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A review by restlessreaderjay
The Dry Heart by Natalia Ginzburg
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The best way to read this is in one setting. Also, it's stream-of-consiousness-y, so if that's not something you like to read, you're not going to like this book.
This book falls into my personal Good For Her books - in terms specifically of her offing her husband. By the end of it, I was as bitter towards her husband as she was.
I thought the first few pages were a little slow. If you stick with it though, by page 20 you're into it. I think what I enjoyed most was the main character's descent into rage and despair - at times I almost wanted to shake with it myself. None of these characters are all that loveable. All of them are deeply flawed, all of them fucking suck in different ways, and all of them have chosen/been given shitty lots in life. I definitely recommend reading it, but not if you want a happy ending.
This book falls into my personal Good For Her books - in terms specifically of her offing her husband. By the end of it, I was as bitter towards her husband as she was.
I thought the first few pages were a little slow. If you stick with it though, by page 20 you're into it. I think what I enjoyed most was the main character's descent into rage and despair - at times I almost wanted to shake with it myself. None of these characters are all that loveable. All of them are deeply flawed, all of them fucking suck in different ways, and all of them have chosen/been given shitty lots in life. I definitely recommend reading it, but not if you want a happy ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death, Suicide, and Vomit