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Errors of Evaluation
Francesca's presence pervades the lives of those she meets. She leaves an indelible mark, the true nature of her personality revealed through other people's encounters with her. Her boldness as a spoilt child. Her temporary (and just) suffering as the victim of a shrink - an ambiguous and even more unscrupulous person than her in grasping anything graspable. And the more than explicit revelation of her blind egocentrism, because of which she ignores the one person who has tried tirelessly to help her. Three very different characters tell the same story about the enigmatic woman who has entered the lives, each one illuminating who Francesca really is, from their own point of view. Each character has made an error of evaluation which they realise has prejudiced their lives and their relationships. An omniscient narrator will have the final say. This is the first version in English of Errors of Evaluation by the Italian writer Paola Pica.
104 pages, Paperback
Published July 26, 2016
3 people want to read
About the author
Paola Pica
8 booksLiving just outside Rome, Italy, Paola Pica has studied and worked extensively in England and her homeland as a translator and interpreter.
Today she works for various embassies in Rome, as well as focusing on her writing.
She is the author of five novels and one short story collection.
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Avendo studiato e lavorato per lungo tempo in Inghilterra, Paola Pica porta dentro di sé e nella sua scrittura i segni dei due paesi di formazione.
Laureatasi in Lingua e Letteratura Inglese presso "La Sapienza" di Roma, con una tesi su Anthony Burgess e il Romanzo Inglese Contemporaneo, per la quale ha svolto attività di ricerca presso la prestigiosa University Library del King's College di Cambridge, ha da allora lavorato come interprete, traduttrice ed insegnante, non solo nei due paesi di cui sopra.
Romana di adozione, non ha mai permesso che tali occupazioni la distogliessero dal sogno portante della sua vita, la scrittura, per coltivare il quale è tornata a vivere nella campagna dei Castelli Romani. Qui, dice, ha trovato la cornice di quiete e raccoglimento alla scena molto mossa della sua vita non certo sedentaria. Non a caso si è infatti decisa a pubblicare solo nel 2004, incoraggiata anche da qualche personalità straniera del suo ambiente di lavoro, tra cui l'Ambasciatore del Belgio in Italia, S.E. Jean De Ruyt, e sua moglie, Signora Sheila Arora, che le hanno offerto la prima presentazione delle sue prime tre opere nell'atmosfera magica della loro stupenda Residenza romana al Foro Romano.
Di Paola Pica sono già stati pubblicati: L'Incontro, L'uccello Rapace, Il Capro Espiatorio e Il Tarlo nella Mente; i primi tre dalle Edizioni dell'Oleandro e il quarto da Sovera Edizioni.
Today she works for various embassies in Rome, as well as focusing on her writing.
She is the author of five novels and one short story collection.
-----------------------------------------------
Avendo studiato e lavorato per lungo tempo in Inghilterra, Paola Pica porta dentro di sé e nella sua scrittura i segni dei due paesi di formazione.
Laureatasi in Lingua e Letteratura Inglese presso "La Sapienza" di Roma, con una tesi su Anthony Burgess e il Romanzo Inglese Contemporaneo, per la quale ha svolto attività di ricerca presso la prestigiosa University Library del King's College di Cambridge, ha da allora lavorato come interprete, traduttrice ed insegnante, non solo nei due paesi di cui sopra.
Romana di adozione, non ha mai permesso che tali occupazioni la distogliessero dal sogno portante della sua vita, la scrittura, per coltivare il quale è tornata a vivere nella campagna dei Castelli Romani. Qui, dice, ha trovato la cornice di quiete e raccoglimento alla scena molto mossa della sua vita non certo sedentaria. Non a caso si è infatti decisa a pubblicare solo nel 2004, incoraggiata anche da qualche personalità straniera del suo ambiente di lavoro, tra cui l'Ambasciatore del Belgio in Italia, S.E. Jean De Ruyt, e sua moglie, Signora Sheila Arora, che le hanno offerto la prima presentazione delle sue prime tre opere nell'atmosfera magica della loro stupenda Residenza romana al Foro Romano.
Di Paola Pica sono già stati pubblicati: L'Incontro, L'uccello Rapace, Il Capro Espiatorio e Il Tarlo nella Mente; i primi tre dalle Edizioni dell'Oleandro e il quarto da Sovera Edizioni.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 27, 2016
Novella set in Italy
It is a while since I read a novella and this reminded me that once in a while it is enjoyable to read a story in one sitting, there is a sense of continuation and cohesion, in other words short and sharp and to the point.
