What Genre Does Book Anyway Belong To?

I'd say it's a wild mix of genres. It leans heavily into psychological thriller territory with its mind-bending twists, but there's also a strong undercurrent of dark fantasy. The way it blends surreal imagery with intense character studies reminds me of 'House of Leaves' meets 'The Twilight Zone'.

The book plays with unreliable narration in a way that makes you question reality, which pushes it into experimental fiction. At its core though, it's a character-driven drama about obsession and identity. The genre-blending is actually one of its strongest points - you start reading thinking it's one thing, and by the end you're in completely different territory.

From my perspective as someone who reads across many genres, 'Anyway' is what I'd call a boundary-pushing work of contemporary weird fiction. It has elements of psychological horror that remind me of 'The Silent Patient', but with this dreamlike quality that's more akin to Murakami's work.

The narrative structure is experimental without being pretentious, shifting between what appears to be reality and something far more uncanny. There's a strong mystery component driving the plot forward, but the resolution ventures into territory that feels almost mythic in scale.

What makes it stand out is how it defies easy categorization. Just when you think you've figured out what kind of book it is, the rules change. The author clearly enjoys playing with genre expectations, creating something that feels fresh and unpredictable. It's the kind of book that could appeal to fans of literary fiction as much as to readers of supernatural thrillers.

When I first picked up 'Anyway', I thought it was going to be a straightforward mystery novel. Boy was I wrong. It's actually this brilliant genre hybrid that starts as a detective story but gradually morphs into something much stranger. The first half feels like classic noir with its hard-boiled protagonist and seedy urban setting, but then the supernatural elements creep in so subtly you don't even notice at first.

By the midpoint, it's clearly entered magical realism territory, with events that defy logical explanation yet feel completely organic to the story. The final act takes a sharp turn into outright horror, with some scenes that genuinely unsettled me. What's remarkable is how seamlessly the author transitions between these genres.

I'd categorize it as speculative fiction overall, but that doesn't do justice to how unique the blend is. It has the philosophical depth of literary fiction, the pacing of a thriller, and the imaginative scope of fantasy. The way it plays with multiple timelines and shifting perspectives adds another layer of complexity that makes it hard to pin down to any single genre.