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fr_eddie's review against another edition
2.0
2,5 Più che un libro sulla seconda guerra mondiale, come mi ero aspettata dal contesto storico, ho trovato solo un'autobiografia, un racconto della vita dell'autore in quegli anni. Un po' deludente, ma mi sarebbe andato bene lo stesso. D'altronde, anche se l'autore era ebreo, la storia non pretendeva mai di essere vista come una storia sui campi di concentramento, sulla persecuzione antisemita.
Il modo di scrivere non era niente male se si toglievano, soprattutto all'inizio, alcuni periodi così pieni di subordinate che si perdeva il senso della principale. Ma, oltre questo, era abbastanza scorrevole.
L'unica cosa che veramente mi ha fatto storcere il naso è stato il protagonista. Il non accettare il no di Micòl, baciandola più volte (senza il suo consenso, con lei che non poteva neanche cacciarlo di casa perché la sua famiglia lo amava) e accusandola di stare con un altro, non riuscendo a darsi per vinto, questo mi ha fatto rivalutare il libro.
Il modo in cui tratta il personaggio di Malnate (dandogli buca per poi guardarlo da lontano, non rispondendogli a telefono o alle lettere) non mi è piaciuto per niente, e quando l'ha accusato di avere una relazione con Micòl, senza uno straccio di prova se non contiamo la sua paranoia e il suo egocentrismo, lì ero contenta di essere arrivata alla fine perché non lo avrei sopportato una pagina ancora.
Lo consiglierei? No. Ma forse sono io che non l'ho capito appieno.
Il modo di scrivere non era niente male se si toglievano, soprattutto all'inizio, alcuni periodi così pieni di subordinate che si perdeva il senso della principale. Ma, oltre questo, era abbastanza scorrevole.
L'unica cosa che veramente mi ha fatto storcere il naso è stato il protagonista. Il non accettare il no di Micòl, baciandola più volte (senza il suo consenso, con lei che non poteva neanche cacciarlo di casa perché la sua famiglia lo amava) e accusandola di stare con un altro, non riuscendo a darsi per vinto, questo mi ha fatto rivalutare il libro.
Il modo in cui tratta il personaggio di Malnate (dandogli buca per poi guardarlo da lontano, non rispondendogli a telefono o alle lettere) non mi è piaciuto per niente, e quando l'ha accusato di avere una relazione con Micòl, senza uno straccio di prova se non contiamo la sua paranoia e il suo egocentrismo, lì ero contenta di essere arrivata alla fine perché non lo avrei sopportato una pagina ancora.
Lo consiglierei? No. Ma forse sono io che non l'ho capito appieno.
averypaige's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
saraaaa's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
When I first approached this book, I expected a historical family saga ending in tragedy; however, it developed into a doomed love story, though still deeply immersed and interlinked with the 1930s Italy setting and the social consequences of the Italian racial laws on the Jewish protagonists. There's a lingering sense of doom every time the future is mentioned – be it projects for the coming year, exams a few months later, even the weather changing with the season. The reader can't but think – they won't get there; they will have been dead by then. That's what genocide is – ordinary lives, wiped out systematically. You know it'll happen, because it's no tragedy: it's a program, with set dates and objectives. The lightness with which even the victims take the racial laws and their implications puts today's political climate in an even scarier perspective.
The novel incarnates the will, or rather, the need to put down on paper the memories of a past, of a micro-culture, of a personal universe that has been wiped out of and by History, and that only survives in said memories; and the author does this very well, as never once I got the impression that the narrator was creating fictitious details to enrich the story, as it often happens when a novel is introduced by a narrator that chose to take a walk on memory lane.
The writing style was quite different from what I'm used to enjoy, especially in that it used very long periods which often took up more than half a page. Still, the short chapters really helped with quick reading. Finally, I really appreciated the very frequent references to other authors and works of literature – from Melville to Manzoni, from Gramsci to Stendhal. Had I more time, it would've been very interesting to see how they interacted with the text on an intertextual level!
