In the Margins

Probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

I just picked this up on a whim because I've been hearing about the author a lot, but I really don't have much place on my tbr for more fiction novels. So I wanted to give the short nonfiction one a try and I also found the audiobook.

While I feel one can appreciate this book more if one has already read any of the author's previous books, I still liked this one. It's the author's journey told in 3 lectures and an essay about when she realized she wanted to become a writer, who influenced her since childhood, how difficult it was for her to find her own voice because all she could find was male author's works, and her struggles with writing once she started. It felt like a really unique and rare dive into the process of a legendary writer.

Maybe I should read a couple of the author's works and then revisit this one to better understand and appreciate it more.

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I had never heard of Elena Ferrante before reading this collection of essays, but I now want to read everything she's ever written. Her ability to tie together ideas, however seemingly unrelated, is almost magical, though you still get the sense that a tremendous amount of work has been put in to achieving this level of ability.

There are three essays in this collection, brief enough to finish reading within an hour but filled with enough wisdom to return to again and again.

I'd recommend this to anyone interested in writing, reading, or learning in general.