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A review by karinlib
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis by Giorgio Bassani
4.0
This book is on the [b:1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die|452208|1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die|Peter Boxall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320483996l/452208._SX50_.jpg|814053] list (I have to admit that I chuckle at the "Must Read" aspect of this list). What is interesting about Bassani, is that he made sure [b:The Leopard|625094|The Leopard|Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1376481466l/625094._SY75_.jpg|1132275] by [a:Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa|8407795|Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1417443817p2/8407795.jpg] was published, a book that is also on the 1001 list, and parts of it are just perfect. One other coincidence to me of this book is that the characters discuss Israel Zangwill, who was married to Edith Ayrton Zangwill, a writer and suffragette. I am reading her book: [b:The Call|43178671|The Call|Edith Ayrton Zangwill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544319907l/43178671._SX50_.jpg|66990032] right now.
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis is a coming-of-age story, set in Ferrara, Italy during the beginning years of WWII. The racial laws of 1938 that were put in place by the fascists, which prevented Jews from belonging to tennis clubs, etc., gave the narrator of the book the opportunity to enter the Garden of Finzi-Continis. The Finzi-Continis were a wealthy family that encouraged the Jewish young people to come to their estate to use their private tennis court, since they were banned from using the public tennis courts. The Garden becomes a sanctuary for the young people, and a tale of unrequited love.
I enjoyed this novel, and I plan on reading more by Bassani.
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis is a coming-of-age story, set in Ferrara, Italy during the beginning years of WWII. The racial laws of 1938 that were put in place by the fascists, which prevented Jews from belonging to tennis clubs, etc., gave the narrator of the book the opportunity to enter the Garden of Finzi-Continis. The Finzi-Continis were a wealthy family that encouraged the Jewish young people to come to their estate to use their private tennis court, since they were banned from using the public tennis courts. The Garden becomes a sanctuary for the young people, and a tale of unrequited love.
I enjoyed this novel, and I plan on reading more by Bassani.