The novel incarnates the will, or rather, the need to put down on paper the memories of a past, of a micro-culture, of a personal universe that has been wiped out of and by History, and that only survives in said memories; and the author does this very well, as never once I got the impression that the narrator was creating fictitious details to enrich the story, as it often happens when a novel is introduced by a narrator that chose to take a walk on memory lane.
The writing style was quite different from what I'm used to enjoy, especially in that it used very long periods which often took up more than half a page. Still, the short chapters really helped with quick reading. Finally, I really appreciated the very frequent references to other authors and works of literature – from Melville to Manzoni, from Gramsci to Stendhal. Had I more time, it would've been very interesting to see how they interacted with the text on an intertextual level!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Terminal illness
Minor: Genocide, Racial slurs, Deportation, and Death
between_the_clouds's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Le vicende narrate si collocano negli anni in cui venivano emanate le leggi razziali e, nonostante riconosca il valore dell’opera di Bassani , che sicuramente si colloca in quel filone letterario di denuncia delle atrocità fasciste nei confronti degli ebrei, il libro non mi ha coinvolto e l’ho trovato , in alcune parti faticoso da leggere per lo stile complesso e a tratti davvero poco scorrevole. Le parti in cui ho apprezzato di lo stile dettagliato sono quelle in cui l’autore descrive là città di Ferrara, le sue strade, i suoi vicoli e le mura di cinta.
Da leggere per scoprire che c’è sempre un “oltre il muro”. Per quanto si possa scansare la realtà, nasconderla, celarla in un mondo favolistico, ritorna a bussare alla propria porta. Attualissimo per ricordare o riaggiornare il nostro mondo odierno sulla deriva dei totalitarismi.
Da leggere per scoprire che c’è sempre un “oltre il muro”. Per quanto si possa scansare la realtà, nasconderla, celarla in un mondo favolistico, ritorna a bussare alla propria porta. Attualissimo per ricordare o riaggiornare il nostro mondo odierno sulla deriva dei totalitarismi.
dianacan's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
alinagander's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
karinlib's review against another edition
4.0
This book is on the [b:1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die|452208|1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die|Peter Boxall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320483996l/452208._SX50_.jpg|814053] list (I have to admit that I chuckle at the "Must Read" aspect of this list). What is interesting about Bassani, is that he made sure [b:The Leopard|625094|The Leopard|Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1376481466l/625094._SY75_.jpg|1132275] by [a:Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa|8407795|Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1417443817p2/8407795.jpg] was published, a book that is also on the 1001 list, and parts of it are just perfect. One other coincidence to me of this book is that the characters discuss Israel Zangwill, who was married to Edith Ayrton Zangwill, a writer and suffragette. I am reading her book: [b:The Call|43178671|The Call|Edith Ayrton Zangwill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544319907l/43178671._SX50_.jpg|66990032] right now.
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis is a coming-of-age story, set in Ferrara, Italy during the beginning years of WWII. The racial laws of 1938 that were put in place by the fascists, which prevented Jews from belonging to tennis clubs, etc., gave the narrator of the book the opportunity to enter the Garden of Finzi-Continis. The Finzi-Continis were a wealthy family that encouraged the Jewish young people to come to their estate to use their private tennis court, since they were banned from using the public tennis courts. The Garden becomes a sanctuary for the young people, and a tale of unrequited love.
I enjoyed this novel, and I plan on reading more by Bassani.
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis is a coming-of-age story, set in Ferrara, Italy during the beginning years of WWII. The racial laws of 1938 that were put in place by the fascists, which prevented Jews from belonging to tennis clubs, etc., gave the narrator of the book the opportunity to enter the Garden of Finzi-Continis. The Finzi-Continis were a wealthy family that encouraged the Jewish young people to come to their estate to use their private tennis court, since they were banned from using the public tennis courts. The Garden becomes a sanctuary for the young people, and a tale of unrequited love.
I enjoyed this novel, and I plan on reading more by Bassani.
orangemulli's review against another edition
Now I want to read all of gb's other novels...
galadu's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
5.0