Books
by Elena Ferrante
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Days of Abandonment |
Not part of the Neapolitan quartet. Without warning Olga's husband, Mario, abandons her and their two young children for a younger woman. Her loss, grief and madness as her world falls apart are so excruciatingly well drawn that you feel it could be somewhat autobiographical. This is definitely not for the faint-hearted but the skilful writing drives you on as you share Olga's suffering on this painful roller coaster of a ride.
(Christine Miller - bwl 78 Autumn 2015) |
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My Brilliant Friend |
Volume one of the recently translated quartet of Neapolitan novels by a writer who insists on anonymity. The books span the sixty years of a friendship which begins in post-war Naples between two small girls who from childhood onwards struggle to break free from the restraints of Italy's macho dominated society. Characters, situations and places come alive on the page but you need to concentrate to remember all the connections and beware, read this first one and you could be hooked.
(Jenny Baker - bwl 76 Spring 2015) |
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The Lost Daughter |
Leda becomes obsessed by young mother Nina and child, watched interacting on the beach. The child loses her beloved doll, Leda finds it and takes it home. Why? 'I don't know' . . . For a woman who spends most of the novel analysing herself neurotically she has no excuse not to know - rivalry, envy of the mother/daughter relationship in which she has failed? Cleverly written and highly praised but, sorry, I thoroughly disliked it.
The original title is 'La Figlia Oscura' where 'oscura' does not mean 'lost' but dark, enigmatic, unclear.
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 77 Summer 2015) |
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The Lying Life of Adults |
Teenager Giovanna - well-brought-up, living in up-market Naples with her adored father and refined mother - overhears a chance remark which leads to the discovery of a ferocious, charismatic Aunt. Under her spell Giovanna begins to question everything, what are her roots and are her parents as perfect as she imagines? Ferrante brilliantly evokes all the agonies of those teenage years, the consciousness of self, the black and white judgments, the fluctuating moods, the discovery of sex.
(Jenny Baker - bwl 99 Winter 2021) |
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The Story of a New Name; Those who Leave and Those who Stay Behind; The Story of the Lost Child |
My Brilliant Friend (bwl 76) was the the first of Ferrante's Neapolitan quartet and now I've read the other three, were they worth it? Yes, definitely for those who are prepared to be swept into the turbulent lives and complicated relationships of the studious Elena and Lila, her rebellious childhood friend. The cast is huge, the settings shift and change, so best read one after the other without a time lapse in between. The friendship - is it really friendship? - spanning all four books is tested constantly and as the women approach old-age, past jealousies surface, storms brew, questions remain. Can anyone really know, trust or understand another person and do we ever really know, trust or understand ourselves? There are no easy answers. These four books, written by an author who shelters behind a pseudonym, have caused a storm in the literary world but, unlike some other titles that have done the same, they really do deserve the hype. Be prepared to be totally engrossed - though a word of caution for those who prefer down-to-earth, straightforward narrative, you might find them maddening!
(Jenny Baker - bwl 79 Winter 2016) |
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