha works in a human resources department, and Rajeev is an aspiring actor. They have a dinner together that feels a little dull. After three dates, they aren’t really clicking, but both struggle with how to let the other down, ultimately ghosting each other. They attend the same party a year later, where Samantha overhears Rajeev telling stories about his encounters with sex workers. This fascinates her rather than turning her off (“Samantha listened attentively, blocking everything else around her, and laughed along with the others. It occurred to her then that if she was currently dating him, she may not be as amused as she was now, funny as he was”). They don’t reunite just yet though; a few years later, both find themselves lonely, and Rajeev reaches out. They begin dating again, although she is unwilling to sleep with him until they make a bigger commitment. Ultimately, they do commit, but Rajeev soon grows restless in the relationship, displaying an unstoppable wandering eye. They separate again, although they continue to float in and out of each other’s lives. Through their relationships with other people, they keep reconciling. But if they are unable to stay together, can they at least find happiness elsewhere? Suntharam’s book starts with a thought-provoking contemplation of romantic relationships. Though the novel is not a romance, it is structured like one, with the focus on Samantha and Rajeev and their lives together. Although the slow-moving story shows the relationship between the two romantic partners over a number of years, they never really seem to like each other. Rajeev is a cad, often thinking only about his sexual obsessions. At times, he manipulates Samantha into having sex with him, persuading her that he is in the relationship for the long haul. A lot of what happens between the characters feels authentic and realistic. But these episodes are not always compelling, and readers will find it difficult to get invested in the characters.

An intriguing but slow-paced examination of a complex relationship.