Most of the time I was reading this, I was wondering how it could be interpreted on film. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie version, but Elena Ferrante's work is so much in the heart and the mind, a lot happens in these stories without much actual action. In this case, Leda takes herself on a vacation from her academic career, and ends up getting entwined with a Neapolitan family who she meets on the beach. Mother Nina and daughter Elena, and Elena's doll (who has many names), along with Nina's sister-in-law Rosaria and Rosaria's husband. There are also some locals who work at establishments along the beach, and the man who rents Leda her vacation apartment. All of them play a part in an accidental deception that grows into a deep reflection on Leda's life, and particularly her relationship with her grown daughters (who she had abandoned for a time, when they were young). Ferrante's protagonists are complicated women, neither completely likeable nor totally abhorrent -- pretty much like almost any person you'd meet in real life. I'm always astounded by her ability to delve so deeply into people's psyches, to take apart the smallest impulses, to reveal every flaw and strength, and this slim volume is no exception. I thought I'd get through it quickly, but her prose demands you read every word, and there's no skimming over anything. And it all stays with me. ( )

Che delusione questo libro...abituata troppo bene con la Ferrante. Sempre degna di nota la sua scrittura, molto incisiva, ma la storia proprio non mi è piaciuta ( )

Such a powerful story about a mother who struggles between her career and the duty to her children. No one is a better writer than Ferrante at peering into the human heart. ( )

I picked this up after seeing the recent film adaptation on TV. I found the film to be very true to the book.

Leda is a 47 year old divorced professor enjoying a stay in a seaside resort town, some work, mostly relaxation. She spends her days sunning on the beach, where she observes the actions and interactions of a large extended family also vacationing in the town. She is particularly interested in the interactions of a young mother (who she later comes to know as Nina) with her toddler daughter. Watching them leads her to meditate on her own life as a mother raising her now two grown daughters.

One day Nina's little girl loses her doll and is inconsolable. The whole beach is searching for the doll, including Leda. When Leda finds the doll, inexplicably instead of returning it she stuffs it in her bag and takes it home with her.

One of the reasons I picked up the book after watching the film was that I wanted to see if there was anything explanation as to why Leda did this. However, after reading the book, I remain as puzzled as ever as to why Leda did this.

I've never read Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend series which is highly praised on LT and elsewhere, so I have no idea how this book compares to her other writing. It is short, competently written, and is mostly a meditation on the conflicts and guilt many mothers feel as they attempt to balance the demands of child-rearing with other aspects of their lives. I found it a decent read, but not particularly outstanding. ( )

It was just ok. The lady went to the beach and kind of analyzed everyone which made her think if her own life. It was a shorter book or I’m not sure I could have held on much longer. Not the best but some parts were interesting. ( )