At the heart of this story is Francesca. Francesca has many of the attributes of narcissistic personality disorder and it is a brave soul who puts someone with all these complexities at the heart of their novel – it is hard to like someone who is so self absorbed, displaying an excessive need for adulation, and who perceives the world and its inhabitants through a very strange lens. All these traits the author portrays very well. However, we experience Francesca through the eyes of others looking at her and this is an alienating device. Much like Brecht, the reader has to keep their distance and look in vain for a character who demands empathy from her scrutineers.
Francesca’s acolytes (and that is what they seem to be) – she is after all the queen bee, with her drones buzzing around her – express their frustrations at how she finds herself caught up in webs of her own making, time and again. Her choice of men serves to underline her fragile inner self, although on the outside she is stunning, confident and stylish. Her men adore, cherish and obsequiously boost her ego, her very being is reflected back in their body language and their sycophantic, lingering looks. They are there to just feed her persona, just like drone bees. But when it all comes crashing down, briefly she assumes the mantle of a sentient being; she is after all supremely confident at manipulating those around but once others step in to rescue her, she reverts to type.
She does have psychological support, a professional, who is willing to take her on, but ultimately he too finds himself initially in thrall to her. He mutates into a supremely unprofessional therapist, but that is symptomatic of the subtle but profound control she can exert over others. He should however have known better.
Yes, the concept is interesting, but can the author pull it off? This novella has the feel of a story created in film by Franco Zeffirelli or Fellini, full of tortured characters depicted by Ingrid Bergman, it is essentially very much a european novella. The translator maintains the Italian construct very well. But I don’t think the novella will stay with me for any significant time, as Francesca – by the very nature of her capricious personality – is like a butterfly in her emotional make-up, and I think it will not be long before her vacuous self flutters from my memory. And for me a good book is one that lingers.
In terms of locale – it is intimated that this takes place in Italy, and indeed the prose feels at some level quite Italian – but there is nothing really tangible to anchor the novella in that country or tap into the TripFiction ethos of “seeing a location through the eyes of an author”.
This review first appeared on our blog: http://www.tripfiction.com/a-novella-...
It is a while since I read a novella and this reminded me that once in a while it is enjoyable to read a story in one sitting, there is a sense of continuation and cohesion, in other words short and sharp and to the point.
At the heart of this story is Francesca. Francesca has many of the attributes of narcissistic personality disorder and it is a brave soul who puts someone with all these complexities at the heart of their novel – it is hard to like someone who is so self absorbed, displaying an excessive need for adulation, and who perceives the world and its inhabitants through a very strange lens. All these traits the author portrays very well. However, we experience Francesca through the eyes of others looking at her and this is an alienating device. Much like Brecht, the reader has to keep their distance and look in vain for a character who demands empathy from her scrutineers.
Francesca’s acolytes (and that is what they seem to be) – she is after all the queen bee, with her drones buzzing around her – express their frustrations at how she finds herself caught up in webs of her own making, time and again. Her choice of men serves to underline her fragile inner self, although on the outside she is stunning, confident and stylish. Her men adore, cherish and obsequiously boost her ego, her very being is reflected back in their body language and their sycophantic, lingering looks. They are there to just feed her persona, just like drone bees. But when it all comes crashing down, briefly she assumes the mantle of a sentient being; she is after all supremely confident at manipulating those around but once others step in to rescue her, she reverts to type.
She does have psychological support, a professional, who is willing to take her on, but ultimately he too finds himself initially in thrall to her. He mutates into a supremely unprofessional therapist, but that is symptomatic of the subtle but profound control she can exert over others. He should however have known better.
Yes, the concept is interesting, but can the author pull it off? This novella has the feel of a story created in film by Franco Zeffirelli or Fellini, full of tortured characters depicted by Ingrid Bergman, it is essentially very much a european novella. The translator maintains the Italian construct very well. But I don’t think the novella will stay with me for any significant time, as Francesca – by the very nature of her capricious personality – is like a butterfly in her emotional make-up, and I think it will not be long before her vacuous self flutters from my memory. And for me a good book is one that lingers.
In terms of locale – it is intimated that this takes place in Italy, and indeed the prose feels at some level quite Italian – but there is nothing really tangible to anchor the novella in that country or tap into the TripFiction ethos of “seeing a location through the eyes of an author”.
This review first appeared on our blog: http://www.tripfiction.com/a-novella-...
August 27, 2017
At the forefront of the story is Francesca who is a detestable and narcissistic character. There is nothing likeable about her. She appears to be naive and superficial and doesn't appear to think for herself or take any initiative for her life.
This story is set in Italy and focuses on four characters: Marco, Elena and Massimo and their perceptions of the main character.
Francesca is continually tangled up with the wrong type of men who are captivated by her exquisite looks and style and use it to coerce her.
