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nataliesansh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
gwynethblythe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
can’t blame her
raven88's review against another edition
5.0
The Dry Heart is a beautiful little novella from the prolific Natalia Ginzburg, whose books are currently enjoying a little renaissance in the world of publishing. It is unerringly miserable ’tis true, focusing on a young woman trapped in a loveless marriage, but undoubtedly has one of the finest openers on a first page I have ever read:
“TELL ME THE TRUTH,” I said.
“What truth? he echoed. He was making a rapid sketch in his notebook and now he showed me what it was: a long, long train with a big cloud of black smoke swirling over it and himself leaning out of a window to wave a handkerchief.
I shot him between the eyes.
Good eh? As the story progresses we see a story unfold of unfulfilled life and love through a few characters, and a journey of self-destruction and jealousy that ends up with a violent reckoning. As unrelentingly depressing as this was, I couldn’t help but admire the way that Ginzburg so effectively exposes her characters flaws and fears, within such a compressed page count, and where no word is wasted. A masterclass in novella writing, and a grim but hugely satisfying read.
“TELL ME THE TRUTH,” I said.
“What truth? he echoed. He was making a rapid sketch in his notebook and now he showed me what it was: a long, long train with a big cloud of black smoke swirling over it and himself leaning out of a window to wave a handkerchief.
I shot him between the eyes.
Good eh? As the story progresses we see a story unfold of unfulfilled life and love through a few characters, and a journey of self-destruction and jealousy that ends up with a violent reckoning. As unrelentingly depressing as this was, I couldn’t help but admire the way that Ginzburg so effectively exposes her characters flaws and fears, within such a compressed page count, and where no word is wasted. A masterclass in novella writing, and a grim but hugely satisfying read.
courtcourtack's review against another edition
5.0
A man, Alberto, giddily draws a picture of himself waving out the window of a train. The narrator, unnamed and married to Alberto, after years of dealing with his emotional torment, after finally finding something within her that was building before she even realized it existed, watches him laugh at his drawing and, in response, shoots him in the face.
The Dry Heart is a lot to fathom. I finished it in one sitting, which I suppose isn't so hard to do when you have the time and energy to read a little bit less than 100 pages. But it is just so compelling, especially after learning about Ginzburg's life and the story's history. She wrote this book after World War II, "under the shadow of fascism," and that is detectable through the narrator's cold and hard tone. The ending is troubling; there are so many different things that could have happened to the narrator, one that feels especially possible. It is a devastating, unhappy tale.
The Dry Heart is straight and narrow, full of contempt, but also a bundle of metaphors for the state of the world if you read between the lines close enough. The details are plentiful but not excessive. The range in which a person can change in a four year marriage over the course of 88 pages was distressing and exciting to read. I loved every word of it.
The Dry Heart is a lot to fathom. I finished it in one sitting, which I suppose isn't so hard to do when you have the time and energy to read a little bit less than 100 pages. But it is just so compelling, especially after learning about Ginzburg's life and the story's history. She wrote this book after World War II, "under the shadow of fascism," and that is detectable through the narrator's cold and hard tone. The ending is troubling; there are so many different things that could have happened to the narrator, one that feels especially possible. It is a devastating, unhappy tale.
The Dry Heart is straight and narrow, full of contempt, but also a bundle of metaphors for the state of the world if you read between the lines close enough. The details are plentiful but not excessive. The range in which a person can change in a four year marriage over the course of 88 pages was distressing and exciting to read. I loved every word of it.
litanydeshincoe's review against another edition
"when Alberto asked me to marry him I said yes. I asked him how he expected to live with me if he was in love with somebody else, and he said that if I loved him very much and was very brave we might make out very well together." Dude deserved to be shot in between the eyes. genius writing, gossipy but deadly unsentimental.
As iff Katy Perry's Hot and Cold were written by an Italian Jew in 1947
As iff Katy Perry's Hot and Cold were written by an Italian Jew in 1947
mochidia's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
meythegreat's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
foursythia's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very short read, the language is crisp & direct. I'd say it's rather engaging & easy to read through. This story passes by like a fever dream-ish melodrama soap opera. We're following the story of how our main character shot her husband dead in the head. Interesting character exploration, I find the women in this book intriguing; especially the wife and the said mistress of the dead husband. The ending was hanging & perhaps because of that, forgettable, like a fog.