The Days of Abandonment By Elena Ferrante
By Elena Ferrante
Olga's husband Mario leaves her, abandoning her, their two children, and the dog to live with a much younger woman. Olga descends into a depressive state, breaks apart, and learns how to pull herself together when her dog dies and her son becomes ill. The Days of Abandonment is about Olga's inner struggle with herself and her loss, and her feelings of being abandoned by Mario, asking herself what happened, whose fault it was, and what kind of a woman/person she is and wants to be. Olga is psychically traumatized by these events, but comes out on the other side after a deep bout of violent thoughts and actions directed both outward and inward.
This was a deep character study of a woman in turmoil, working through infidelity. It didn't hit me hard, though there were strong moments of tension. The writing was strong and at times intense, with vivid descriptions of violence that did not shirk or shy away from the filth of living and being a sexual being in a body. I appreciated the honesty in the writing. It's a solid, four-star book.
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