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A review by amerynth
The House by the Medlar Tree by Giovanni Verga
3.0
Giovanni Verga's novel "The House by the Medlar Tree" was a really interesting story once it got going. I liked the book overall but it was a very slow read for me.
The book is the story of the Malavoglia family, who are poor fishermen in Sicily. A tragic accident sends their fortunes spiraling downward and the family tries repeatedly to climb out of poverty, to return to the place where they started.
It was difficult to get into this book at first-- there were a lot of characters and it was hard to keep everyone straight. I ultimately decided to read it without focusing on characters and just letting the story unfold. About midway through the book, the story really got going and the importance of the characters really sorted itself out. Glad to have continued on, as the book was worth the effort.
The book is the story of the Malavoglia family, who are poor fishermen in Sicily. A tragic accident sends their fortunes spiraling downward and the family tries repeatedly to climb out of poverty, to return to the place where they started.
It was difficult to get into this book at first-- there were a lot of characters and it was hard to keep everyone straight. I ultimately decided to read it without focusing on characters and just letting the story unfold. About midway through the book, the story really got going and the importance of the characters really sorted itself out. Glad to have continued on, as the book was worth the effort.