What I'm Reading: 'My Brilliant Friend' by Elena Ferrante

March 9, 2015 Natalie Morath

I almost hate posting the above photo of the English edition cover of the first volume in the Neapolitan novels trilogy, because it motivated me to start reading e-books on my Kindle. It is a truly hideous book and proof of the adage that you cannot judge a book by the cover (but as an aside -- there is nothing wrong with a beautiful book, and whenever possible, isn't is preferable?).

My Brilliant Friend has the dubious honor of having re-energized my reading and getting me out of a bit of a slump, along with preventing my reading War and Peace very quickly. Elena Ferrante's trilogy about a lifelong friendship between two women has been on my radar for quite some time -- James Wood at The New Yorker is a huge advocate and the author has gotten a lot of buzz lately for being famously reclusive. Her identify is somewhat shrouded, causing the Italian press to speculate that 'Elena Ferrante' is the pen-name of a more established (male) Italian author. This is unfair and seems almost certainly untrue.

I've never read a better characterization of female friendship and more and more I'm realizing how much I enjoy books that explore this relationship. Maybe it's because I've been happily married for five years, but generally books that focus on romantic relationship don't do much for me -- they either focus on passionate and tempestuous relationships that are doomed, or on the numbness of prolonged monogamy, neither of which mean anything to me. But at this point in my life, relationships between women seem like the most dynamic and engaging, and as a reader it's what I'm drawn to.

Books on Books: 'How Fiction Works' by James Wood

January 27, 2015 Natalie Morath

I have already espoused my love of James Wood but I was recently re-invigorated by (as usual) the New Yorker OutLoud podcast; I had been saving two juicy James Wood episodes on Elena Ferrante and Hilary Mantel that I finally got around to listening to, and they were as good as ever. If you have even an inkling of interest in either of those two writers, I recommend listening, and even if you don't, I recommend James Wood's 'How Fiction Works' which is essential reading for anyone who reads (see what I did there?). Wood is the ultimate literary critic in that he can simultaneously establish his expertise while he very deftly teaches the reader and the non-expert how to see what he sees in an author's work, and he does so with his own distinctly brilliant prose. He has the authority to tell you how fiction works because he writes as well as he reads. I assure you this volume will not feel like homework, but will instead only serve to enhance your appreciation for the books you already enjoy.

Books on Books: 'The Fun Stuff' by James Wood

August 13, 2014 Natalie Morath

James Wood is a bit outside the scope of the blog in the midst of #ReadWomen2014, but he's married to Clare Messud, author of The Woman Upstairs so it seemed like a good time to talk about The Fun Stuff, one of several collections of literary criticism and essays he has published. Wood is a literary critic for The New Yorker and his 2008 book How Fiction Works is one many of you have probably encountered. The Fun Stuff, however, is more of a random assortment of essays and criticism, less focused than How Fiction Works, although it is largely concerned with fiction and the novel.

Shelf Hues: Blush

May 13, 2014 Natalie Morath

Editor's Note: Shelf Hues is a recurring visual post of books I'm enjoying, arranged by color. I can't organize my library this way, but it looks pretty.