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What Members Thought
Two girls, both clever, both poor, grow up together in Naples, Italy, amid chaotic family situations, with neighbors who deal with problems by using violence. The two girls become friends, very close at times, sometimes estranged, but eventually becoming close again. The two find ways to go to school even when their parents want to dissuade them from doing so. Both girls learn ways to handle boys they don't like who like them as well as boys they like who don't like them.
The stories feel very, ...more
The stories feel very, ...more
Beautifully written - I do like her writing style a lot - but there was not a whole lot of plot. This reads like a memoir about a friendship between two young girls as they grow up in 1950's era Naples, Italy. I appreciated the information about what life for a poor family in Naples might have been like in those years. In general, I love to know about how people in other cultures live.
There are numerous scenes or mentions of violence, often between the young men of the area as they attempt to ke ...more
There are numerous scenes or mentions of violence, often between the young men of the area as they attempt to ke ...more
Love her writing but don't love how it makes me feel. This portrait of a time in history and the relationship between friends, who are somewhat trapped in their worlds, is delightful and disturbing. Made me want to yell and scream and laugh and cry. Ferrante has a way of showing us darkness and light in the human condition. It isn't always balanced and it is filled with aggression, anger, helplessness and more. I think I'll be contemplating this series for a long time.
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Another world
I love reading about other cultures. This book opened up the small life of a girl in Naples who may-or-may-not be trying to break out of her lot in life.
It is starkingly written and honest. The crisp narrative drew me in and had me wanting to read more...on to book two in the Series....
I love reading about other cultures. This book opened up the small life of a girl in Naples who may-or-may-not be trying to break out of her lot in life.
It is starkingly written and honest. The crisp narrative drew me in and had me wanting to read more...on to book two in the Series....
Feb 09, 2017
Mary Paul
marked it as to-read
Dec 13, 2017
marianne
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
chez-moi,
friend-recs
Jun 20, 2018
Suzanne
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
italian-lit
Nov 20, 2018
Ginny
marked it as to-read
Aug 18, 2021
Jurate Stanaityte
marked it as to-read
