The False Life of Adulthood

Description

Giovanna, the only daughter of two professors, lives a happy childhood in the upscale neighborhoods of upper Naples. One day, however, she is shocked to hear her parents talking, in which her father compares her to Vittoria, the ugly and vile aunt. Thus, Giovanna begins her search for Vittoria in the vulgar and sordid streets of lower Naples. From high to low, Giovanna oscillates, sometimes falling, sometimes climbing, exposing the false life of adults, searching for answers that might inspire a path to salvation.

Ferrante proves once again that no one can surpass her in her ability to draw us into the heart of a teenage girl’s mind, showing us how everything that may seem irrational from the outside—moods and temperaments, silences, jealousy, fears, tears, and resentments—is logical and perfectly reasonable.