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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
A brilliant, rather disturbing and complex novel about ambiguity toward one's own children and children in general, all told against a backdrop of a perfectly imagined southern Italy. The sort of book that makes me wonder why I couldn't get on with the more famous Neapolitan novels.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such a compelling read! An unlikeable woman trying to once again figure out how to live for herself once her daughters left the nest. Her inner dialgoue is cruel at times, relatable at others, swinging between resentment, regrets, and a love for her children that at times feels more akin to love of herself.
Mothers can be cruel, and Leda is a prime example. She nitpicks her daughters, comparing them, judging them, but at the same time it feels like she has a hard time living without them. But her cruelty isn't reserved only for her daughters, she's as judgemental when it comes to strangers. But despite it all, she's deeply human in both her selfishness and her desires.
The side characters is where the first person narration shines. Leda quickly judged everyone based on their appearance, her bitterness, past experiences, and desires coloring her thoughts and quickly making her jump to conclusions. It was interesting to see how these opinions evolved once she got to know more about each of the characters.
I greatly enjoyed the way the book was written, and loved the ending. I found myself rereading the first chapters once I finished it. Being inside Leda's mind for a while was a compelling experience. A character study of a deeply selfish woman, the dark sides of motherhood, and the way in which having children young can shape the experience despite the mother wanting them at the time. A yearning for freedom, recognition and wanting to distance yourself from your roots, and the way this impacts the people closest to you.
Mothers can be cruel, and Leda is a prime example. She nitpicks her daughters, comparing them, judging them, but at the same time it feels like she has a hard time living without them. But her cruelty isn't reserved only for her daughters, she's as judgemental when it comes to strangers. But despite it all, she's deeply human in both her selfishness and her desires.
The side characters is where the first person narration shines. Leda quickly judged everyone based on their appearance, her bitterness, past experiences, and desires coloring her thoughts and quickly making her jump to conclusions. It was interesting to see how these opinions evolved once she got to know more about each of the characters.
I greatly enjoyed the way the book was written, and loved the ending. I found myself rereading the first chapters once I finished it. Being inside Leda's mind for a while was a compelling experience. A character study of a deeply selfish woman, the dark sides of motherhood, and the way in which having children young can shape the experience despite the mother wanting them at the time. A yearning for freedom, recognition and wanting to distance yourself from your roots, and the way this impacts the people closest to you.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes