Thank you for sharing this. Fabulously written and really insightful into the Italian perception of Ferrante - I had perhaps wrongly assumed she would be regarded as a national treasure but the explanation of being too raw resonates. When confronted with the dark parts of ourselves, our culture, countries and histories it is often too easy to turn away.
Thank you so much for the kind words and apologies for my delayed response! Yes, I think Elena Ferrante is a fascinating case study, and it's, of course, hard to really quantify how popular she is with Italians and what the reasons for that may or may not be. But I do think there's some aspect of looking too closely in the mirror.
Originally from the U.S., I now live in Italy and am even raising a daughter here. My experiences have been a mixed bag, to be honest, and I can’t fully compare them to what Italian women face, as I may be treated differently simply because I’m a foreigner.
That said, these are observations I take seriously for the sake of my daughter’s future as a woman in this world. I won’t deny that I’ve had moments where men spoke only to my husband, completely ignoring my presence. But at the same time, our town sets a strong example for women - our head doctors are all female, many business owners are women, and even our mayor is a woman!
For that, I’m grateful. These are signs of change.
I really enjoyed this, thank you. I've a sweet spot for Ferrante, Ginzburg and most recently De Céspedes. I do agree that 'they seem to be much closer to living in the spiky reality of female psyche'. Maybe that's what I love so much about their novels.
So interesting. And thank you for introducing me to De Cespedes. This quote is everything, wow:
“Because every time we fall in the well we descend to the deepest roots of our being human, and in returning to the surface we carry inside us the kinds of experiences that allow us to understand everything that men—who will never fall into the well—will never understand,” she writes. “…Because not even youth grants women the confidence that men so often possess, and that is only ignorance of the true human condition.”
Thank you, what a lovely piece of writing and so much information- and so many book recommendations! And the Ginzburg quote about women and melancholy, priceless!
I've been in Italy for a decade now and love to talk books so I've brought up Ferrante in conversation many times over the years. Most people I have met have not read her and have no interest in reading her books. However I also know someone who is a translator of English language novels into Italian and has many connections in Italian the publishing industry, and this person has a profound dislike for Elena Ferrante and swears that Ferrante's real identity is a man, or at the very least a married couple. I looked into this and there were some Italian articles years ago that "outed" this person, but there was no concrete proof nor an admission. Now I have read Elena Ferrante in Italian and I have read Italian male authors. There's no way. I don't believe it for a second. Also I believe that her English language translator did confirm that she was a woman, but I could be remembering incorrectly. However, I do find it curious that not one Italian I have met has had a positive opinion of her and her work.
To me (an Italian) Ferrante writes women the way Tennessee Williams did! I read both, the former in Italian and the latter in English and there’s something so aligned…
Loved reading this. Elena Ferrante helped me acclimate to life here in Naples. I’ve experienced the exact same situations that she writes about in her books despite the large gap in time difference. It’s very accurate.
This is wonderful.
It’s like if you ask Romans about “La Grande Bellezza” most of them will say they did not like the film. I refer to it as a documentary.
What a fascinating piece - thank you
Thank you for reading! :)
What a fabulous and perceptive piece.
This is beautiful Elizabeth.
Thank you for sharing this. Fabulously written and really insightful into the Italian perception of Ferrante - I had perhaps wrongly assumed she would be regarded as a national treasure but the explanation of being too raw resonates. When confronted with the dark parts of ourselves, our culture, countries and histories it is often too easy to turn away.
Thank you so much for the kind words and apologies for my delayed response! Yes, I think Elena Ferrante is a fascinating case study, and it's, of course, hard to really quantify how popular she is with Italians and what the reasons for that may or may not be. But I do think there's some aspect of looking too closely in the mirror.
Originally from the U.S., I now live in Italy and am even raising a daughter here. My experiences have been a mixed bag, to be honest, and I can’t fully compare them to what Italian women face, as I may be treated differently simply because I’m a foreigner.
That said, these are observations I take seriously for the sake of my daughter’s future as a woman in this world. I won’t deny that I’ve had moments where men spoke only to my husband, completely ignoring my presence. But at the same time, our town sets a strong example for women - our head doctors are all female, many business owners are women, and even our mayor is a woman!
For that, I’m grateful. These are signs of change.
I really enjoyed this, thank you. I've a sweet spot for Ferrante, Ginzburg and most recently De Céspedes. I do agree that 'they seem to be much closer to living in the spiky reality of female psyche'. Maybe that's what I love so much about their novels.
So interesting. And thank you for introducing me to De Cespedes. This quote is everything, wow:
“Because every time we fall in the well we descend to the deepest roots of our being human, and in returning to the surface we carry inside us the kinds of experiences that allow us to understand everything that men—who will never fall into the well—will never understand,” she writes. “…Because not even youth grants women the confidence that men so often possess, and that is only ignorance of the true human condition.”
Excellent piece, Elizabeth! Well researched, well written, and moving.
Wow. I loved Ferrante's novels but never considered how they're received by Italians and why. Thank you for writing this, very interesting.
Thank you, what a lovely piece of writing and so much information- and so many book recommendations! And the Ginzburg quote about women and melancholy, priceless!
I grew up in Italy and hated being a woman there, I feel blessed to have had the privilege to leave!
I've been in Italy for a decade now and love to talk books so I've brought up Ferrante in conversation many times over the years. Most people I have met have not read her and have no interest in reading her books. However I also know someone who is a translator of English language novels into Italian and has many connections in Italian the publishing industry, and this person has a profound dislike for Elena Ferrante and swears that Ferrante's real identity is a man, or at the very least a married couple. I looked into this and there were some Italian articles years ago that "outed" this person, but there was no concrete proof nor an admission. Now I have read Elena Ferrante in Italian and I have read Italian male authors. There's no way. I don't believe it for a second. Also I believe that her English language translator did confirm that she was a woman, but I could be remembering incorrectly. However, I do find it curious that not one Italian I have met has had a positive opinion of her and her work.
To me (an Italian) Ferrante writes women the way Tennessee Williams did! I read both, the former in Italian and the latter in English and there’s something so aligned…
Loved reading this. Elena Ferrante helped me acclimate to life here in Naples. I’ve experienced the exact same situations that she writes about in her books despite the large gap in time difference. It’s very accurate.
Well done 👍🏻