An international bestseller chronicles the adventures of twelve-year-old Annetta, desperate to get away from her stifling Sicilian village, who is sent away to live with grim relatives, where a shocking truth about her childhood is revealed.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Written when the author was 19, this novel caused a scandal in the Sicilian village where she grew up; it became a bestseller in Europe. What may be provocative on one side of the Atlantic, however, can seem merely overblown when exported, and this slender effort bears an unfortunate resemblance to a B-movie. Annetta chafes at the strictures imposed on girls in her small Sicilian town: "Here, women can be wives and mothers but they can never be people." Her own rebellion culminates in kissing a boy in a public place, which lands her in predictable trouble-her father beats her, her mother curses her and both ship her off in disgrace to her aunt and uncle's house. Ironically, this new setting returns Annetta to the scene of her first disillusionment with societal conventions, as the uncle had molested Annetta when she was nine. Cardella lays great stress on the hypocrisy of the adults who control Annetta's life, but she does so clunkily, with an abundance of gratuitous pronouncements and a dearth of art-the novel is nine parts telling to one part showing. Part of the problem may lie in the translation: the original title, for example, is the rather more subtle Volevo i pantaloni (I Wanted Trousers).
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-Annetta, 12, feels suffocated in her small village. She believes that wearing trousers will give her freedom, but is told that "only two kinds of people in Sicily wear trousers, stupid: men and puttane." Annetta chooses the only option open to her and practices flirting secretly with a young man. She is quickly spotted while passionately kissing, dragged off by her father, and labeled a slut. Plans are made to send her to a neighboring village to live with her aunt and uncle; this is a horribly brutal plan since her uncle is a known child molester (Annetta's parents consider the arrangement to be suitable punishment for her crime). This novel, which is set in the recent past, is deceptive in its brevity, childlike narration, and frequent humor. Upon closer inspection, the themes of lost innocence, abuse, and resignation to the inevitable contribute to a girl's harrowing coming-of-age. The book was written when the author was only 19 and is currently being made into a motion picture.
Susan R. Farber, Chappaqua Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Susan R. Farber, Chappaqua Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wanted: More information about Lara Cardella !,
By "katjaleichsenring" (Vienna, Austria) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Good Girls Don't Wear Trousers (Hardcover)
The author points out the situation of gender roles in Sicily. I liked "Good girls don't wear trousers" very much though I did not like the film which was quite different from the book. The novel deals with a serious topic while the film is more or less a kind of comedy. I can also recommend the books that the author wrote after the enormous success of "Volevo i pantaloni", especially "Una ragazza normale" or "Fedra se ne va" which can be probably considered the more mature ones . As I am studying Italian I am actually writing my dissertation about the author. Therefore, I would like to get in touch with Lara and I would be very grateful to receive any information how I could reach her. Thank you very much in advance!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
the author,
By lara cardella (Sicily,Italy) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Good Girls Don't Wear Trousers (Hardcover)
only one word for all of you:thanks.Love.Lara
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Girls Don't Wear Trousers,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Good Girls Don't Wear Trousers (Hardcover)
I bought this book at the request of my mother. I haven't read it. I have a feeling it's very Italian in it's critique of society. My Italian mother loved the book...but she couldn't wait to get out of Italy.
Sorry if this isn't much a review.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
