Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery

Kindle
$9.99

Available instantly

Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial

Paperback
$14.54

MP3 CD
$19.46

$14.54 with 14 percent savings

List Price: $17.00

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Thursday, December 26 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tomorrow, December 20. Order within 19 hrs 25 mins.

Arrives before Christmas

In Stock

$$14.54 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Returnable until Jan 31, 2025

Returns

Returnable until Jan 31, 2025

For the 2024 holiday season, eligible items purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2024 can be returned until January 31, 2025.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$13.09

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

Nice clean copy with no highlighting or writing. We take pride in our accurate descriptions. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Nice clean copy with no highlighting or writing. We take pride in our accurate descriptions. Satisfaction Guaranteed. See less

FREE delivery January 4 - 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery January 3 - 13

Arrives after Christmas. Need a gift sooner? Send an Amazon Gift Card instantly by email or text message.

$$14.54 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by Jenson Books Inc and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (63) from $5.68 + $3.99 shipping

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Elena Ferrante

Follow

The Days of Abandonment: A Novel Paperback – September 1, 2005

by Elena Ferrante (Author), Ann Goldstein (Translator)

4.0 4,024 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.54","priceAmount":14.54,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"54","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"XnwsvD%2B7WI%2BiLFyb5AilJnaVevhPpknn2PK56DNExQysaUaefMju3TvUna6ifWlvM2ZXIPk5rkRbbiNcMAfCO2%2B6cv9Nok3RheTLgY7hK1OeKmllRqp71t3QaFKldpVNcfDqwZs1Q1U%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$13.09","priceAmount":13.09,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"13","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"09","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"XnwsvD%2B7WI%2BiLFyb5AilJnaVevhPpknnBH3A8yjbcH79FKk85aJH9hPbssOonERcVc35XiVyeqjat7LoheijO7r2lKixyBZIaO2Ypmj432GRPWqRrpmmyOpSqc2OcL9gZdk0tdfx%2BK9f55rPEp8D6ms5LcZFgFyqwC2DQhj8qmWU%2F%2BUWCxRx0SzOWyflDz8x","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

A BEST BOOK OF THE CENTURY - NEW YORK TIMES

From the New York Times–bestselling author of My Brilliant Friend, this novel of a deserted wife’s descent into despair—and rage—is “a masterpiece” (The Philadelphia Inquirer).

The Days of Abandonment is the gripping story of an Italian woman’s experiences after being suddenly left by her husband after fifteen years of marriage. With two young children to care for, Olga finds it more and more difficult to do the things she used to: keep a spotless house, cook meals with creativity and passion, refrain from using obscenities. After running into her husband with his much-younger new lover in public, she cannot even refrain from assaulting him physically.

In a “raging, torrential voice” (The New York Times), Olga conveys her journey from denial to devastating emptiness—and when she finds herself literally trapped within the four walls of their high-rise apartment, she is forced to confront her ghosts, the potential loss of her own identity, and the possibility that life may never return to normal.

“Intelligent and darkly comic.”—Publishers Weekly

“Remarkable, lucid, austerely honest.”—The New Yorker

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Once an aspiring writer, Olga traded literary ambition for marriage and motherhood; when Mario dumps her after 15 years, she is utterly unprepared. Though she tells herself that she is a competent woman, nothing like the poverella (poor abandoned wife) that mothers whispered about in her childhood, Olga falls completely apart. Routine chores overwhelm her; she neglects her appearance and forgets her manners; she throws herself at the older musician downstairs; she sees the poverella's ghost. After months of self-pity, anger, doubt, fury, desperation and near madness, her acknowledgments of weaknesses in the marriage feel as earned as they are unsurprising. Smoothly translated by New Yorker editor Goldstein, this intelligent and darkly comic novel—which sat atop Italian bestseller lists for nearly a year, has been translated into 12 languages and adapted for an Italian film slated for 2006 release—conveys the resilience of a complex woman. Speculation about the identity of the pseudonymous Ferrante, whose previous novel is scheduled for 2006 release by Europa, has reached Pynchon-like proportions in Italy. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From The New Yorker

In this deeply observed, excruciatingly blunt novel, Olga, a middle-aged wife and mother, is plunged into a breakdown after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Her anguish is expressed through obscenity and violence, as she neglects her children and day-to-day responsibilities to obsess over what sexual acts her husband and his lover might be performing. Olga's rage and self-pity threaten to turn her into something of a monster; when she hears her daughter crying for her, she thinks, "But why should I hurry? I discovered with remorse that, if the child needed me, I felt no need of her." Still, Ferrante knows just when to let up, and the redemptive note struck by the ending is a welcome reprieve.
Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker

From Booklist

A classic pop tune asks "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?" Ferrante's answer in this novel of a woman betrayed and scorned might be the title of another, "I Fall to Pieces." Olga's husband, Mario, has left her and their two school-age children not for another woman but for Carla, a barely legal teenager he had once tutored. Despite having told Olga he was finished with Carla, Mario continued his secret affair with the girl until she became of age. And then he walked out on Olga. Olga goes from being a soft-spoken, meticulously groomed 38-year-old, who suppresses any kind of extreme emotion and prides herself on her spic-and-span housekeeping and excellent cuisine, to becoming a slovenly, wild-eyed creature who creates a brawl on a public street by ripping Mario's shirt from his back when she spots him with Carla. Readers may want to, but won't be able to, turn away from this gut-wrenching portrayal, including graphic scenes of animal-like suffering, of Olga's descent into madness and painful reconstruction of her life. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Praise for The Days of Abandonment

"A masterpiece...The magic of Days of Abandonment remains the fierce intelligence of its narrator."
—The Philadelphia Inquirer

"The writer is immensely self-aware and her frankness is stunning."
—The New York Times

"Ferrante's novels are tactile and sensual, visceral and dizzying."
—The Guardian

"Nothing you read about Elena Ferrante's work prepares you for the ferocity of it."
—Amy Rowland, The New York Times

"Ferrante's voice feels necessary. She is the Italian Alice Munro."
—Mona Simpson, author of Casebook and Anywhere But Here

"Elena Ferrante: the best angry woman writer ever!"
—John Waters, director

"[Ferrante] describes the female experience so intimately and so vividly that the reader feels like she could (and should) know the writer personally."
—Kat Stoeffel, New York Magazine

"Ferrante puts most other writing at the moment in the shade. She's marvelous"
—Booker Prize-winning author of The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Richard Flanagan

About the Author

Elena Ferrante is the author of The Days of Abandonment (Europa, 2005), which was made into a film directed by Roberto Faenza, Troubling Love (Europa, 2006), adapted by Mario Martone, and The Lost Daughter (Europa, 2008), soon to be a film directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. She is also the author of Incidental Inventions (Europa, 2019), illustrated by Andrea Ucini, Frantumaglia: A Writer’s Journey (Europa, 2016) and a children’s picture book illustrated by Mara Cerri, The Beach at Night (Europa, 2016). The four volumes known as the “Neapolitan quartet” (My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child) were published by Europa Editions in English between 2012 and 2015. My Brilliant Friend, the HBO series directed by Saverio Costanzo, premiered in 2018.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Europa Editions; First Edition (September 1, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 188 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1933372001
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1933372006
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.32 x 0.57 x 8.24 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #28,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #184 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #569 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
- #1,678 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.0 4,024 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Elena Ferrante

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Elena Ferrante is the author of seven novels, including four New York Times bestsellers; The Beach at Night, an illustrated book for children; and, Frantumaglia, a collection of letters, literary essays, and interviews. Her fiction has been translated into over forty languages and been shortlisted for the MAN Booker International Prize. In 2016 she was named one of TIME’s most influential people of the year and the New York Times has described her as “one of the great novelists of our time.” Ferrante was born in Naples.

Customer reviews

4,024 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers praise the writing quality and honesty of the book. They find it insightful and believable. However, some readers found the emotional content depressing and not enjoyable. The pacing was described as tedious and exhausting. Opinions differ on the story quality, with some finding it compelling and well-written, while others felt it was boring and predictable. There are also mixed reviews regarding the character development, with some finding them captivating and wonderful, while others felt they were poorly drawn.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Writing quality Honesty Strength Book length Story quality Character development Emotional content Pacing

75 customers mention "Writing quality"60 positive15 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written, honest, and easy to read. The translation flows smoothly, with vivid descriptions of everyday life and personal characters rendered in a very personal way.

"...In clear and non-pitying prose, Olga relates this: “One April afternoon, right after lunch, my husband announced that he wanted to leave me...." Read more

"...This sparse book was so well written. It was translated from Italian, and the words just flowed so well...." Read more

"...Regarding the story, this book is well written. If you like sad, depressing books this one is for you...." Read more

"...to read because the subject matter is so painful and displayed so graphically...." Read more

13 customers mention "Honesty"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book honest and insightful. They describe it as believable, authentic, and mesmerizing. The writing is gritty and real, and readers find it interesting to see the themes emerge throughout the work. Overall, they say it's a good read for anyone going through divorce.

