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Teresa's Reviews > The Story of a New Name
The Story of a New Name (Neapolitan Novels, #2)
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This Europa editions' cover is silly, even more unsuitable than the cover of the first book of the series. Ferrante's focus is not on romance at all -- there is nothing romantic about the desperate, grasping lives these people lead -- her scope is epic: social and political.
In my review of My Brilliant Friend I noted that flight was not yet an option for the girls. Even if it becomes so, the impossibility of fleeing your origins hovers over them in this installment. While reading one section, I was reminded of the 1997 movie The Boxer (starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Emily Watson) with its masculine code-of-"honor" within its own working-class neighborhood, a code that uses beatings to terrorize its own.
As with the first novel, the ending arrives abruptly. With both books, there are several blank pages following the end: a trick so you won't slow down as I might've, not wanting to get to the end yet; or a reminder that there's more to come?
I'm not sure I will get to the third book as quickly as I did this, as the translated fourth--and last--is not due here until September, forcing me to pace myself.
*
Added July 14, 2016:
I just came across this article about the intentional 'badness' of the covers. (That hadn't even crossed my mind.)
'Ferrante’s publisher even expressed concern to Slate that “many people didn’t understand the game we we’re playing, that of, let’s say, dressing an extremely refined story with a touch of vulgarity.� Certainly, readers aren’t required to enjoy the cloying sensibility of the images just because they’re intentionally bad, and because Ferrante herself chose them.'
In my review of My Brilliant Friend I noted that flight was not yet an option for the girls. Even if it becomes so, the impossibility of fleeing your origins hovers over them in this installment. While reading one section, I was reminded of the 1997 movie The Boxer (starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Emily Watson) with its masculine code-of-"honor" within its own working-class neighborhood, a code that uses beatings to terrorize its own.
As with the first novel, the ending arrives abruptly. With both books, there are several blank pages following the end: a trick so you won't slow down as I might've, not wanting to get to the end yet; or a reminder that there's more to come?
I'm not sure I will get to the third book as quickly as I did this, as the translated fourth--and last--is not due here until September, forcing me to pace myself.
*
Added July 14, 2016:
I just came across this article about the intentional 'badness' of the covers. (That hadn't even crossed my mind.)
'Ferrante’s publisher even expressed concern to Slate that “many people didn’t understand the game we we’re playing, that of, let’s say, dressing an extremely refined story with a touch of vulgarity.� Certainly, readers aren’t required to enjoy the cloying sensibility of the images just because they’re intentionally bad, and because Ferrante herself chose them.'
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The Story of a New Name.
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Reading Progress
March 11, 2015
– Shelved
March 11, 2015
–
12.1%
"'"Because I've had it, it's always the same story: inside something small there's something even smaller that wants to leap out, and outside something large there's always something larger that wants to keep it a prisoner. I'm going to cook."'"
page
57
March 16, 2015
–
71.55%
""Thus the story of the facts has to reckon with filters, deferments, partial truths, half lies: from it comes an arduous measurement of time passed that is based completely on the unreliable measuring device of words.""
page
337
March 16, 2015
–
80.89%
"“The title is Ulysses."
“Is it about the Odyssey?�
“No, it’s about how prosaic life is today.�
“And so?�
“That’s all. It says that our heads are full of nonsense. That we are flesh, blood, and bone. That one person has the same value as another. That we want only to eat, drink, f**k.�
...
"Don't read books that you can't understand, it's bad for you."
"A lot of things are bad for you.""
page
381
“Is it about the Odyssey?�
“No, it’s about how prosaic life is today.�
“And so?�
“That’s all. It says that our heads are full of nonsense. That we are flesh, blood, and bone. That one person has the same value as another. That we want only to eat, drink, f**k.�
...
"Don't read books that you can't understand, it's bad for you."
"A lot of things are bad for you.""
Started Reading
March 17, 2015
–
Finished Reading
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I'm probably mistaken in my theory about them, Fionnuala, but it does seem as if there are more than the 'usual' number of them in this and the preceding volume. And I don't remember them there at all in Ferrante's standalones, which were also Europa editions. Thank you.
Maybe that couple on the cover are hanging on to each other for dear life. It looks more needy than romantic to me.
·°²¹°ù±ð²Ô· wrote: "Maybe that couple on the cover are hanging on to each other for dear life. It looks more needy than romantic to me."Maybe so, but even that doesn't really fit with what's inside the book, I don't think -- which is my main complaint. Plus I know we only see them from the back, but they seem too old for the characters' ages in this volume -- though it is true that some of the characters are probably aging more than their chronological age would indicate.
Not commenting on the appropriateness of the covers, but I did hear on a podcast the other day the the covers Europa uses are the same as the Italian editions.
Tom wrote: "Not commenting on the appropriateness of the covers, but I did hear on a podcast the other day the the covers Europa uses are the same as the Italian editions."That's good to know. Thanks, Tom.
I wrote my review before I read your review, so I was somewhat relieved that I am not alone in my thinking that the book covers are inappropriate. I appreciate the rest of your review, too.
Karen wrote: "I wrote my review before I read your review, so I was somewhat relieved that I am not alone in my thinking that the book covers are inappropriate. I appreciate the rest of your review, too."
Thank you so much, Karen, for taking the time to let me know.
Agreed on inappropriateness of the covers.
Merilee wrote: "Agreed on inappropriateness of the covers."Worst thing about the novels! ;)
I just came across this article about the intentional 'badness' of the covers. (That hadn't even crossed my mind.)'Ferrante’s publisher even expressed concern to Slate that “many people didn’t understand the game we we’re playing, that of, let’s say, dressing an extremely refined story with a touch of vulgarity.� Certainly, readers aren’t required to enjoy the cloying sensibility of the images just because they’re intentionally bad, and because Ferrante herself chose them.'
I just finished both part 1 and 2, and in addition to the inappropriateness of the covers I also have doubts about the translation of the title for the second novel. Why the story of the new name? I might have missed something, but I can't think of a new name... New social circumstances brought about by the publication of a novel? I noticed that the title of the original is my brilliant friend part 2. Any thoughts?,
Mag wrote: "I just finished both part 1 and 2, and in addition to the inappropriateness of the covers I also have doubts about the translation of the title for the second novel. Why the story of the new name? ..."From what I remember, I thought it referred to Lila's new surname, her married name, thus her married state.
On wikipedia I see the Italian title is also 'Storia del nuovo cognome'. According to google-translate, 'cognome' is 'surname', and 'storia' can also mean 'history', which fits better, I think, than 'story'.
yes teresa, you are exactly right! it's the new surname Lila acquires thru her marriage that the titlle refers to.
Francesca wrote: "yes teresa, you are exactly right! it's the new surname Lila acquires thru her marriage that the titlle refers to."Thanks, Francesca! Nice to have a native speaker confirm that for us. :)
Anyway, just to say I'm enjoying your Ferrante trip, Teresa.