I’d been meaning to pick up a Ginzburg book for a while, and finally bit the bullet when I saw someone comparing her with Elena Ferrante. That said I don’t find this book comparable to any of Ferrante’s in that they’re just different modes of storytelling. 

I enjoyed this book a lot—it was an easy read and if you have the time, can definitely be finished in a few hours. The epistolary style is striking in that people just don’t address each other in this way anymore—the formality, saying as much as you can or feel is appropriate, knowing your words won’t reach them for a few days at least. All in language that is unsparing and wrought with meaning and emotion. I haven’t read many epistolary novels, but it certainly adds a nice layer to the storytelling. 

Another thing I’d like to point out is the utter banality of life that this novel exudes, with the exception of what happens to Michele at the end. I think this is further emphasized by the epistolary style—how some characters may be doing nothing but waiting for letters to come in (specifically Adriana), and then dealing with grief and the motions of simply surviving and existing together and as individuals. The language is simple and to the point, but there’s much that can be read between the lines.