Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - Nő a sötétben

I’m torn because this was well-written and discusses some interesting stuff, but also it doesn’t seem to say much at all other than some women are sad and desperately need to work on their own issues, but choose to make it everyone else’s problem instead. I didn’t feel like I gained anything of value in this book, and instead just spent time with a bunch of miserable, selfish people for a while. :/

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brynpemery's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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isabezza's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced

3.5

Elena Ferrante is an author who has been on my radar for a while now, and I have a few of her books on my TBR. Although this shorter story was not quite what I expected, Ferrante's writing certainly inspired emotional, horrific reactions, dark themes and descriptions. I was particularly enraptured by our complicated main character. For example, her tragic story and internal monologue puts the reader in a position of understanding some of the bad and cruel behaviours from the main character's past. The ending is simultaneously shocking and predictable.
That said, this story is not for readers who enjoy a fast paced plot. The dual timeline (where Lena narrates her past and her present) involves more character development and emotion than action which could make the reading slow for some.

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gemmaduds's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

4.0

A fleeting exploration of womanhood & motherhood. Honestly depicts the thoughts of a woman in her late forties, reflecting on her experience of having 2 daughters as she observes a large Neapolitan family on the beach and is drawn to a young mother and her daughter in particular.

So much ground is covered in less than 150 pages, making this a tight and intense novella that touches on big feelings, like Post Natal Depression, internalised misogyny, female rivalry, marital affairs, and the discovery of self after children. A one-day beach read for those who like a lot from their books.

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jaiari12's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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owlribbon's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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cady_sass's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.75

It’s difficult for me to fairly rate this book because I inadvertently watched the film before reading, not realizing it had been a novel first, when I prefer to & always try to read the original work before watching any film. I feel that if I hadn’t watched the movie first I would’ve rated this lower. I was able to invision these characters, who were quite brilliantly portrayed in the movie, and to fill in gaps in description and prose that this translation leaves to be desired. I’m sure that the original Spanish is closer to what I would’ve expected going into this- a painful, cringe inducing, car-crash of a situation between a brilliant but cold academic woman who abandoned her children at a young age to pursue self identity and a young mother struggling with her own daughter and identity. It’s quite remarkable at its core but the English prose (again, I assume due to the translation, which is ironic because the protagonist is a translator by trade) is dry and abrupt.

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andratalpi's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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