Is this considered emotional minimalism? I’m not totally sure, but it certainly feels like it. Two Days by Aimee Bender is a quick read although for me, comes across as slightly innocuous. The plot itself is deliberately small: the narrator has a meet-cute with a guy in a bookstore, they hit it off and make plans for a sweet, low-stakes beach date the next day. That’s basically it and that sparseness feels intentional.
Bender captures the awkward choreography of two young people meeting for the first time: the hesitant small talk, the white lies, the little embellishments meant to make oneself seem more interesting or appealing. There’s no big drama here, just nervous energy and the gentle performance of early attraction.
As the beach date winds down, the narrator realizes that the chemistry and emotional connection isn't quite there. Nothing goes wrong exactly; it’s more that nothing deep ever really takes hold. That realization gives the story its bittersweet core. They share a romantic kiss at the beach, but they both acknowledge this moment as a closing gesture rather than a beginning.
The relationship lasts only two days (hence the title), and the story resists turning that brevity into something tragic or profound. Instead, it treats the experience as a small detour in the narrator’s life. You get the sense she’ll be fine. Sure, maybe slightly disappointed, maybe a little wistful, but already moving forward. Bender establishes a faint, underlying melancholy throughout, but it’s deliberately understated, almost held at arm’s length. That emotional minimalism keeps everything light and ephemeral, perhaps a little too light for my liking. While that narrative approach mirrors the fleeting nature of the relationship, it never quite resonated on a deeper emotional level for me. I appreciated the precision and restraint, but I was left wanting something more.
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