The Lost Daughter

Great book about the pressures of motherhood.

This book made room for me and, though it was disturbing and sometimes confusing, I enjoyed it. Wish I'd read it before I saw the movie as I think the movie really got in the way.

Maybe it's a “me” problem, but I hate reading about parenting and affairs.

The film follows the book closely. The book gets into the head of the central character and provides insight that the film misses.

This was one of those books that I was largely indifferent to until right at the very end, when the writer threw me a curveball that I hadn't seen coming and suddenly I thought, “Oh! Clever!” and felt a little stupid at my lack of insight. Truthfully, I would have seen it coming if the book had been more engrossing initially.

Many thanks to Europa Editions who provided me with this free review copy.

I had so many expectations about Elena Ferrante. I must be really weird, because I really didn't enjoy anything. Ok, a very small part of the crazy relationship between the narrator and her family and how she projected it into the beach goers, but jeez. Is that it???

The doll is to me her lost daughter, and the distance she puts between herself and any vulnerability is just sad.