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A review by maddelleine
Povestea noului nume by Elena Ferrante, Cerasela Barbone
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Blame it on the translation... or at least partly on the translation.
I've read the first volume in English and found it dry, with a basic vocabulary - despite the character who actively works on developing her own vocabulary and culture. Yes, Lenu and Lila have grown up, they matured. But not enough to justify the gap between the two books. I'm just sorry I can't advance with my reading in Italian, to see "what the author meant" in her own words.
The second volume of the Neapolitan Quartet kept me hooked. Reading one chapter, I craved the next and the next and then another one until my eyes became blurry and I would know I had to stop. I moved over the shock of the violence and context from the first volume, and I was able now to focus better on the characters. And I wanted to know how the story continued, what happened next.
A very well-written novel - the action is clearly not its main goal, but the characters, their lives and evolution. And the characters have as many profundities and facets as onion leaves, waiting to be uncovered one by one.
I've read the first volume in English and found it dry, with a basic vocabulary - despite the character who actively works on developing her own vocabulary and culture. Yes, Lenu and Lila have grown up, they matured. But not enough to justify the gap between the two books. I'm just sorry I can't advance with my reading in Italian, to see "what the author meant" in her own words.
The second volume of the Neapolitan Quartet kept me hooked. Reading one chapter, I craved the next and the next and then another one until my eyes became blurry and I would know I had to stop. I moved over the shock of the violence and context from the first volume, and I was able now to focus better on the characters. And I wanted to know how the story continued, what happened next.
A very well-written novel - the action is clearly not its main goal, but the characters, their lives and evolution. And the characters have as many profundities and facets as onion leaves, waiting to be uncovered one by one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Violence
Moderate: Rape