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mel_books's review against another edition
5.0
At first, it was a comparison to Elena Ferrante that caught my attention. Then I discovered that A Decent Family is a beautifully written novel about Maria - the Malacarne (bad seed) and her coming-of-age story.
As soon as I started, I knew that this novel was for me, and I was immediately absorbed by beautiful writing. In an instance, I was in Bari, Italy beside Maria. Loved it!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this! All opinions are my own.
As soon as I started, I knew that this novel was for me, and I was immediately absorbed by beautiful writing. In an instance, I was in Bari, Italy beside Maria. Loved it!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this! All opinions are my own.
monnica's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Picked this up for the Elena Ferrante comparison. Definitely has the same vibe and style, but didn't have the same impact on me. Still a good read if you like Ferrante and stories about family that span across several years.
papertosia's review against another edition
2.0
W pewnym momencie tej książki czytałam ją tylko po to, by zobaczyć jak daleko posunęła się autorka w inspiracji "Genialną Przyjaciółką". Uważam, że gdyby nie była to kopia czyjejś powieści, książka miałaby potencjał. Ale wszystko jest zbyt ściśnięte na tych trzystu kilkudziesięciu stronach, według mnie mogło być rozłożone np. na dwa tomy. Niektóre opisy, postaci i wyrażenia żywcem wyjęte z Ferrante...
santreads's review against another edition
4.0
A sweepingly beautiful read that held me captive and transported me to another time and place.
The book that promised to remind readers of the Neopolitan Series, was something that caught my attention. I didn’t know what I was getting into but I can say for a fact that I’m so pleasantly surprised by the book and the language and prose.
The book is told from the perspective of a girl Maria, from her childhood to her growing up. It tells you of her family dynamics and ends with her love story. It described the poverty, the abuse and utmost love that familial ties have. There were times that I gasped, sighed ruefully or was completely taken by the violence. What I feel after finishing the book was just a quiet kind of melancholy.
Originally written in Italian, I thought the translation was brilliantly done and made me wish I could read in Italian so that I could read the original prose as well.
I did feel like the ending was a little abrupt and I was actually looking for more from the story, so I would give this book a solid 4 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
The book that promised to remind readers of the Neopolitan Series, was something that caught my attention. I didn’t know what I was getting into but I can say for a fact that I’m so pleasantly surprised by the book and the language and prose.
The book is told from the perspective of a girl Maria, from her childhood to her growing up. It tells you of her family dynamics and ends with her love story. It described the poverty, the abuse and utmost love that familial ties have. There were times that I gasped, sighed ruefully or was completely taken by the violence. What I feel after finishing the book was just a quiet kind of melancholy.
Originally written in Italian, I thought the translation was brilliantly done and made me wish I could read in Italian so that I could read the original prose as well.
I did feel like the ending was a little abrupt and I was actually looking for more from the story, so I would give this book a solid 4 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
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