Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Storia del nuovo cognome by Elena Ferrante

5 reviews

ghostbirds's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Violence, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Blood, Miscarriage, and Sexual content

Minor: Grief, Infertility, Cursing, and Fatphobia

jenni28's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I adored this book. 

I received the first of the Neapolitan Quarter as a Christmas gift and devoured it, but the second instalment I loved even more. I read this in almost one sitting! 

This book made me feel a lot of things… 

I went through a bit of a rollercoaster with almost every single character, on one page feeling compassion and empathy for their struggles, by the next feeling utterly enraged by their pettiness and self-centred attitudes.

With Lina, for example, you can’t help but feeling a heartfelt sense of pity given how quickly her young marriage descends into a prison of abuse and unhappiness. At the same time, there were parts of this book where her treatment of Elena really disgusted me, and I wanted to scream at Elena to stop letting her friend walk all over her. But in this novel, as in life, nothing is simple - and that really comes through in the realism of Ferrantes writing.

Every character is so well-written, so believable and so enraging at times that you can’t help but be absorbed by their lives, by a story where not very much happens in terms of plot, but where I was totally glued to the page.  

This book often gets sold as a book about female friendship, and I suppose that is true at the most basic level. But the parts that I found most compelling dealt with 1960s Italy, especially through the prism of class. Without being didactic, I think it was a beautiful exploration of how culture, family, friendships, social relations, communities and art are all affected by our class and our upbringing. 

Despite her great success by going to University and writing a novel, Elena is almost constantly frozen by what I can only describe as “imposter” syndrome. She had a constant feeling of self doubt, never feeling good enough, that always seems to harken back to her competitive relationship with Lina or her embarrassment and shame about her own background. Lina, on the other hand, despite gaining wealth and success, feels trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage due to her social conditions. She is eventually able to break free, but not without huge consequences that affect her life and that of her whole family and community.

I was totally immersed in this book. Can’t wait to read the third instalment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Grief, Sexual assault, Suicide, Rape, Domestic abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Sexism, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse

serena_hien's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Grief, Confinement, Physical abuse, and Infidelity

risemini's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Grief, Misogyny, War, Blood, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape

boy_topics's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book became tedious to me after a while. I was tired of the same storyline repeating itself over and over again. Lila and Elena are stuck in a cycle that repeats and again and again. I got bored and sad. The ending is a HUGE cliffhanger and truthfully I can't believe that this story continues for another two books. At the same time, I do love Ferrante's writing and I'm quite attached to the characters at this point. I need to know what happens but I'll be taking a break before moving onto the third book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence