A novel from the author of the bestselling Genius Girlfriend series
In Elena Ferrante's second novel, as in all her later ones, the protagonist is a woman swept away by the whirlwind of her emotions and ancient memories. Olga, a writer living in Turin, who has given up her career for her family, is abandoned by her husband for seemingly no reason, leaving her drowning in doubt and false hopes of his return. At first Olga tries to live as before and to remain calm at all times, but the memory of her childhood in Naples, of a woman abandoned by a man she calls "Poor Woman", keeps creeping into her mind. She doesn't want to be like her at any cost, but as the reasons for her husband's departure are revealed, she falls deeper and deeper into despair, depression and inability to take care of her family. Elena Ferrante was able to portray her heroine's descent to the bottom with urgent intensity, detailing the profound fluctuations between apparent inner calm and hysteria that accompanied Olga's transformation from an addict into an independent being.
The book was made into a film by Italian director Roberto Faenza. One of the main roles was played by the well-known and successful musician Goran Bregovic.
Elena Ferrante is the pseudonym of a writer (or a writer? ) from Naples. No one knows her true identity, although there is much speculation about her. Elena Ferrante doesn't go for prizes either, which she has won several for her work.
