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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
reflective
sad
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
Schitterend, en mooi vertaald.
Geen idee of Starnone nu ook Ferrante is of hij haar kent, al zou het me niets verbazen, het lijken verhalen uit dezelfde bron, steeds weer kleine variaties op dezelfde basisgegevens. Maar dat doet er uiteindelijk ook niet toe.
Geen idee of Starnone nu ook Ferrante is of hij haar kent, al zou het me niets verbazen, het lijken verhalen uit dezelfde bron, steeds weer kleine variaties op dezelfde basisgegevens. Maar dat doet er uiteindelijk ook niet toe.
Na primeira metade do livro não me ficou claro o porquê comparam tanto o Starnone a Elena Ferrante, pensei ser talvez uma questão de tradução, há duas teorias: a primeira de que o próprio Starnone é Ferrante usando de voz feminina, a segunda que a Ferrante é pseudônimo de sua esposa Anita Raja.
A segunda metade do livro a semelhança me ficou mais clara, mesmo assim acho pouco possível a Ferrante ser um homem, a voz dela vai muito nas entranhas em ser mulher, a não ser que o Starnone seja o mais absoluto gênio da empatia, acho pouco provável que seja ele e acho que Laços delimita isso completamente, é bem clara a característica que veio de uma pena masculina e talvez por isso o autor não me impressionou tanto quanto a agudeza de Ferrante.
A segunda metade do livro a semelhança me ficou mais clara, mesmo assim acho pouco possível a Ferrante ser um homem, a voz dela vai muito nas entranhas em ser mulher, a não ser que o Starnone seja o mais absoluto gênio da empatia, acho pouco provável que seja ele e acho que Laços delimita isso completamente, é bem clara a característica que veio de uma pena masculina e talvez por isso o autor não me impressionou tanto quanto a agudeza de Ferrante.
In case it’s slipped your mind, Dear Sir, let me remind you: I am your wife. I know that this once pleased you and that now, suddenly, it chafes. I know you pretend that I don’t exist, and that I never existed, because you don’t want to look bad in front of the highbrow people you frequent. I know that leading an orderly life, having to come home in time for dinner, sleeping with me instead of with whomever you want, makes you feel like an idiot. I know you’re ashamed to say: look, I was married on October 11th, 1962, at twenty-two; I said “I do” in front of the priest in a church in the Stella neighborhood, and I did it for love, nothing forced me into it; look, I have certain responsibilities, and if you people don’t know what it means to have responsibilities you’re petty. I know, believe me, I know. But whether you like it or not, the fact remains: I am your wife and you are my husband.
This is one of the most electrifying beginnings I can recall in recent times. Composed of letters written by Vanda to Aldo, the first book of this short work of literature feels like a constant punch in the face, a ferocious howl by a deeply wounded woman left by her husband, leaving behind his two kids too, and no explanation or any kind of support. Vanda writes these letters from 1974, when Aldo leaves his family in search of freedom and happiness to live with a 19-year-old young woman, to 1978, when he returns to his family.
The second book takes place 40 years later when after a return from a short vacation on the beach, Vanda and Aldo discover their apartment has been broken into and most of their belongings destroyed. While Vanda goes to bed to try and have some rest, Aldo decides to do some clearning, and that is when he finds again his wife's letter. Thus, Aldo's sleepless night is full of thoughts, his justifications to have left Vanda 40 years before, his memories of life back then, his yearnings, and the reason why he returned to Vanda and dealt with her mistrust.
The third book gives voice to Anna, Vanda and Aldo's daughter, and to a certain extent, to Sandro too, their son. But writing more about it is sure to bring spoilers to this review.
All in all, Lacci (laces, ties) is such a perfect title for this short and powerful book by Domenico Starnone. As part of the narrative, it is a short episode involving Aldo and his two kids, Sandro and Anna, and it takes place in the middle of the book. As a metaphor, it means the bonds between two or more people, like family members, friends, etc. And like everything that can be tied, it can also be untied, unlaced, undone.
Aldo's decision is not a rare thing. It is usual to hear from time to time about fathers and husbands (once in a while, mothers and wives) who leave their families and break with all the existing bonds to move on with their new families, even if the kids are not their own, they are treated with much more care than their real kids. And here, I am not talking about ideals like romantic love or "happily ever after" or the sacrosanct meaning of motherhood and fatherhood, or the petite bourgeoisie ideals, etc. This is about something more than the responsibility to the ones someone chose to live with and bring up; it is about building trust/confidence. Just walking out and away without a single word, or leaving lies behind, disrupt each parcel of confidence so long and hardly achieved. And once this is lost, it might be lost forever.
The more Aldo justifies his decisions, the more he makes it clear that he hasn't changed that much in the 40 years since he decided to return to Vanda. Some may find sympathy for him. I only saw a weak man, one that prefers to silence and let things go on, even when he knows pretty well that Vanda's trust in him is lost forever, that they are just two people living together, and that he can still go on with his little tricks. Life becomes a caricature, a repetition of tricks and lies and pretenses.
Vanda herself is also not spared from critics, as she builds a reality and a life of her own and intends that the ones around her take the paths she understands that life should be like. She is a controller in every aspect.
Yet, Aldo seems like a much better person than the detestable Mário, Elena Ferrante's character from Days of Abandonment, a novel that seems to be a companion to Starnone's Lacci. It is just that in Ferrante's book, we see the story unfolding through Olga's eyes, while in Starnone's, there are 4 voices forming the story. Ferrante's book does also offer a positive ending, Olga has the chance to build up her life again, and even bring some comfort and care to Enio, her neighbor with whom she had much trouble along with the story. In Starnone's story, everything comes undone, as if rotten, forever poisoned.
