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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Dnf'd it at around 50%. Just could not care less about the main character. So furious, unreasonable most of the time, crude for the sake of shock value, that did not add to the story, and worst of all, she was just boring. The book and the woman.
It started very strong, but near the end I felt like the author tried too hard to expand on all the story threads that she had set up, and subsequently laid bare the skeleton of the story and lost the emotional grip on her main character. Also the only character trait of the side characters, especially the husband, was "asshole" in capital letters written on their forehead. That was not too pleasant to read. The emotional rawness and brutality was a plus point though.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A brutal book but one that’s so worth the heartache.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
she's done it again folks!!! ferrante is the best at writing men who ain't shit and the women whose lives they ruin with their aint-shitness. her exacting and intricate look into the role of a wife and mother (in this book and others) is so genius, so perfect, how fucking dare anyone suggest that she could be a man. i must continue to stan
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
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
A brilliantly written book. A raw and honest story about a woman who begins to unravel, after her husband suddenly leaves her. It explores the questions people ask themselves, at a time like this. Discusses the things people do to try to hold it together. Gives a raw and vivid insight in to the breakdown that she tries so desperately to avoid.
dark
emotional
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What struck me the most about this was the brilliant pacing the author develops. Even though we are always immerse in the main character's inner world, there are never dull moments in this journey. We can't help but to follow along as she enters this painful whirlwind of sadness, grief and anger. Even though it's sometimes very uncomfortable to read (which is not really a bad thing), I do think this somewhat resonated with me even deeper in this whole never-ending quarantine situation. Yes, she goes through hell inside herself - but this is a process that ultimately changes her, makes her more alert to life and to her own emotions. Although everybody is also locked at home right now surrounded by disease, death and bad feelings, I do believe we always have the capacity to travel inwards and to take something important from these experiences.
Apart from that, this was my first Elena Ferrante novel and I have to say, it didn't let me down at all. Her writing deserves all the praise it usually gets, she balances external events and internal reactions really well. And being a woman, although I've never been married or had any children, I identified with a lot of situations the main character goes through, sometimes in really small ways, and I have to admit that it hurt a lot, because everything is really realistic and raw and exposed. But then again, it felt justified to address these feelings, I didn't think of these moments as triggers I wanted to get away from, but more like necessary triggers, reminding me of things I don't really want to think about, but also can't ignore entirely. Anyway, I'm really excited about reading more from her in the furute!
Apart from that, this was my first Elena Ferrante novel and I have to say, it didn't let me down at all. Her writing deserves all the praise it usually gets, she balances external events and internal reactions really well. And being a woman, although I've never been married or had any children, I identified with a lot of situations the main character goes through, sometimes in really small ways, and I have to admit that it hurt a lot, because everything is really realistic and raw and exposed. But then again, it felt justified to address these feelings, I didn't think of these moments as triggers I wanted to get away from, but more like necessary triggers, reminding me of things I don't really want to think about, but also can't ignore entirely. Anyway, I'm really excited about reading more from her in the furute!