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A review by writtenontheflyleaves
The Road to the City by Natalia Ginzburg
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Road to the City by Natalia Ginzburg, trans. Frances Frenaye π£οΈ
πππ
π The plot: Delia is 17 and has grown up poor in the countryside of Italy. Walking to the city each day with her cousin Nini and visiting her nouveau-riche sister shows her another way of living, and when she falls pregnant with a rich boy's child she agrees to marry him to have a comfortable life and save her family from shame. Even Nini's declaration of love can't stop her, but what will become of him without her?
This is a very short book that deals with some big themes - youth, selfishness, love, social mobility, freedom. Considering it was first published in 1942, I thought it was astoundingly modern in the way it presented Delia's experiences of sex (and sexual violence) and her limited freedom as a poor woman. However, I think something was lost in translation for me.
The writing felt very bleak and matter-of-fact and this weakened the characterisation, as everyone spoke pretty similarly and seemed to be there just to provide a moral lesson. Delia herself was vivid, but her naivety came across as selfishness most of the time, and Nini's descent into ruin felt like a bit of a blunt instrument as far as the ending was concerned.
Overall, I'd love to read this as part of a uni module on Italian women writers, or better yet, to actually read this in Italian so I can see what I really think of it. Alas, I am a) old and b) not an Italian speaker whatsoever so for now pls just let me know what you thought if you read this book because I don't know???
π Read it if you love short reads that tackle youthful naivety and dreams crashing and burning lmao
π« Avoid it if you're looking for rich prose or if you want to avoid all mentions of sexual assault or pregnancy. Delia's experiences aren't described in a graphic way but they're central to the plot.
πππ
π The plot: Delia is 17 and has grown up poor in the countryside of Italy. Walking to the city each day with her cousin Nini and visiting her nouveau-riche sister shows her another way of living, and when she falls pregnant with a rich boy's child she agrees to marry him to have a comfortable life and save her family from shame. Even Nini's declaration of love can't stop her, but what will become of him without her?
This is a very short book that deals with some big themes - youth, selfishness, love, social mobility, freedom. Considering it was first published in 1942, I thought it was astoundingly modern in the way it presented Delia's experiences of sex (and sexual violence) and her limited freedom as a poor woman. However, I think something was lost in translation for me.
The writing felt very bleak and matter-of-fact and this weakened the characterisation, as everyone spoke pretty similarly and seemed to be there just to provide a moral lesson. Delia herself was vivid, but her naivety came across as selfishness most of the time, and Nini's descent into ruin felt like a bit of a blunt instrument as far as the ending was concerned.
Overall, I'd love to read this as part of a uni module on Italian women writers, or better yet, to actually read this in Italian so I can see what I really think of it. Alas, I am a) old and b) not an Italian speaker whatsoever so for now pls just let me know what you thought if you read this book because I don't know???
π Read it if you love short reads that tackle youthful naivety and dreams crashing and burning lmao
π« Avoid it if you're looking for rich prose or if you want to avoid all mentions of sexual assault or pregnancy. Delia's experiences aren't described in a graphic way but they're central to the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual assault