Natalia Ginzburg

The Complete Short Stories of Natalia Ginzburg

i first learned of natalia ginzburg because of my world literature class this past spring semester. we had to read “the mother” and it moved me in not so obvious ways, and i can’t explain it now months after i first read it, but it did. 

so i wrote my midterm paper on the short story and my professor liked what i had written in my rough draft, so much so that he gave me a copy of this book. i am forever touched and grateful for this simple yet huge act of kindness.

when i became enraptured when i first read “the mother,” and as i did research for my paper, i read more into natalia ginzburg and her style and themes of her stories. if i had not done that, i don’t think i would feel how whimsy her short stories and writings are. they’re all a bit messed up, its true, but i don’t know, the way she wrote about these complicated relationships felt unreal and just over exaggerated stories told on the dinner table by obnoxious friends, even though i know they could be found in real life. 

all that to say, i still really need to read more about ginzburg for her own beliefs and standpoint kind of contradicts with my own, i think? nonetheless, i enjoyed the pains of this collection and would like to read more of her work too.

i first learned of natalia ginzburg because of my world literature class this past spring semester. we had to read “the mother” and it moved me in not so obvious ways, and i can’t explain it now months after i first read it, but it did. 

so i wrote my midterm paper on the short story and my professor liked what i had written in my rough draft, so much so that he gave me a copy of this book. i am forever touched and grateful for this simple yet huge act of kindness.

when i became enraptured when i first read “the mother,” and as i did research for my paper, i read more into natalia ginzburg and her style and themes of her stories. if i had not done that, i don’t think i would feel how whimsy her short stories and writings are. they’re all a bit messed up, its true, but i don’t know, the way she wrote about these complicated relationships felt unreal and just over exaggerated stories told on the dinner table by obnoxious friends, even though i know they could be found in real life. 

all that to say, i still really need to read more about ginzburg for her own beliefs and standpoint kind of contradicts with my own, i think? nonetheless, i enjoyed the pains of this collection and would like to read more of her work too.

y✦

✦ far-from-perfect families
✦ not one happy character in this collection
✦ read this as an intro to her more notable novels 🔜

The Complete Short Stories of Natalia Ginzburg

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