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euangepp's review against another edition
4.5
A really seductive coming of age story set across the two halves of Naples. The characters and all of their flaws jump out of the page.
kindasjulia's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
karaleightroyer's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
jupitervivienne's review against another edition
Elena Ferrante is so highly praised and recommended, so I was looking forward to finally coming around to one of her books. Maybe this just wasn’t the best work of hers to start with, but I’m pretty disappointed. The first part of this book leading up meeting Vittoria felt raw and exciting, but as it went on I felt like it was almost becoming a parody of itself. Vittoria is set up as an incredibly interesting character but Ferrante doesn’t go deep enough with her. Her exploration of Giovanna sort of tells me she might not have been capable of what I wanted from Vittoria. I fought to keep going with this book, holding out hope it might get better (and maybe it does), but just had to eventually give up. I’m sure the bad audio narration didn’t help. 2/5 stars
carms123's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.25
apollonium's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
annasorr's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I devoured this book in airplanes and trains on my way to Italy. I loved Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels and went into this novel (perhaps unfairly) hoping to capture some of the same feelings I had while reading that series. Ferrante’s prose is quick and cutting, and I loved the entire setup of the novel— meeting Vittoria, learning more about the family’s secrets, diving deep into a large community of characters. I was so invested in the novel until it reached its ending, which, while powerful, felt like another beginning rather than a completed story.
jess271201's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
meepmoop27's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
would give it five million stars
andotherworlds's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 // pre review - ferrante stan arc continues