46 pages • 1 hour read
Abbi WaxmanThe Bookish Life of Nina Hill
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Social Context: Anxiety
While anxiety is not the central focus of the novel, several characters explicitly mention having the condition, and the character of Lydia refers to anxiety as the most common mental health condition in the United States, a fact supported by medical statistics. It is estimated that anxiety impacts nearly one in five adults, and over 200 million people worldwide deal with an anxiety disorder of some kind. Women are also twice as likely to be diagnosed as men (“Anxiety Disorders.” WHO).
Anxiety is a normal response to stress, and as suggested in the book, is considered to be a coping strategy that intensifies people’s awareness of their surroundings. However, anxiety becomes a disorder when its expression interferes with normal, day-to-day functioning. These types of severe, sustained, and extensive fears or worries may be classified as disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, or specific phobias. Those who have anxiety report feeling nervous, irritable, and apprehensive, and the condition can also cause increased heart rate, hyperventilation, fatigue, insomnia, and gastrointestinal problems.
Those who experience generalized anxiety disorder often feel excessive anxiety and worry about ordinary activities, and panic disorder involves sudden attacks of terror despite the lack of any physical threat. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are also classified as anxiety disorders. Treatment can include counseling, medication, or a combination of both. In some cases, genetics may play a role, and the events of the novel reflect this theory, for Nina’s anxiety is described as being similar to those of William and Archie, both of whom admit that they experience anxiety as well. Although Nina takes medication to treat her anxiety, she also tries to manage the condition by organizing her activities, engaging in physical exercise, and giving herself time alone, which is soothing and restorative for her.
Cultural Context: Millennials
In the United States, classifying people by their “generation” is a way to establish similarities or define a culture that may reflect—or possibly shape—an individual’s behavior and choices. The narrative classifies Nina as a millennial, marking her as having been born roughly between 1981 and 1996. Generations surrounding the millennials include “Generation X,” which denotes people born between 1965 and 1980, and “Generation Z,” which covers the years from 1997 to 2012.
As the first generation to become adults in the new millennium, millennials are typically defined as being more ethnically diverse than previous generations, and on average, they have attained higher degrees of education and have adapted easily to the digital technologies that transformed human culture during their childhood and adolescence. Waxman uses this definition in a tongue-in-cheek way throughout the novel to poke fun at Nina’s various idiosyncrasies. For instance, when she accepts a glass of wine during a meeting at the lawyer’s office, the narrator wryly remarks, “She was a millennial, and as you’ve probably heard, they drink more wine than any generation in history” (132). The distinction of Nina as a millennial is most often used to create a humorous tone, as is demonstrated when Lili, the book club mother whom Nina assists with party favors, jokes, “It’s not mandatory to live your life online […] For thousands of years we managed to be miserable or joyful in private” (124).
Nina’s placement in the millennial generation is also used as a form of contrast to her particular tastes in movies and television, which are derived from a previous generation and therefore imply that Nina herself is something of an “old soul.” Although she was born in 1988, many of her allusions reflect cultural references that were more popular among Generation X. For instance, she is a fan of Bill Murray movies and Knight Rider, a TV show that originally ran from 1982 to 1986. In a joking exchange with Archie, he and Nina make references to Waiting for Guffman, a 1996 cult classic comedy film; the TV sitcom Cheers, which aired from 1982 to 1993, and Charlie’s Angels, a TV show popular between 1976 and 1981. Many of Nina’s favorite books also identify her more closely with the tastes of the previous generation. Thus, the protagonist discovers that her eclectic tastes in fiction provide her with multiple ways to connect with family members from different age groups.
Geographical Context: Larchmont
As the distinctive setting of the novel, Larchmont is also a real neighborhood and is located in central Los Angeles. Roughly half a square mile in area, it is one of the more densely populated and ethnically diverse neighborhoods of the city. Although it was originally a suburb, the city grew around it, and Larchmont now borders Hollywood and Koreatown. While the income and education levels of its residents are average for the city, the percentage of single men and women who live there is relatively high. Significantly, the oldest independent bookstore in LA, Chevalier’s Books, is also located in Larchmont, and the Knight’s store of Nina Hill is an homage to that institution, for the word “chevalier” is the French equivalent of a knight. The neighborhood is known for being small, pedestrian-friendly, and full of unique shops. It is often advertised as having a village feel despite its location within a big city, and for this reason, it makes an ideal setting for a novel in which the protagonist slowly learns to broaden her social horizons and become a more active part of her local community.
