A review by barel93
L'invenzione occasionale by Elena Ferrante

I can't imagine Ferrante ever writing something that would disappoint me and there is plenty here that reminded me of how good she is at exploring mundane feelings and experiences (like jealousy, or growing old) and in the process unearthing something about them that leaves you unsettled. The feeling, in a sense, that she has seen something in you that you were trying very hard to keep hidden, perhaps even from yourself, and she just slaps you with it and you remember that perhaps you are not such a good person after all, and you are far from special.

That being said, I must admit that the mini-essay format is not my favourite. There is something about the paragraph-length meditation, and perhaps the rushed deadlines for weekly publication, that don't give Ferrante the space and time she needs to shine. Some of these essays bordered on trite.