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teresatumminello's review against another edition
4.0
Based on the two Ferrante novels I've read so far (the other being [b:The Days of Abandonment|77810|The Days of Abandonment|Elena Ferrante|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412532798s/77810.jpg|75142]), I predict the title of this one will describe my relationship with all her works. Though I wasn't as drawn in at first by the narratorial voice here as I was with that of "Days", I ended up feeling much the same about both. They are not novels I can say I've enjoyed as they are so unsettling, but each has gotten under my skin and stayed there. Here too are abandonment issues: an anxious child unreasonably (perhaps) fearing that the better parent will leave her; the bad parent feeling abandoned by those he'd terrorized, including the anxious adult the narrator Delia has become.
An abusive, controlling husband and a obsessive lover (or is he?) are not the only ones Ferrante seems to indict. The "casual" misogyny is horrifying too: men who stare at, or even rub up against, girls and women on public transportation; men who follow teenagers on errands in their working-class neighborhoods, drawing close to the frightened girls to hiss obscenities, and laugh. Delia has heard these obscenities since she was a very young child and can no longer tolerate her local dialect, preferring to speak formal Italian instead, which in turn makes those in her hometown uncomfortable.
Though I feel anxiety doing so (I think this is what is termed an addiction), I've just requested [b:The Lost Daughter|1058564|The Lost Daughter|Elena Ferrante|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412529680s/1058564.jpg|1045137] from the library ...
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Miscellaneous:
I'd thought I was reading Ferrante's novels in publication order, but I discovered that this (1991) actually came before "Days" (2002).
I've noticed the same quirks in both books: instead of semi-colons, commas mostly are used to join complete thoughts; and the word "definitively" is used rather often.
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Updated (Feb 11):
I'd wondered if the first 'quirk' I noted above was due to the translator's trying to get a sense of the Italian into the translation. This is from the translator herself:
An abusive, controlling husband and a obsessive lover (or is he?) are not the only ones Ferrante seems to indict. The "casual" misogyny is horrifying too: men who stare at, or even rub up against, girls and women on public transportation; men who follow teenagers on errands in their working-class neighborhoods, drawing close to the frightened girls to hiss obscenities, and laugh. Delia has heard these obscenities since she was a very young child and can no longer tolerate her local dialect, preferring to speak formal Italian instead, which in turn makes those in her hometown uncomfortable.
Though I feel anxiety doing so (I think this is what is termed an addiction), I've just requested [b:The Lost Daughter|1058564|The Lost Daughter|Elena Ferrante|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412529680s/1058564.jpg|1045137] from the library ...
*
Miscellaneous:
I'd thought I was reading Ferrante's novels in publication order, but I discovered that this (1991) actually came before "Days" (2002).
I've noticed the same quirks in both books: instead of semi-colons, commas mostly are used to join complete thoughts; and the word "definitively" is used rather often.
*
Updated (Feb 11):
I'd wondered if the first 'quirk' I noted above was due to the translator's trying to get a sense of the Italian into the translation. This is from the translator herself:
'... what we would think of as a run-on. But of course Italian can do that, I mean, for one thing there are genders, so you can have an adjective not near its noun, because you know from the ending that it goes with that noun, but in English you can’t do that. Things have to be closer together or connected by clauses, like, “who is,” “that is,” “that was,” whatever. But they’re very full sentences ...'http://www.europaeditions.com/news.php?IdCategory=7
avrorae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
marc129's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a real punch in the belly. I'm going to classify it with the works that dig deep into the dark side of men and women. The story is about the struggle of Delia, a middle aged woman, with the death of her mother, Amalia. Delia has fled her home town Naples in an attempt to break radically with her mother and (the separate living) father. But after the death (suicide?) of Amalia Delia tries to unravel the mystery around the life her mother has led. She finds no really satisfying answers, but instead is confronted with a lot of troubling experiences out of her own past.
The quest Ferrante describes not only presents a staggering image of the seamy side of Naples, but above all it illustrates the devastating effect of morbid jealousy, the impossibility to really communicate, and the inability to come clean with the past. The very cinematic approach makes the story rather easy to follow (there was a film made of this story). This novel was a surprising discovery (my first acquaintance with Ferrante), though not one that gives you happy feelings.
The quest Ferrante describes not only presents a staggering image of the seamy side of Naples, but above all it illustrates the devastating effect of morbid jealousy, the impossibility to really communicate, and the inability to come clean with the past. The very cinematic approach makes the story rather easy to follow (there was a film made of this story). This novel was a surprising discovery (my first acquaintance with Ferrante), though not one that gives you happy feelings.
jordanfitzgerald's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t particularly enjoy this book. It was strange overly intimateI and often gross. But it was also a deeply affecting story about sex, abuse, and mothers and daughters (the classic Ferrante motifs). I bet you could even find haunting, vibey feminist portrayals of Neapolitan life in her grocery lists
bookscrazyargentina's review against another edition
4.0
Mi primera aproximación a Ferrante, y seguramente volveré por más. Un estilo envolvente y atrapante, personajes contradictorios y, en algun caso, desarrollos inesperados. Si bien el segundo relato ("Días de abandono") me pareció reiterativo y no tan creativo como los otros dos, no hace mella en la calidad final
juniperd's review against another edition
3.0
elena ferrante truly has a handle on the emotionally dark and twisty natures people possess. humans are complicated and difficult to fully know, while at the same time one's own identity can be inconsistent and confusing. ferrante's style, through this translation, is sparse and compelling. but even with this sense of sparseness in the writing, there is depth and so much to think about with nearly every sentence. ferrante also gives such a strong sense of place in her stories, something i really enjoy in fiction. i read this over a few hours and it felt right for this work, which - though memories of the past are interspersed - mostly takes place over a 24-hour period of time.
i did not quite love this as much as the [b:The Neapolitan Novels|26828169|The Neapolitan Novels|Elena Ferrante|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1443412457s/26828169.jpg|46858867], but it is still a strong work from ferrante, and i liked going further back in her work. i also quite liked some of the same themes being explored here as in her later books.
i did not quite love this as much as the [b:The Neapolitan Novels|26828169|The Neapolitan Novels|Elena Ferrante|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1443412457s/26828169.jpg|46858867], but it is still a strong work from ferrante, and i liked going further back in her work. i also quite liked some of the same themes being explored here as in her later books.
awwsunshine's review against another edition
4.0
Ha sido una lectura super cortita pero con un final muy impactante