A review by deegee24
All Our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg

challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is one of the most powerful novels ever written about the rise and fall of fascism in Europe. It doesn't deal directly with the concentration camps but there are other important aspects of the genocide of European Jews that are addressed. You may need to adjust to Ginzburg's narrative style. Like Faulkner and Beckett, she writes in pages-long paragraphs that are only loosely organized but are packed with sensory detail. There are many characters and the third-person narration gradually shifts from one character's perspective to another, sometimes mid-paragraph. But by the end, you will feel like Ginzburg left no stone unturned in recollecting what life was like for different social and political groups in Fascist Italy. And the family saga at the heart of the book is very moving.  And while it is a dark and intense book, there are lots of funny moments scattered throughout.
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