High and Dry - Primo amore - Banana Yoshimoto

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What does Banana Yoshimoto's book talk about? - asked the man, seeing her last book, High and Dry - Primo Amore on my nightstand.
I had to think for some seconds, then I replied - relationships.
And it's not only relationships between a man and a woman - which are important, and apparently the main topic of this novel. There is the relationship between the main character, a 14 years old girl, and her mom. Between her and her dad, who is always away from home for work.
Then the relationship between her parents, between her "boyfriend" and his mom.
And above all, the relationship between people and the magic element that surrounds us.

I really liked this novel. There is this underlying sweetness which is typical of most of Yoshimoto's novels. And the feeling that no matter what everything will be fine, and anything that happens is a chance to grow up.

Di cosa parla Banana Yoshimoto? - mi ha chiesto lui, vedendo il suo ultimo libro, High and Dry, Primo amore, sul mio comodino.
Ho dovuto pensarci per qualche secondo, poi ho risposto - rapporti.
Non solo rapporti tra un uomo e una donna - che sì sono importanti, e apparentemente l'aspetto principale di questo romanzo. C'è il rapporto tra la protagonista, una ragazzina di 14 anni, e sua madre.
Tra lei e suo padre, sempre via per lavoro.
Poi il rapporto tra i suoi genitori, tra il suo "fidanzato" e la sua mamma.
E soprattutto, il rapporto tra le persone e la magia che ci circonda.

Questo racconto mi è piaciuto veramente. C'è una dolcezza di fondo, tipica i molti racconti della Yoshimoto. E la sensazione che qualunque cosa accada andrà tutto bene, e tutto ciò che succede è un'occasione per crescere.

Eat, pray, love - Elizabeth Gilbert.

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I finally caved in, bought this book (in english) and read it.

I have to say - it was not an easy reading. And not because the language was difficoult (it's actually very easy to read from the language point of view - it's a nice, colloquial english). But because it costed me a lot of effort to identify in the main character, who happens to be the writer. 

I know, she is talking of her own experience, not mine. But she is doing things so differently that I'd have done, that at the beginning I wasn't able to read more than few pages at the time.

I especially loathed the part about Rome. Not because she says anything wrong or bad about Rome or Italy. She actually makes smart and educated observations. It's just that for a native it's extremely difficoult to hear a foreigner talking about his/her homeland.

But I got over it and went on with my reading.

And at the end, I liked the book. I like that the author is not afraid to show her weaknesses. That she meets so many helpful persons along her way. That she experiences pleasure then ascetism then finds balance between the two. That at the end she learns a bit more to let go. And that she concludes the voice that came to her at the beginning, and prompted her to do something (which in that specific case was just to go to bed), was her own voice. Meaning, she had all the wisdom she needed from the beginning, even though it took an year of travelling to recognize it.

I learned quite a lot from the book, aside from the story. I have never been too interested to eastern cultures, mainly out of lazyness. And it seems to me the author does a good job in helping us approach them without making them hostile.

At the end, yes, I'd suggest/give it to a friend.

Io e Te - Niccolò Ammaniti

This is such a different novel from Ammaniti’s previous one – Che La Festa Cominci.

It’s a more intimistic, melancholic story. It starts with a potentially funny premise: an adolescent who never fitted in with the other boys his age, neither wanted to, from a good (rich-ish) family tells his parents he’s going skying with the cool gang in school, but instead hides in the cellar, where he had set everything up for a week’s stay. But something happens, someone asks for his help, and he has to re-evaluate all of his opinions on life, family, fitting in.

I don’t want to reveal more, because it’s such a beautiful little novel that I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. It’s well worth reading it.



Questo è un romanzo così diverso dal precedente dello stesso Ammaniti – Che La Festa Cominci.

E’ una storia più intima e melanconica. L’incipit fa pensare ad uno sviluppo divertente: un adolescente, che non si è mai integrato con i suoi compagni – né lo ha mai voluto – di buona famiglia, dice ai genitori che sta partendo per la settimana bianca con alcuni suoi compagni un po’ “fighetti”, ma in realtà si nasconde nella cantina, preparata con tutto l’occorrente per l’occasione. Ma qualcosa succede, qualcuno gli chiede aiuto, e il protagonista dovrà rivedere le sue convinzioni a proposito di vita, famiglia, dell’integrarsi.

Non voglio svelare di più, perché è un racconto così bello che non ho voglia di rovinarlo. Merita decisamente di essere letto.

Juliet, Naked - Nick Hornby

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It is the story of a British couple who has been together for years, probably out of laziness. It’s the story of a singer who was once famous, then decided to stop singing, and years later is trying to figure out where his life has gone, and how to make something out of the time he still has to live.

The two stories intersect, and what comes out is a funny and witty novel. I liked the fact that every character (even the minor ones) is so well described, that one cannot like a little each of them (even supponent Duncan), that it talks about music, about life, about purpose, without becoming philosophical.

It is probably the book I enjoyed the most from Hornby. It goes on lightly, but makes you think.