Regardless of the fact that none of these characters are likable, Starnone's style is so appealing, delightful, and fluid, and reading it was such a nice finding.
As a final note, I was constantly thinking of how the more humans try to hide the fact they are animals, the more it shows. One of the worst beasts, if not the worst, in the animal kingdom.
This is one of the most electrifying beginnings I can recall in recent times. Composed of letters written by Vanda to Aldo, the first book of this short work of literature feels like a constant punch in the face, a ferocious howl by a deeply wounded woman left by her husband, leaving behind his two kids too, and no explanation or any kind of support. Vanda writes these letters from 1974, when Aldo leaves his family in search of freedom and happiness to live with a 19-year-old young woman, to 1978, when he returns to his family.
The second book takes place 40 years later when after a return from a short vacation on the beach, Vanda and Aldo discover their apartment has been broken into and most of their belongings destroyed. While Vanda goes to bed to try and have some rest, Aldo decides to do some clearning, and that is when he finds again his wife's letter. Thus, Aldo's sleepless night is full of thoughts, his justifications to have left Vanda 40 years before, his memories of life back then, his yearnings, and the reason why he returned to Vanda and dealt with her mistrust.
The third book gives voice to Anna, Vanda and Aldo's daughter, and to a certain extent, to Sandro too, their son. But writing more about it is sure to bring spoilers to this review.
All in all, Lacci (laces, ties) is such a perfect title for this short and powerful book by Domenico Starnone. As part of the narrative, it is a short episode involving Aldo and his two kids, Sandro and Anna, and it takes place in the middle of the book. As a metaphor, it means the bonds between two or more people, like family members, friends, etc. And like everything that can be tied, it can also be untied, unlaced, undone.
Aldo's decision is not a rare thing. It is usual to hear from time to time about fathers and husbands (once in a while, mothers and wives) who leave their families and break with all the existing bonds to move on with their new families, even if the kids are not their own, they are treated with much more care than their real kids. And here, I am not talking about ideals like romantic love or "happily ever after" or the sacrosanct meaning of motherhood and fatherhood, or the petite bourgeoisie ideals, etc. This is about something more than the responsibility to the ones someone chose to live with and bring up; it is about building trust/confidence. Just walking out and away without a single word, or leaving lies behind, disrupt each parcel of confidence so long and hardly achieved. And once this is lost, it might be lost forever.
The more Aldo justifies his decisions, the more he makes it clear that he hasn't changed that much in the 40 years since he decided to return to Vanda. Some may find sympathy for him. I only saw a weak man, one that prefers to silence and let things go on, even when he knows pretty well that Vanda's trust in him is lost forever, that they are just two people living together, and that he can still go on with his little tricks. Life becomes a caricature, a repetition of tricks and lies and pretenses.
Vanda herself is also not spared from critics, as she builds a reality and a life of her own and intends that the ones around her take the paths she understands that life should be like. She is a controller in every aspect.
Yet, Aldo seems like a much better person than the detestable Mário, Elena Ferrante's character from Days of Abandonment, a novel that seems to be a companion to Starnone's Lacci. It is just that in Ferrante's book, we see the story unfolding through Olga's eyes, while in Starnone's, there are 4 voices forming the story. Ferrante's book does also offer a positive ending, Olga has the chance to build up her life again, and even bring some comfort and care to Enio, her neighbor with whom she had much trouble along with the story. In Starnone's story, everything comes undone, as if rotten, forever poisoned.
Regardless of the fact that none of these characters are likable, Starnone's style is so appealing, delightful, and fluid, and reading it was such a nice finding.
As a final note, I was constantly thinking of how the more humans try to hide the fact they are animals, the more it shows. One of the worst beasts, if not the worst, in the animal kingdom.
I read Ties after reading Days of Abandonment which Ferrante wrote in response to this book. While there are definitely parts where you begin to sympathize for our narrator, it is important to read the Ferrante to see the true extent of the damage caused by him walking out of his family. This book reads exactly how one would expect a book about a man leaving his wife as told from a man’s perspective would read: the wife was devastated but she managed. Except in the Ferrante response you see that the wife might not have even been able to “manage” as our narrator in Ties speculates. I gave this book five stars only because it fills in critical details left out of Ferrante’s novel about the exact same characters but told from the wife’s perspective.
“In case it’s slipped your mind, Dear Sir, let me remind you, I’m your wife.”
Altought very catchy but very confusing at the begging. First we’ve got letters from abandoned wife. Heartbreaking story of a tough woman who tries to survive with kids since her husband left them. But then here comes the story of an old couple which happens to be them? Did they solve their problems? What happened?
Thankfully the book is not very readable but it also makes you want to know what the hell is going on with these two.
It is good psychological picture of a marriage life. How strong woman can make the man small. How submissive husband is acting differently outside. We got the story - one same old story old as the world itself - from all different perspectives. Even the kids who usually suffer the most.
I do liked that book but some explanations I just don’t buy.
Altought very catchy but very confusing at the begging. First we’ve got letters from abandoned wife. Heartbreaking story of a tough woman who tries to survive with kids since her husband left them. But then here comes the story of an old couple which happens to be them? Did they solve their problems? What happened?
Thankfully the book is not very readable but it also makes you want to know what the hell is going on with these two.
It is good psychological picture of a marriage life. How strong woman can make the man small. How submissive husband is acting differently outside. We got the story - one same old story old as the world itself - from all different perspectives. Even the kids who usually suffer the most.
I do liked that book but some explanations I just don’t buy.
With a brilliant introduction and translation by Jhumpa Lahiri, Ties is a profoundly deep observation of a dysfunctional family, the insidious cracks of the container that holds them together and the consequences that followed. Though the tone is somber, this book to me remains hopeful of how humans navigate hardships and try to live with our brokenness.