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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
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
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
emotional
slow-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
Very much a distillation of Ferrante imo. Oddly captivating despite its quietness.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Audacious and unhinged. An angry and sweary Virginia Woolf.
As a big fan of the Neapolitan novels, I was excited to read one of Ferrante’s earlier works when in Italy. Ferrante is effective in how unsettling and disturbing her books can be; you quickly become immersed by her female protagonists’ suffering and anguish and anger in the face of the actions of shitty men who face no consequences for their cruel behaviour. Days of Abandonment, like Ferrante’s previous works, makes this suffering - and ultimate recovery - visceral. It is very human in that it is unglamorous and feral and unhinged.
However, in the same way I feel about Sense and Sensibility being v1 of the same themes Jane Austen perfects in Pride and Prejudice, the same can be said for Days of Abandonment and the Neapolitan Novels. I felt like more of a passive observer towards the events and emotions unfolding, not an active participant. Perhaps this is because we have very little sense of who our protagonist is prior to her husband’s affair, as she does not exist for us outside of this partnership and its disintegration. I found it difficult to truly connect with the emotional weight of the book - I could sit nearby our protagonist’s abandonment, but not within it.
However, in the same way I feel about Sense and Sensibility being v1 of the same themes Jane Austen perfects in Pride and Prejudice, the same can be said for Days of Abandonment and the Neapolitan Novels. I felt like more of a passive observer towards the events and emotions unfolding, not an active participant. Perhaps this is because we have very little sense of who our protagonist is prior to her husband’s affair, as she does not exist for us outside of this partnership and its disintegration. I found it difficult to truly connect with the emotional weight of the book - I could sit nearby our protagonist’s abandonment, but not within it.
If you liked the Neapolitan novels, read this. It's Ferrante being masterful with rich, lush storytelling.
4.5 stars. I think Ferrante has better books than this one but it was still a great read.
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes