I recently finished The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante and I could barely get through the first half of the book (glad I did in the end).
Olga's frustration and her train of thought were written so well that I ended up feeling frustrated, mad and sad too (also, it didn’t help that I was going through a tough time at the same time), so I had to take breaks while reading it.
As the story goes on, her thoughts get more composed, and so does the writing. It starts to feel a bit more calming because she’s calmer.
So while I was reading it, I found it a bit too heavy – but once the whole book wrapped up, I loved the way it was written as a whole.
I’m actually looking for more books that have a similar feel to them, so if you’ve read anything that gave you the same kind of experience, I’d love to hear about them.
by mitziket
21 Comments
Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb. So many irritating or infuriating characters but those books were so gooood.
Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Everyone is so obnoxious and unlikeable and I hated it until the last chapter, but then, wow, what a pay off!
Gideon The Ninth.
The ending of The Stand made me throw the book across the room, but it’s still a great book.
East of Eden, I kept thinking I was going to put it down right until the last few chapters and then when I finished it I couldn’t stop thinking about how good it was.
I was so angry with the male protagonist in My Cousin Rachel, for nearly the whole book, but by the end, had come to terms with it. Trying not to give anything away here.
The Bee Sting.
I normally don’t like sections or chapters where the author decides to just abandon punctuation. I did love Blood Meridian, though.
I know I Capture the Castle is supposed to be enchanting etc but I was so frustrated with all the characters except Stephen for most of the book. Like, please just get a job and stop slobbing around! The father was not a great person at all. But, by the end, I admit I was a little enchanted.
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck. The relationship between the two protagonists is fraught and stressful, but the book is rich and insightful and
these qualities lingered with me after I finished it.
Frankenstein – I found Victor insufferable, but appreciate the book as a whole.
***Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72*** by **Hunter S. Thompson**
The entire first half of Cloud Atlas I was sighing and rolling my eyes like a child and then I started to take it seriously
The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, most foundational texts for world religions lol, I’m blanking but that’s a great question I’ll have to think on it
The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah
I bounced off Pale Fire the first time I read it. I was like: ‘this poem is mediocre and very long, and all the commentary goes off on tangents and has nothing to do with the poem.’
Yes, I read Pale Fire having no idea what the premise was. Dumb, I know.
On my second attempt, everything clicked and I absolutely loved it. It’s my favourite book of all time because it’s such an unconventional way to tell a story.
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. It was a book club read. I was starting to wonder where the book was going, and then it came together beautifully! I’ve never forgotten it.
All of Elena Ferrante’s books are like that for me. I read all of Neapolitan series, and I was angry the whole time, but I couldn’t stop reading.
The Remains of the Day is frustrating to read but incredibly brilliant.
Ferrante’s “The Lost Daughter” makes you feel irritated and bad and for some people the ending is fine.
“Educated” by Tara Westover is one good memoir where you feel all sorts of emotions, but the ending feels satisfying.
“Purple Hibiscus” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is also really good but there are sections where you feel bad in the beginning, but the ending is bittersweet – more on the sweet side let’s say.
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay. I was so bored through the entire thing and only pushed through because of how short it was. But the ending was such a great payoff.
Which is ironic because most people I talk to about this book absolutely hated the ending and think it ruined the rest of the story.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. The end was so worth the irritation.