I’m not sure if it's because of the translation to English or if this was true of the original Spanish text, but there's something slightly awkward about the writing. In a way, this works to highlight the awkwardness of the social setting – a middle-aged accountant falls for a colleague half his age. The author explores that situation in a reasonably compelling manner. The novel takes the form of a diary, and that definitely adds readability.
The one element that doesn't quite ring true is that the narrator is aged 49 (then turns 50), but the book is preoccupied with his retirement and old age. Maybe things were very different when this was published (1960), but 49 doesn't seem old enough for him to feel and act the way he does about his age. That aside, it's a moving story that offers insights into what it means to work, live and love.
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