The Days of Abandonment : Book review


Book review

Title: Days of Abandonment 
Author: Elena Ferrante
Genre: Fiction/Translation (Italian)

Days of Abandonment tells the story of a woman named Olga whose husband decides to abandon her after 15 years of marriage for a younger woman. 

Olga is shattered when Mario leaves her and their two children.  It gives an insight into Olga’s descent into despair, distress and losing touch with reality. She loses track of her responsibility, spends days trapped inside her apartment, reflects her past, her loss of identity and individuality. It remains to be seen if she picks up threads of her life and moves on from this traumatic experience. 

One thing that stands out in the book is the voice of Olga’s character. Narrated in first person from her point of view, there is a raw honesty while describing her feelings and emotions. You feel for her as she is trying to comes to terms with her present situation where she deals with false friends, her deteriorating self confidence, her shifting moods, violent streaks,  attempts to regain her life  and circling around her obsessive thoughts. The setting is mostly in the protagonist’s mind and her apartment. There are glimpses of the neighborhood in parts of the story. 

It’s also interesting to draw inferences about the term Abandonment in this book. It could refer to abandonment of hope, inhibitions and ghosts of the past. The author also aims to focus on the repercussions of a separation on children in particular. Themes of loneliness, grief and family are touched upon here. 

The premises of Days of Abandonment isn’t new. But the novelty in the voice and the way of story telling strikes a chord. It’s a powerful and honest read with a strong woman protagonist. It emphasizes on the importance of moving on and establishing a new life altogether.

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