Reviews - All Our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg

176 reviews for:

All Our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg

Natalia Ginzburg, Natalia Ginzburg

4.06 AVERAGE

176 reviews for:

All Our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg

Natalia Ginzburg, Natalia Ginzburg

4.06 AVERAGE

riminireads's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Natalia Ginzburg’s novels are possibly the only books where I truly feel like the characters are living their lives well before I started reading about them, and that they will go on living them well after I finish the book.
Forever captivated looking through the window into the everyday lives of these characters, even if it’s only for a little while. Ginzburg’s books have a special place in my heart <3

Content Warnings

beckyalbon's review against another edition

3.5

challenging informative tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

dianac9's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

deegee24's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is one of the most powerful novels ever written about the rise and fall of fascism in Europe. It doesn't deal directly with the concentration camps but there are other important aspects of the genocide of European Jews that are addressed. You may need to adjust to Ginzburg's narrative style. Like Faulkner and Beckett, she writes in pages-long paragraphs that are only loosely organized but are packed with sensory detail. There are many characters and the third-person narration gradually shifts from one character's perspective to another, sometimes mid-paragraph. But by the end, you will feel like Ginzburg left no stone unturned in recollecting what life was like for different social and political groups in Fascist Italy. And the family saga at the heart of the book is very moving. And while it is a dark and intense book, there are lots of funny moments scattered throughout.

Content Warnings