Customer Reviews

Lessico Famigliare (Italian Edition)

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Ginzburg's Lessico Famigliare (Family Sayings in English) is one of the most beautiful, sad, funny, touching, powerful novels of the twentieth century. It focusses on what its title says it focusses on -- the little sayings, catch-phrases, that every family has, that make up the family lexicon, and that her family had an abundance of. Just out of focus, beyond the brightest light of the narrative, are the events of the times -- the rise of fascism, the Second World War, the Mussolini racial laws. In between are the family's experiences -- births, deaths, marriages -- and characters -- her parents, siblings, friends, husband. The seemingly inessential turns out to have great import, and the incredible understatement that results from not focussing on great events paradoxically gives those events an overwheliming reality.

I was somewhat disappointed by this book, which is supposed to be Ginzburg most famous novel. Even though it is essentially a biography I still expected it to have a logic plotline, such as was the case in let's say Frank Macourt's Angela's Ashes. In Frank Macourt's memoir it was clear where the plot starts and how it is directed. Lessico famigliare mainly deals with the small details of life. For example, her mother's showering with cold water or Natalia being unable to give orders to her housekeeper. There is nothing wrong with giving those details, which could make the novel more human and vital. But when there is not much more than details the reader is bound to feel confused, or at least I was. It is basically a matter of proportion. She spends more time on describing her mother taking piano lessons than on her own entire married life!