Discontent by Beatriz Serrano is not a novel for everyone—and that’s exactly what makes it memorable. It’s slice-of-life in the truest sense, unapologetically plotless and unhurried. The reader spends the entirety of the novel inside Marisa’s head as she stumbles through her day-to-day life—working a dull job, dealing with coworkers she barely tolerates, and spending evenings with friends where complaints flow as freely as the wine.

Marisa isn’t particularly good, smart, or even nice—and that’s what makes her feel so real. There’s a kind of liberation in how unpolished she is. She could easily be me, or someone I know: slightly jaded, vaguely ambitious but mostly stagnant, and constantly negotiating the small indignities of adulthood. Serrano captures that middle space between comfort and despair with eerie accuracy.

What sets Discontent apart is its tonal blend of deadpan realism with flashes of surreal, almost absurd humor. Casual drug use pops in and out of the narrative, not as a plot device but as part of the ambient lifestyle—a kind of chemical shrug at the emptiness Marisa and her friends are trying to distract themselves from. And just when you think the novel will drift quietly to a close, it takes a hard left turn into absurdity—a jarring, darkly funny finale that underscores the hollowness and unpredictability of modern life. It’s a risk, and while not everyone will love it, I admired its commitment to disorientation.

This isn’t a story of transformation. Marisa doesn’t change; she just continues. But that’s what makes Discontent so affecting. Serrano trusts the reader to find meaning in the mundane and beauty in the bleak. If you’re looking for narrative closure or likable characters, this might not be the book for you. But if you appreciate sharp, honest portraits of emotional inertia—with a little absurdism thrown in—this one lingers in all the best ways.

This was such an interesting read, and I think it’s one a lot of women will relate to (especially those in their 30s who are looking for meaning in their lives). While the narrator was definitely a pathetic figure, she was also sympathetic, and that’s a huge testament to both the author and translator. I appreciated the seamless shifts from true despondency to absurdity that made me laugh out loud. The structure was interesting and the ending was satisfying, but I did feel like it was also VERY rushed based on certain things that happened toward the end. I would have liked to see the consequences unfold more definitively.

Although the premise of this novel interested me, I just couldn’t get into it. I found the pace a bit slow and repetitive. However, I can see how others may find the book appealing, though it just wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Serrano’s prose is undeniably poetic, and there are passages that linger in the mind long after reading. However, the novel struggles with pacing—some sections drag while others feel rushed, making it hard to stay fully engaged. The themes of disillusionment and longing are compelling, but at times, the narrative feels overly introspective without enough forward momentum.

A very realistic look at the life of the modern working class. The main character expresses her general malaise with life in a way that is extremely relatable to anyone who's dealt with the tiring monotony of a 40 hour work week. An insightful look at work, friendships, mental health and adulting from the perspective of a twenty something. Good for collections looking to add more Spanish translated fiction. Recommended for readers who liked Otessa Mosfegh's A Year of Rest and Relaxation.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Absolutely loved this book! Marisa is insanely relatable. She tries to maintain (as we all do) a normal work persona. She’s a successful employee at an ad agency, is casually seeing her neighbor, and seems to have an enjoyable life. Of course there is that everyday existential dread that SO many of us know all too well. The way this book shows how mind numbing corporate jobs are is chef’s kiss. I literally related so much I wanted to scream. Hiding from staff, watching videos during the work day - sooooooooo relatable. Her contemplations of how to get out of work on disability from an “accident” made me laugh. There is so much humor throughout this book. When Marisa’s secrets are about to come to light at a company retreat, she starts to spiral like we all wood. Again, for anyone that knows the corporate world, this book shows we aren’t alone and perhaps we can see what would happen if we, like Marisa, try to go off the rails.

This novel is a deliciously twisted deep dive into the disillusionment of corporate life, delivered with biting wit and a razor-sharp voice. Marisa is a hot mess in the most captivating way—a pill-popping, art-obsessed antiheroine navigating soul-sucking office culture and inner collapse with deadpan humor and a wildly relatable sense of doom.

The writing is hilarious and incisive, perfectly capturing the absurdity of workplace politics, toxic productivity, and the quiet panic of realizing your “success” might be a symptom of moral rot. The team-building retreat from hell is surreal and cathartic, spiraling into chaos, paranoia, and dark comedy that feels part Fleabag, part Office Space, with a splash of The Bell Jar for good measure.

But beneath the sharp humor and drug-laced escapades is a very real portrait of burnout, alienation, and the desperate search for meaning in a world that prizes output over humanity. Marisa’s obsession with Bosch paintings, her constant existential dread, and her unraveling sense of self are as poignant as they are funny.

If you’ve ever fantasized about faking your disappearance during a mandatory HR event or feel personally victimized by corporate Slack culture, this book gets it. It’s messy, brilliant, and wildly entertaining—a millennial burnout manifesto dressed up as a workplace farce.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

i don't know if there was just a lot lost in translation, but i dnf'd this book at 57%.

this was like reading a stream of consciousness where a middle schooler spilled every thought and action they had throughout the day. it was dry and had the emotional depth of a teaspoon. at 57% into the book, nothing's HAPPENED yet.

with no depth and no discernible plot, i am dnf'ing this book at 57%. so sorry.

For whatever reason, I eat up novels with very little plot but lots of vibes. In Discontent (translated from Spanish), Marisa is, on the surface, doing quite well. She's moving up the ranks in her corporate job at an advertising agency, has a social life, and makes decent money.

However, we quickly learn how everything annoys her - she spends her workdays on YouTube or gallivanting through museums, she hates each and every one of her coworkers, and she takes an unhealthy amount of drugs to function.

Discontent is a "slice of life" novel and takes place over the course of a few days. As is the case for most people, there are no major life lessons or drastically changed behaviors over such a short timespan. It truly is just dropping in on Marisa and peering into her amusing if not rather problematic thoughts. Some people may not be a huge fan of this approach, but I was entertained.

The ending felt a bit sudden and random, but I enjoyed the ride.

Sour stuff. I know, it’s a comedy of sorts, and indeed has some good, if perverse, jokes. But in essence it’s the story of an unpleasant woman dealing with her own toxicity in an average workplace where she acts badly to justify her survival. Serrano achieves this slickly, if repetitively, and for those who seek dark commentaries on lonely middle-class existence, this will seem engaging. For me it rang rather false and considerably offputting. The tidy ending didn’t take us much of anywhere. Not my cup of tea.

I really liked that this book gave a look into the life of someone who wants something different out of life but struggles to go after it. Her life is pretty much centered around her job, where she exists as a secret disgruntled employee who does just enough to get by. The revolving door of her coworkers makes for an interesting workplace and an even more hilarious company retreat. The end completely came out of nowhere and I enjoyed that I didn’t see it coming.

I am a sucker for books about women who are 1. losing their minds 2. anticapitalist to their core 3. obsessed with suicide. This book has all three—what a treat. Marisa is not likable and certainly problematic but I could still root for her, despite her arguably unethical methods of surviving capitalism.

Reflective, honest and a bit cynical, Discontent follows a few weeks in the life of Marisa, an advertising manager in Spain. Marisa loves and hates her life and battles with anxiety and the realities of adulthood in the workplace and in a sometimes non-existent personal life.. Serrano's book looks at the ways our routines can make us both cynical and hopeful, looking for escapes from the monotony but the realities of every day life as a grown up. The main character is flawed and makes both good and terrible decisions throughout the short book and while sometimes you identify, other times, you watch the self-sabotage like a slow car crash.

Definitely an engaging read.

Is it weird to say I found this oddly relatable? Reading this during my work breaks felt a little weird lol

Discontent is a hilarious little novel about Marisa, who works at an advertising agency. She struggles with the disillusionment of working a corporate 8-5 and the dread she feels waking up every morning before going to work.

A really fast read, I would highly recommend this book. It's hilarious with some of the best dry humor I've seen in a novel, the inner dialogue of our MC is so sharp and entertaining, and the critiques of office work culture was fascinating to me as someone who works in an office setting--I can confirm that this book is pretty accurate lol.

I loved my time with this and I hope to see more work from Beatriz Serrano get translated in the future.

this book was funny, darkly funny at times and definitely captured a level of modern discontent that I recognize. Marisa’s google and YouTube search history needs to be studied 😂 I had a good bit of fun with this.

I enjoyed this dark, funny look at a woman who doesn't understand how this is the life she's built. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the ending, but overall I dug the tone and found this to be a worthwhile read.

“Maybe some people’s problem- and by ‘some people’ I mean me- is that we think life is going to offer us something extraordinary when we least expect it. One day we’ll stumble across our smidgen of luck, and from then on, we’ll be happy, because everything around us will change without us having to lift a finger.”

If there’s one thing I’m going to read, it’s a book about a woman who is burnt out for one reason or another and ready to go off the rails (rightfully so.) In Discontent, Marisa is completely over the illusion and dehumanization of working at her corporate job. She is a relative loner in her social life and relies heavily upon sedatives and YouTube to get through her day. What could possibly go wrong?

I enjoyed this read the whole way through, including the ending that was somehow satisfying? Honestly good for her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage/Penguin Random House for the advanced copy. 🫶

Omg this was such a good read!! I really enjoyed it! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc

Discontent by Beatriz Serrano is an emotionally powerful exploration of longing, loss, and the messy beauty of finding oneself. Serrano’s vivid language brings the internal world of her characters to breathtaking life. A deeply moving and introspective work.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon Vintage and Anchor for an ARC of this book!
This is a classic 'woman looking for purpose' piece of literary fiction. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I did not compare it to other books in this sub-genre. Throughout the reading process I kept comparing the book to "Happy Hour" by Marlowe Granados, which I think in many way is trying to achieve a similar message in the text.
'Discontent' follows Marisa, a woman who is unhappy in her job at an advertising agency. The novel tracks Marisa as she continues to evaluate her own discontent with her job and the steps which led her to her success.
Ultimately I felt that this book was good, but fell short of being exceptional. It felt like there were so many other books that explored a similar theme and plot and achieved more success.