The writing in this novella is very elaborate but I enjoyed it and it managed to keep my interest throughout.
I thought that the ending was a bit flat but it sheds some light on Francesca's personality. She is depicted as introverted , however in the last chapter it is evident that she has many different dimensions to her personality and she can be hard to read.
This story is set in Italy and focuses on four characters: Marco, Elena and Massimo and their perceptions of the main character.
Francesca is continually tangled up with the wrong type of men who are captivated by her exquisite looks and style and use it to coerce her.
The writing in this novella is very elaborate but I enjoyed it and it managed to keep my interest throughout.
I thought that the ending was a bit flat but it sheds some light on Francesca's personality. She is depicted as introverted , however in the last chapter it is evident that she has many different dimensions to her personality and she can be hard to read.
November 28, 2016
‘…it’s enough to know a person’s weak points to do what you want with him.’
Several days after I finished reading Errors of Evaluation I’m still not sure what I think of it or how much I liked it. This very rarely happens to me, I’m usually quite sure of my opinions but this novella has puzzled me, which I guess could be a good thing but it hasn’t made it easy to write this review.
Paola has written a book that concentrates very firmly on four characters. That of Francesca, who the book is essentially about and the three characters who are telling their story of her - Marco, Massimo and Elena. I generally love to hate a character and within Errors of Evaluation there is little to like about any of the characters with the exception of Elena. Francesca has left a definite mark on those she has come into contact with and Marco, Massimo and Elena each give their view of her. The first three chapters are narrated in the first person by each with the fourth chapter being told in the third person. The total detachment from the main character, Francesca, through the lack of her voice and yet the unique insight the reader gets into her personality works really well.
A tale of control and manipulation, initially I felt that Francesca, although spoilt and narcissistic, was the victim of the men who manipulated her in order to keep her as their trophy. As the book progresses, however, it would appear that Francesca is as grasping as the men she has been in relationships with and manipulates them to meet her own needs. The question for me at the end was who was the greatest at the art of deception?
Paola has created utterly contemptible, unscrupulous characters. She uses a mix of psychological theories to explore the darker side of relationships. Each believes they knew Francesca but at the end they discover that this was not the case and each has been wrong in their assessment of her.
Translated incredibly well and with a beautiful use of language, I really enjoyed the prose in Errors Of Evaluation. It has a very European feel about it despite their being little indication of the setting in Italy. This is a very character-based book and despite the lack of surrounding description I felt myself drawn into it and into their strange psyches.
Very much unlike anything I have read recently I’m not sure that this book will appeal to everybody. If you have an interest in psychology and a penchant for the despicable, you will enjoy Errors Of Evaluation.
Thank you to Paola Pica and Authoright for the copy of Errors Of Evaluation.
Several days after I finished reading Errors of Evaluation I’m still not sure what I think of it or how much I liked it. This very rarely happens to me, I’m usually quite sure of my opinions but this novella has puzzled me, which I guess could be a good thing but it hasn’t made it easy to write this review.
Paola has written a book that concentrates very firmly on four characters. That of Francesca, who the book is essentially about and the three characters who are telling their story of her - Marco, Massimo and Elena. I generally love to hate a character and within Errors of Evaluation there is little to like about any of the characters with the exception of Elena. Francesca has left a definite mark on those she has come into contact with and Marco, Massimo and Elena each give their view of her. The first three chapters are narrated in the first person by each with the fourth chapter being told in the third person. The total detachment from the main character, Francesca, through the lack of her voice and yet the unique insight the reader gets into her personality works really well.
A tale of control and manipulation, initially I felt that Francesca, although spoilt and narcissistic, was the victim of the men who manipulated her in order to keep her as their trophy. As the book progresses, however, it would appear that Francesca is as grasping as the men she has been in relationships with and manipulates them to meet her own needs. The question for me at the end was who was the greatest at the art of deception?
Paola has created utterly contemptible, unscrupulous characters. She uses a mix of psychological theories to explore the darker side of relationships. Each believes they knew Francesca but at the end they discover that this was not the case and each has been wrong in their assessment of her.
Translated incredibly well and with a beautiful use of language, I really enjoyed the prose in Errors Of Evaluation. It has a very European feel about it despite their being little indication of the setting in Italy. This is a very character-based book and despite the lack of surrounding description I felt myself drawn into it and into their strange psyches.
Very much unlike anything I have read recently I’m not sure that this book will appeal to everybody. If you have an interest in psychology and a penchant for the despicable, you will enjoy Errors Of Evaluation.
Thank you to Paola Pica and Authoright for the copy of Errors Of Evaluation.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews