تائهة في الحي الإسباني

by Heddi Goodrich, أميرة بدوي (Translator)

لا أدري ماذا أقول لك. كنت في انتظار أخبارك لمدة أربع سنوات طويلة. الوقت يداوي كل شيء، ويجعل الانتظار محتملاً. ربما لا أتذكر ما كنت أنتظره. لكنني ما زلت أجهل السبب؛ لماذا فعلت كل هذا بي؟ بعض الأحيان، في الليل، أنظر إلى النجوم وأسألها عن السبب. هذا جنون، وأنا أعلم. أن تظن أن القصة مكتوبة في الأبراج، لها بداية ووسط، وربما تكون لها نهاية سعيدة. لكن بصراحة، لا أفهم أي شيء. لا أستطيع حتى التفريق بين أبسط أنواع الأبراج: السماء هنا ضبابية، مقلوبة، غير مألوفة. ومع ذلك أحب مراقبة النجوم. كل نجم منها، هو أثر لجسم مضيء فريد ومثالي، لكنه ذاب واختفى. كل نجم منها ذاكرة مضيئة. فعلت كل شيء لأنساك وأنسى كل ما يتعلق بك. كنوع من فقدان الذاكرة الذاتي.
https://bit.ly/3auauB6

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Italy, Audiobook, Ebooks, Adult, Love Story

Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Heddi Goodrich, originally from Washington, D.C., spent a decade growing up and wising up in Naples before moving to Auckland, New Zealand. Lost in the Spanish Quarter is her first novel, originally released in Italy as Perduti nei Quartieri Spagnoli (Giunti, 2019).

Reviews

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lost in the Spanish Quarter takes place in Naples, in a crumbling, ancient neighborhood. Heddi is an exchange student living in Naples where she meets Pietro, and the two fall in love. The atmosphere of the city with a volcanic backdrop comes to life; it took me right back to the short time I spent in the area.

Heddi is an American, but she longs for Naples to be her home. The story of first love between Heddi and Pietro is relatable and definitely made me feel nostalgic. I loved reading their emails. The writing is stunning. Overall, Lost in the Spanish Quarter is an atmospheric, lyrically and unconventionally told story of coming of age and falling in love. I highly recommend this one to lovers of language.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher.

Many of my reviews can also be found on instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, I would say ignore the comparisons with Ferrante's Neapolitan novels that I've seen, this is a more conventional coming-of-age, first love romance. Told in two timelines, the present is contrasted with the recent past as two ex-lovers come to terms with their relationship, their decisions, their life choices. This is sweet and poignant reading, and the background of a group of students at university in Naples gives it life. Love, jealousy, misunderstandings, the way people are bound by their pasts however much they might want to move forward are all here: bittersweet switch-off reading.

[Braekeveldt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice to start walking in the labyrinth of Naples and to drive a tractor in a shithole village. But after 300 pages still walking the same streets with the same people wondering where life will take you and after hours of driving the same old tractor in that shithole village somewhere up the mountains.....it must have taken courage for the writer to add another 113 pages of walking and driving that tractor.
Tomorrow I will have forgotten everything. No way to compare this author with Ferrante.

[Nicoleta Balopitou · Rating 5 out of 5]

* Πέντε αστεράκια γιατί ήταν τελείως διαφορετικό από αυτό που είχα φανταστεί. Καθόλου γλυκανάλατο ή συνηθισμένο και γενικά τα αυτοβιογραφικά στοιχεία σε ένα βιβλίο έχω παρατηρήσει ότι αναγνωστικά μου ταιριάζουν πολύ. *

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abandonată după 191 de pagini pentru că nu am găsit niciun motiv să continui. Ea și el se întâlnesc. Nu e dragoste la prima vedere, apoi încep o relație și ajung să se iubească, dar se despart și fiecare își vede de viața lui. După câțiva ani, reiau legătura prin scrisori. Atât.

Scriitura e drăguță, totuși, iar atmosfera e plăcută, deși descrisă prea minuțios. Cartea e scrisă sub forma unor flashback-uri în care ea ne povestește ce a fost între ei și a scrisorilor în care ei deapănă amintiri. Din moment ce aflăm de la început ce s-a întâmplat, nu am înțeles care este rostul cărții. Pur și simplu, nu am răbdarea necesară să aflu.

,,Timpul atenuează totul, face suportabilă chiar și așteptarea."

,,Tu erai adrenalina mea, ciocolata mea caldă, fularul meu de lână, rezerva mea de vin."

,,Mă simt superior oamenilor pentru că te-am cunoscut pe tine. [...] Pentru că tu ești termenul meu de comparație și nu m-aș putea mulțumi niciodată."

[Arybo ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mi dispiace veramente tanto non dare a questo libro più di due stelline, ma la bellezza della scrittura (spesso affettata) non giustifica la lunghezza del testo, che si crogiola nella ripetizione delle stesse situazioni pagina dopo pagina. Nonostante sia interessante vedere come una straniera abbia fatto suo il mondo dei Quartieri Spagnoli, è difficile appassionarsi ad una storia d'amore in cui l'interesse amoroso (nome: Pietro) è fortemente egoista, autoreferenziale e poco affascinante (ai miei occhi). D'altro canto, Partenope è una sirena e sa affascinare come sempre: le parole dell'autrice sanno stregare il lettore, che, se non attento, si ritrova circondato da una nuvola di puzza di pesce fritto in un secondo. Quindi, sebbene la scrittura sia bella, il contenuto non regge il paragone. Consiglio la lettura delle prime cento pagine, in cui si può afferrare il gusto che la narratrice ha nel tessere arazzi con le parole. Per il resto, è sempre la stessa solfa che si ripete.

Nota: interessanti le nozioni geologiche del sottosuolo di Napoli.

NEWTS 2019: E in Muggle Studies ✨

[Sophie's Reading Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο Χαμένοι στη Νάπολη μου φάνηκε λίγο περίεργο γενικά από θέμα γραφής, υπήρχαν κάποια ωραία σημεία κι άλλα ήταν λες και ήταν υπό ουσίες καθώς έγραφε η συγγραφέας. Ειδικά εκεί που γινόντουσαν οι περιγραφές των ονείρων της με το ηφαίστειο.

Ίσως αν το βιβλίο αυτό ήταν πιο μικρό σε μέγεθος, να μου άρεσε περισσότερο. Αλλά ένιωσα ότι τράβηξε πολύ χωρίς λόγο και ήταν αρκετά μέτριο. Οι χαρακτήρες έδιναν το vibe της φοιτητικής ζωής στην Ιταλία, κάτι το οποίο έζησα και μπορώ να πω ότι αυτό ήταν όντως to the point. Αλλά ο Pietro σαν χαρακτήρας , ενώ ξεκίνησε σαν ένας συμπαθητικός κατ' εμέ χαρακτήρας, εντέλει κατάντησε να μου είναι πολύ αντιπαθής. Αυτή η οκνηρία και η προσκόλληση στην οικογένεια του μου θύμισε και τον πρώην μου, οπότε μπορεί να έπαιξε και αυτό ένα ρόλο στην αντιπάθεια μου.

Βρήκα πολύ ενδιαφέρον τα γράμματα μεταξύ τους που ανήκαν στο παρών, ενώ όλη η ιστορία εξελισσόταν στο παρελθόν. Δεν μας έδιναν αρκετά στοιχεία και είχα μεγάλη περιέργεια για το τι είχε παιχτεί και το πως θα εξελιχθεί η ιστορία αυτή. Τέλος, χάρηκα πολύ στο τέλος με την κατάληξη της ιστορίας.

[BookNightOwl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lost in the Spanish Quarter is about Heddi is an american exchange student who goes to Naples and and meets Pietro and falls in love. The book starts off a few years later with an email written to Heddi from Pietro admitting that he was wrong.

This book was really descriptive about everything and I found myself getting lost at times and not knowing what was going on. I felt like she would have flashbacks about a certain situation and I wouldn't even know that what was happening. I loved the email part of the story. I just felt like I wanted more from the characters and not really the plot.

[Flo Bernabucci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Riguardo a questo libro ho una sola certezza: L'autrice adora leggersi. Una struttura circolare interessante, le descrizioni di Napoli e qualche affascinante nuova parola (come "inciarmo" Sostantivo, designa un espediente predisposto per ingannare. Indica una situazione intricata. Significa anche inganno, truffa. Da esso deriva il verbo “inciarmare”) non sopperiscono alla noia della vicenda d'amore della protagonista. Una storia dove invece i luoghi comuni vengono usati tutti, nella quale entrambi i protagonisti a fasi alterne e per i motivi opposti finiscono per risultare seriemnte fastidiosi al pari della volontà di spiegare ogni sentimento, ogni gesto fra i due. Una scrittura pomposa, piena di ridondanze e la sgradevole sensazione che nonostante tutte le frasi dubitative, le analisi e le autoanalisi psicologiche, in realtà di dubbi non ce ne siano affatto e che la protagonista agisca sempre convinta che la sua è la verità corretta, il suo stile di vita quello più appagante e le sue scelte le uniche fatte seguendo il proprio istinto salvifico. Lezioncina di vita e di semiotica con poco appeal.

[Georgina Koutrouditsou · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Χαμένοι στη Νάπολη" είναι ο ελληνικός τίτλος του βιβλίου και είναι το κατάλληλο έργο για να ταξιδέψει κανείς νοερά εκεί!
Πώς μια αμερικανίδα καταφέρνει να μεταφέρει τα αρώματα, τις εικόνες, τους ήχους και πολλά άλλα μιας ξεχωριστής ιταλικής πόλης του Νότου;
Μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ το κομμάτι των περιγραφών της Νάπολης,σε σημείο που έχω σημειώσει συγκεκριμένα αποσπάσματα για να τα ξαναδιαβάσω.
Ωστόσο, η υπόθεση (μάλλον αυτοβιογραφική με δόσεις μυθοπλασίας) του ζευγαριού που ενηλικιώνεται δειλά-δειλά μέσα από τον έρωτά του,δεν θα κρύψω ότι σε πολλά σημεία με κούρασε...
Σ'αυτά τα σημεία η γραφή ήταν γλυκανάλατη,όμως σε όλο το υπόλοιπο βιβλίο ήταν στρωτή και ικανοποιητική!
Ένα βιβλίο που σε χαλαρώνει και σε ταξιδεύει ταυτόχρονα!

[Anni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich wollte es so gerne mögen... Meine Oma hat mir diesen biografischen Roman zum Geburtstag geschenkt, da ich im September eigentlich selbst ein Auslandsstudium beginnen sollte, schien die Thematik ideal.

Wie man an meiner Bewertung erkennen kann, konnte mich die Geschichte dann doch nicht so ganz von sich überzeugen. Es geht um die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Pietro und Heddi, sowie um die Liebe Heddis zur Stadt Neapel. Letztere war wirklich sehr transparent und schön, weshalb ich noch mal mehr Lust habe eines Tages dorthin zu reisen. Desweiteren haben mir die Szenen aus Heddis Studentenleben gut gefallen, da es einige parallelen zu meinem eigenen gibt. Auch wenn das Geschehen in den 90ern angesetzt ist, denke ich, dass viele Punkte auch heute noch so in den Leben von Erasmusstudenten verankert sind und diese kleinen Einblicke konnten mich ein wenig darüber trösten, dass mein Auslandsstudium (erstmal) nicht stattfindet.
Das waren die Dinge, die mir gut gefallen haben und dazu zählen auch die Mails von Pietro und Heddi, die zwischen den einzelnen Kapiteln eingefügt worden. Prinzipiell mochte ich auch Heddi und konnet mich teilweise auch mit ihr identifizieren, da wir einige Gemeinsamkeiten haben (früh ins Ausland, leben in einer Gastfamilie, Studentenleben in einer WG, Linguistikstudium ...). Was mich wirklich gestört hat, war, dass ich zu den anderen Charakteren einfach keine Verbindung aufbauen konnte, obwohl sie mir alle sympathisch waren außer Gabriele und Pietro. Ich glaube ehrlich gesagt, dass Pietro für mich in dieser Geschichte das große Problem war. Erstmal geht es ja schon damit los, dass ich den Name Pietro automatisch mit Pietro Lombardi verbinde :D, das ist ja nicht so schlimm, weil ich diesen eigentlich recht amüsant finde, jedoch wurde ich mit Heddis Pietro einfach nicht warm. Ich konnte bis zum Ende nicht verstehen, was genau sie in ihm gesehen hat, war sogar eher der Meinung, dass sie ohne ihn besser dran gewesen wäre. Die Mails, in denen bereits am Anfang klar wurde, dass die Beziehung scheitern würde und das auch noch vor allem Pietros Schuld war, hat mein Bild von ihm auch nicht wirklich verbessern können..
Da diese Beziehung natürlich mit der Haupinhalt des Romans war und diese mich nicht überzeugen konnte, kann ich dem Werk naürlich keine besonders hohe Wertung geben. Dennoch war es auch kein absoluter Flop, weshalb es noch 3/5 Sternen geworden sind.

[Sofia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Εναλλακτικός τίλος: "Πώς να κολλήσετε με έναν μαλάκα σε δέκα ημέρες και για 400 σελίδες."
Για 400 σελίδες δεν γίνεται ΤΙΠΟΤΑ συγκλονιστικό, οι δύο πρωταγωνιστές θεωρούν ότι είναι ΣΟΥΠΕΡ ΓΑΜΑΤΟΙ, και ότι ζουν το ΣΟΥΠΕΡ ΠΑΘΟΣ, ενώ στην πραγματικότητα είναι τέρμα βαρετοί, οι υπόλοιποι χαρακτήρες είναι αδιάφοροι, δεν ασχολείται κανείς μαζί τους, ούτε η ίδια η πρωταγωνίστρια/συγγραφέας, που ασχολείται ΜΟΝΟ με τον έρωτά της τον Πιέτρο και τον φόβο της μη σκάσει ο Βεζούβιος. Αγνοεί συστηματικά και τους φίλους της και τα red flags του γκομενακίου. Ο δε Πίετρο είναι λίγο μεγαλομανής, λίγο μαλακάκος, λίγο παιδί του Νότου, κολλημένο στην big mama, και με σημαντικά coγmmitment issues. Εντάξει είναι παιδί της αγροτιάς, την πήγε βόλτα με το τρακτέρ και την αποκαλεί και baby κάθε τρεις και λίγο, δε λέω, cute, αλλά όταν είναι το μόνο που γίνεται για 400 σελίδες, ασίγαστο πάθος δεν το λες. Δεν ξέρω εάν φταίει η ηλικία των πρωταγωνιστών και που εγώ είμαι millennial boomer, αλλά δεν μπορούσα να ταυτιστώ καθόλου με τους χαρακτήρες και δεν έβλεπα πουθενά το δράμα. Ζίρο για την πλοκή, 2 αστεράκια για τη Νάπολη, και τις ομολογουμένως καλές περιγραφές της πόλης, που ήταν και το πιο ενδιαφέρον σε αυτό το βιβλίο και με κράτησε να μην το παρατήσω.

[Ely · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of a disappointment. I was loving it in the beginning—the writing was beautiful, the characters were intriguing. I especially loved the writing of Naples—it really felt like I was there, despite having never been. After a while, it started to drag. Plus, I absolutely detest Pietro—he just annoyed the hell out of me.

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel of NAPLES



Naples… an infernal heaven – Marquis de Sade.

The actual Spanish Quarter in Naples is made up of a grid pattern of streets, designed originally as Spanish military barracks. Naples is essentially the main character in the novel. It serves as a glorious setting for the blossoming relationship between between Pietro and Heddi (as per the author herself) develops. It is the fictional narrative of her time as a student in Naples. Pietro and Heddi come from different sides of the track – he is from a seemingly poor part of the country, illiterate farming stock and she is from Washington DC.

Caffè Gambrinus gets a good look-in. A landmark coffee house, it was a literary hub in the 1800s. Degas and Goethe are both known to have frequented it. It will certainly be on my list to visit when I am in the city! (And a top tip from the author, Italians NEVER EVER order a Cappuccino after midday, got that? If you do, you might incur disapproving looks from the waiting staff!).

The author has a real skill for walking her characters around the backwaters and alleys of the city, observing the people who populate the city, describing their interactions and the trill of their voices. Even the paniere (baskets) being dropped from the top floors of the buildings to collect and drop off items on the ground below are so much part of the panorama. The description and the dissections of the very fabric of the buildings will enable any traveller to delve into a colourful and vibrant city via this novel of Naples.

Pietro and Heddi are students and are immediately drawn to each other. Their relationship develops and soon he takes her to meet his parents. His mother takes against her, this thin woman from across the Pond – she has in mind a local candidate who would be far better wife material, suited to her son. Much of the couple’s courtship is set against this animosity.

We know from an exchange of emails – written at a later stage – that things do not pan out well between the two of them.Yet this doesn’t marr the whole tenet of the story. It is a thoughtful ramble through life and love of two young people.

An excellent choice if you are looking for reading material and you are heading to Naples any time soon. At first I really took to the cover, bright, modern but then I realised it’s quite hard to read the title. What do you think?

[Raakel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for everyone who spent their young adult years studying (particularly humanities and languages!) and living abroad, absorbing the beauty and life of the often challenging environment, fell in love, met the traditional in laws and never quite forgot about that one person even though life went on. Heartbreakingly beautiful, haunting, raw, nostalgic and very relatable if you are the target audience. Very vivid and beautiful descriptions of life in Naples too. I will definitely never forget this book.

[Viral · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to HarperCollins for the ARC at BEA 2019, and to Heddi Goodrich for signing my copy!

There are a lot of books that are written every year. As a small time reviewer who reads a lot, I often think about a book on the follow scale: you need to buy this book RIGHT NOW; you should get this!; if you get the chance, get it from your library, but don't pay for it; ehh, I mean, if you don't have better stuff to read...; don't read this book.

This book fell into the second to last category for me.

I wanna say that Goodrich clearly has potential as a writer. Her descriptions of Naples and the Italian countryside were really nice. I felt like I was looking at a really nice painting.

The problem is, that's what the whole first 150 pages of the book felt like; staring at a pretty landscape painting. Pretty, but, not much actually happening.

The book picked up more about halfway through, and I thought the tension between Heddi and Pietro was well written. I mean, it's a classic love story of someone going to a foreign place, they fall in love with a local, but they can't be together b/c [work, cultural/family problems, different career goals].

I think this book had a tension internally. Is it a true-story romance, or a reflective memoir? It kinda switched between the two and as a result I felt like it hurt itself on both ends.

I will commend the use of the emails written months/years after the events interspersed throughout the book.

Ultimately, I read an ARC. It's possible things change before it comes out this September. But as of right now, I wouldn't really recommend this book for purchase. It just didn't stand out for me.

[Marta Marlau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se trata de una historia muy pausada, con excesivas descripciones para mi gusto.
El mensaje final me ha gustado, no dejándose llevar por lo típico o esperado.
Describe Nápoles con mucho detalle y muestra la evolución de un amor inagotable a lo largo de los años y de la vida, a fin de cuentas.
Próximamente reseña en https://rincondemarlau.blogspot.com

[Jess Tress · Rating 2 out of 5]

This whole book was a massive train wreck, but one that held my morbid attention. The literal wind that blew through the city had more screen time, and more characterization than any of Heddi's human friends. There wasn't much consideration given to the slew of roommates and relatives, beyond how their existence directly effected Heddi and Pietro's romance. There is genuine depth and emotion to (some of) the roommates, but they're largely ignored by the narrative. Presumably they lead fully fleshed out lives behind the scenes, but this is evidenced only by the faux-deep "goodbye monologue" each of them share before moving from the city and never being mentioned again.

It's hard to conceive of a novel which so thoroughly neglects character development, and which has next to no plot, but easily fills 4oo pages. Reading this book was like being trapped in a small, crumbling apartment with your narcissistic friend who does nothing but dote on her egomaniacal, macho boyfriend. It reads as a textbook: "How to isolate your peers, hyper-fixate on a mediocre man, and hit every relationship red flag along the way." So it's not great.

I could go on, but I feel weird tearing this book apart when it's at lease a little bit autobiographical. The most intriguing part of this read was trying to figure out why on Earth the author (a white American) decided to write a book in Italian, then self-translate it back to English. I still don't know how much of this was based on her actual experience living abroad, and how much of it was a heteronormative fever dream. There were some nuggets of compelling storytelling, but as a reader you have to dig extremely deep to find them, and I'm convinced that the author did not intentionally include them. I'm really struggling not to be too mean in this review, so I guess I won't say anything else.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything so utterly tiresome in my entire life. 300 pages of thinking “surely she’s finished establishing things, and the plot will take off any minute now,” and then 86 more of realizing that that is never going to happen, but since you’ve already invested so much time in reading the same trite dialogue from the same characters over and over and OVER again, and hearing about this GREAT EARTH SHAKING PASSION which is only evidenced by the male lead calling his girlfriend “baby” once every 16 words, you might as well finish the damn thing.

ETA: I forgot to mention that as someone who LOVES Naples, the most infuriating thing about this trash heap of a book is that it really gives you very little sense of the city. I finished it two days ago, and just thought “what was that annoying book I read — it was set in California, and the main character was worried about earthquakes all the time?” It was this book, which contains so little flavor of Naples that two days after finishing it, I thought it was set in Los Angeles. And honestly, it’s a trite, shitty story about a juvenile affair that could have taken place anywhere in the world without changing anything but the street names.

[Francesca Figura · Rating 5 out of 5]

PER LA RECENSIONE COMPLETA:
https://lalettricedistratta.altervist...


Ci ho messo un pò a scrivere questa recensione, effettivamente ho procrastinato sai perchè? Quando un libro mi piace tanto, ed è questo il caso, ho paura di scrivere ciò che penso semplicemente perché le parole che io posso utilizzare, le parole che sono capace di utilizzare, non riusciranno mai a trasmettere ciò he io ho provato durante la lettura, quando vedevo inesorabilmente le pagine man mano essere sempre meno.

[Emandherbooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately I could not finish this book. I could not get into it at all!

The narrative seems to just go on and on without any kind of definition, I'm not sure if i have any idea what was happening?

Unmemorable and not for me, sorry.

[Ellen Carton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heel teleurstellend boek! 'Verloren in Napels' van Heddi Goodrich is een egocentrisch en te langdradig verhaal dat absoluut niet kan tippen aan de meesterwerken van Elsa Morante of Elena Ferrante.

[Marcus Hobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It took me an age to read, and was always running slowly along, never quite giving me a good reason to stop or abandon my reading at any point.

This is a novel with two timeframes. The central character, Heddi, looks back on her time living in Naples, learning the language and attending the university. During this time she meets Pietro, and the two embark upon along and determined love affair. The second timeframe is made up of short emails from the present time. These see Heddi and Pietro no longer together, and having not been in contact for a considerable time. The short emails reveal some event which split them apart, while the longer passages from the past tell of the start of their affair and the detail of their everyday lives. Between these two dialogues we gradually learn the whole story.
My only fault with the novel is the amount of detail within the story of Heddi and Pietro. Sometimes scenes would take place and you would wonder why they were included, as they added little more to the overall narrative and didn’t take the story anywhere else.

Having said that, there were some wonderfully descriptive pieces, such as when they are travelling through the Greek Islands:
“The summer wind in the Cyclades, the meltemi, was a tireless push from the north, apparently from the Eurasian steppe. It lifted the sand and frayed the waves; it upended umbrellas and overturned water bottles. We found the wind’s single-mindedness quite comical, like that of a dog ramming his head into your leg throughout your entire dinner, in the hope that sooner or later you’ll give in.”
You certainly get a fantastic picture of Naples – both the good and the bad sides of the city. This passage, for example, leaves you in no doubt how hot and uncomfortable the city can become: “That clammy heat – afa they called it – was not just hot air but a thing. A touchable, almost corporeal entity that exhaled sulfur through the streets and dug its sticky fingers into the garbage to then stroke the nape of your neck, fondle your breasts, grope your inner thighs. There was no outrunning it. It would slip into the ground floor vasci and would crawl just as effortlessly through the window of your seventh-story bedroom, where it would slide into bed with you, on top of the origami of your sheets. In the delirious siesta, the afa panted on your neck and licked your hair and wouldn’t let you sleep.”
And one final piece of description about Naples that I loved: “There was not a single tree in the Spanish Quarter, nor much sunlight, with which to judge the change of seasons. To see the transformations taking place you had to look at the fruit stands; at the melons magically changing into pumpkins, the plums into persimmons. You could see it in the housewives inside their vasci: no longer wooden clogs and light pastel dresses but lined slippers and formless cardigans in earth tones.”

Heddi Goodrich first wrote this novel in Italian, having lived in Naples for ten years. She then translated it from Italian into English, her love letter to Naples based on her own experiences.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from HarperVia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lost in the Spanish Quarter is not your typical love story. It’s a story of the enduring, lasting pain that comes from loving someone, or some place, deeply and unconditionally.

Goodrich writes with passion and a deep understanding of language that transcends story telling. (The fact that she wrote this book first in Italian then translated it into English hung with me the entire time I read this book.) She transports you into the story—the story she very much lived herself— without making you feel like you’re losing yourself. In fact, it is so easy to see yourself in Heddi that I often found myself laughing at her internal dialogue thinking, “I have been there, done that!” Her characters are raw, with no pretenses and no ulterior motive to gloss over the hardships of life, love and family.

Heddi’s story begins with her unwavering love of Naples, second only to language. Immediately, you’re transported to the contentious city that baffles tourists and natives alike. You feel the frustration, the smog, the heat. All of this is no bother to Heddi, as her infatuation blinds her— sometimes to a fault. It seems that Naples and words would be her only love, until Pietro offers a gift to her in the hopes of forming a connection.

The gift turns into a lifetime of love, lust and longing between the two. The two battle familial acceptance, tradition diverging with modernity, slumlords, dissertations, money, health and distance. Their relationship is believable and relevant, and anyone who has loved will see themselves in these characters.

Goodrich exquisitely weaves Heddi’s story in Naples with exchanged “present day” letters between Heddi and Pietro, detailing their lives and dedication to one another. The letters are open, heart wrenching and make you question your devotion to Heddi and Pietro’s relationship, or if either of them was truly the “good guy” in the relationship.

Goodrich’s novel is one that completely swept me away. It is full of beautiful prose, history, linguistics and romance without being heavy. I truly cannot overstate how beautiful this book is. If you love exquisitely written stories that refuse to provide a conventional ending, then this book is for you.

[Verena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seit ihrem 16. Lebensjahr lebt die Amerikanerin Heddi in Italien, in den 90ern studiert sie Linguistik in Neapel. Dort trifft sie den Geologiestudenten Pietro und verliebt sich. Pietro stammt aus sehr einfachen, ländlichen Verhältnissen, Heddi hingegen fühlt sich oft heimatlos, wie eine Nomadin. Der Titel des italienischen Originals ist „Perduti nei Quartieri Spagnoli“, was so viel heißt wie „Verloren im Spanischen Viertel“ und so fühlt man sich als Leser auch. Die endlosen, bildreichen Beschreibungen des labyrinthartigen Viertels nehmen einen sehr großen Teil des ohnehin mindestens 200 Seiten zu langen Buches ein. Hinzu kommt, dass ich die Liebe der beiden Protagonistin – die ja eigentlich das zentrale Thema ist – nicht nachvollziehen konnte. Plötzlich ist Pietro da und schon ist Heddi verliebt, beinahe obsessiv, es gibt keine Entwicklung. Außerdem sind beide Figuren äußerst unsympathisch (wie autobiografisch der Roman ist, konnte ich leider nirgends finden). Auf über 500 Seiten passiert eigentlich nicht viel. Die Protagonisten laufen von einer WG zur nächsten, kochen gemeinsam, philosophieren über ihre Studien und den Vesuv; immer wieder sind Heddi und Pietro auch in seinem Dorf, wo vor allem die Mutter die Freundin des Sohnes nicht ausstehen kann. Und das war’s dann auch schon. Zwischen den einzelnen Kapitel taucht immer wieder E-Mail-Verkehr von Heddi und Pietro Jahre später auf, nachdem sie sich traumatisch trennten. Diese Mails sind tatsächlich der interessanteste Teil des Romans (wahrscheinlich der Grund, warum er für Fans von Daniel Glattauer beworben wird), aber sind im Vergleich zur restlichen Erzählung nur ein Bruchteil der Geschichte. Leider tauchen auch einige grammatikalische Fehler und teils sogar falsche Namen auf – ein besseres Lektorat hätte dem Roman sicher gut getan, auch inhaltlich. Zum Beispiel ist der Konflikt, dass Pietro sich nicht von seinen Eltern emanzipieren kann und dem Druck der Tradition nachgibt, statt ein unabhängiges Leben mit Heddi zu haben, ein äußert interessanter. Aber er bleibt schemenhaft und unreflektiert. Schade, ich hatte mich sehr auf „Eine Liebe in Neapel“ gefreut, wurde aber leider enttäuscht.

[Catalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Umm I don't really know how I feel about this novel. Probably my main issues with it is that it was way too long, almost endless. On and on and on it went, I've struggled a lot to finish the last 20%. Too much was stuffed in that was unnecessary which in turned prolonged the experience enough to make it insufferable and overpower any other feelings I've experienced while reading it. Secondly: I wasn't very fond of the theme: young, confused, whirlwind first love: she was in love with Luca(and he was returning those feelings, but maybe wasn't very sure of himself, and then it was just too late!), but next thing you know she's with Pietro, a stranger. I guess she was fascinated by his magnetism so much like Luca's...But confusion was pretty much present: at least twice she was very close to having an affair with Gabriele, who was also very much fancying himself in love with her and if Luca would have had the courage to do something(upon his return from Greece) I am very sure she wouldn't have been able to resist! So yea....entanglements so worthy of their age that I don't really want to read about :D

But, but the writing. Gosh was the writing gorgeous or what?? Beautiful use of language and such vivid descriptions. The Spanish Quarter became alive before my eyes, with all its sounds and smells and maze of streets. And the melancholy she associates with Naples pervades every line and page and everything happening in the book. I loved how she presents the difference in language and how hard it is to understand at times and especially how almost impossible to explain to others. Also the cultural clash is exquisitely explored. In fact their love is pretty much an example of cultural differences, which is going to be hard to understand for an American or British audience. In fact, the huge difference between the hedonistic attitude of western parents who push their children to do what they love and the "family/duty comes first" belief of a rural Italian family is the core of the problems Hedda and Pietro face throughout the novel.

[Georgiana Gligor · Rating 1 out of 5]

When a book tells you "Leave your Elena Ferrante at home..."... Well, that's one bold statement! I have followed this book by Heddi Goodrich ever since it was published in Italy. It's about an American exchange student living in the Spanish Quarter of Naples. She learns Italian out of love and publishes this in Italian directly. This book is a love child, how could everything go wrong?

Heddi is/was a student of Oriental Studies, you expect pearly writing, pointy observations of the Quarter, that 'fly on the wall' effect, at least something about her life. Jhumpa Lahiri did it with some success with her book.

But this writing is childish and repetitive. You could sum the whole novel up to some effect in 50-70 pages. But at least you would take out all the bits that seem put there only to lenghten the novel, not improve the story. We have almost no history, no 'nonnas', no viable intrigues ('i'm dating your crush' 'oh, ok'), nuffin' 😅. 🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
I should have known better than trust the packaging. This was awful. Characters are shallow, no matter how much you stir the narration. Dialogue is weak, the so called passionate love story seems written by me, before reciprocated love or intercourse. Scenes blend poorly with each other. Her friends lack backstories. Maybe Pietro, the 'beautiful in an ugly way' beau has some spice, being from the countryside and all, but otherwise... we don't know anyone or anything here.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
Safe to say i'll return this bad mess, as I read it via Amazon Unlimited. I did not go past the 25% mark, as it seemed a waste of my energy. Keep your Elena Ferrante, kids, don't fall for her oportunistic copycats!
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

[Marta Folgarait · Rating 5 out of 5]

Con questo romanzo mi è sembrato di tornare indietro nel tempo, alla spensieratezza della gioventù con i suoi amori e le sue pazzie. Un finale particolare ma che mi è piaciuto, forse l'unico modo per terminare questa storia ed aprire le porte a nuove emozioni

[Marie (UK) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is Goodrich's debut novel and seems at least to be Semi autobiographical or else she has simplybeen precocious enough to name her MC after herself. She does create a really good image of Naples, its architecture and its residents Told in both narrative and epistolary emails the latter did at least break up the ennui of the former.

It is said that novels that create strong reactions are those that you remember for a long time. This may be true but not necessarily for the right reasons. This novel is like being in your flat listening to someone upstairs playing the same record for the nth time - a record you don't hat but don't particularly like either. The narrative is repetitive over and over Heddi is let down by the inability of Pietre to commit, to break away from his family, to actually do something. The characters are lifeless and unlikeable. I find little in the novel to make me think i would read something else from this author.

[Stefania · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Perduti nei quartieri spagnoli" di Heddi Goodrich mi è piaciuto tanto, inizialmente sembra che narri di una storia d'amore appassionata, invece ce ne sono due di storie: quella tra la protagonista e un ragazzo di nome Pietro e quella tra lei e Napoli. Ho sottolineato molte frasi che mi hanno fatto venire i brividi, perché le parole dell'autrice sulla città non sono mai ipocrite, né finte bensì profondamente autentiche e testimoniano quanto Heddi Goodrich nel periodo vissuto a Napoli abbia capito a pieno questo luogo, che é diventato parte di lei.