The Lost Daughter

I have thoroughly enjoyed every work of Ferrante's, and this one is no different. She writes so seamlessly and intuitively (and plaudits to the translator) almost as if the narrator's interior monologue, or a stream of consciousness; a style not dissimilar to, but much more natural than Knausgaard. In The Lost Daughter, Ferrante reveals a lot about our actions, both conscious and unconscious. She rebuts the notion that parents should/will love their children unrelentingly. Nonetheless, the consequences of our past actions (particularly towards our children) will continue to haunt the present. Ferrante is also masterful in depicting Neapolitan life with all its mores. That any author can pack so much into 130 pages is testament to her abilities. There is no shortage of shock factor either, particularly re the theft of the doll and her subsequent comeuppance. Superb, 9/10.

By Elena Ferrante