"...She does it and it is absolutely mesmerizing.If you are a Elena Ferrante fan, you cannot miss the "The Days of Abandonment"...." Read more

"...this book, she writes with her usual explosive honesty, the deep, authentic truth about women's experience in the world of men, and especially,..." Read more

"...secret of Ferrante's universal appeal is that she explores the inner paths of the mind, the logic of human emotion- with a train-of-thought style..." Read more

"...Good read for anyone going through divorce (unless it's too close to home :..." Read more

6 customers mention "Strength"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's strong and daring voice. They find it engaging and a fast-paced read that doesn't hold back.

"...before and have rarely read a book with such raw honesty and such ferocious power...." Read more

"...Divorce is ugly and painful. And this book does not hold back any punches." Read more

"...It is gripping from the opening lines to the end due to its tight construction and the protagonist's utter honesty...." Read more

"Excellent book! A very strong and daring voice." Read more

4 customers mention "Book length"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book short and easy to read. They say it's a quick read at less than 200 pages, with a robust emotional weight.

"...A worthy contribution to fiction and a relatively slender book with a robust emotional weight...." Read more

"...It is an easy read in the sense that is a short book and a quick read, but at times it is a profoundly difficult read as you experience her feelings..." Read more

"...A quick read at less than 200 pages, "The Days Of Abandonment" is for anyone who suffers an unexpected rejection from a long-time lover or..." Read more

"...I thought, wow, this book is short, I can read this in an hour, maybe two?..." Read more

58 customers mention "Story quality"40 positive18 negative

Customers have different views on the story. Some find it compelling and beautifully written, describing it as a remarkable novel about heartache and pain. Others find the story depressing, predictable, and rushed.

"...it is impossible to wrench oneself away from the extraordinary power of a this narrative of a 40-ish woman who navigates Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s..." Read more

"...It's an additive read, told from Olga's point of view, which worked perfectly; she was a believable protagonist The story's ending was hopeful ...." Read more

"...with the tall Carrano became a dissatisfied experience, the story lost its pizzazz...." Read more

"...for character, point of view, tension and plot, emotional resonance and thematic accumulation...." Read more

13 customers mention "Character development"7 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the character development. Some find it captivating and honest, with great portrayal of a woman's inner life. Others feel the characters are not well-drawn, the story is boringly told, and the heroine is self-absorbed.

"...herself by her own yardstick, a marvelously interesting and captivating character." Read more

"...I found this novel difficult to read because the main character's problems are so overwhelming." Read more

"...But I loved the author's feminine insight and expressions. I would read another one of her books because I fell in love with her style." Read more

"...She, the heroine wallowing in self pity and bizarre circumstances!..." Read more

31 customers mention "Emotional content"6 positive25 negative

Customers find the book depressing, discouraging, and difficult to read. They describe it as melodramatic, disturbing, and painful to read.

"...The book is difficult to read because the subject matter is so painful and displayed so graphically...." Read more

"The title should be a good indicator, but this book is depressing. The main character is haunted her past and dreading her future...." Read more

"...It was insulting, a well written hellscape if you enjoy misogyny. I tried to return it but was a day late to my return window. Booooooo." Read more

"This book was kind of melodramatic. I didn't care for the way she neglected her children, and especially the poor dog ...." Read more

10 customers mention "Pacing"2 positive8 negative

Customers find the book's pacing slow and tedious. They say the storyline starts out dull and fizzles to a mundane conclusion.

"Because this book has been translated it might not be quite understandable, in the emotional sense, to an American reader...." Read more

"...By page 80 I found it so tedious and repellant that I was skimming paragraphs...." Read more

"A disturbing and compelling read, and a bit exhausting. Especially when the protagonist is locked in her apartment (mind). "..." Read more

"I think this is a remarkable book, rough and dark...." Read more

Reviews with images

See all photos

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Jill I. Shtulman
Freefall into hell
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2015
Verified Purchase
If The Days of Abandonment were a theatrical play instead of a novel, it would have to be performed in one act. Once begun, it is impossible to wrench oneself away from the extraordinary power of a this narrative of a 40-ish woman who navigates Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s four stage of grief (denial, anger, depression and acceptance).

In clear and non-pitying prose, Olga relates this: “One April afternoon, right after lunch, my husband announced that he wanted to leave me. He did it while we were clearing the table; the children were quarreling as usual in the next room, the dog was dreaming, growling beside the radiator…Then he assumed the blame for everything that was happening and closed the front door carefully behind him, leaving me turned to stone beside the sink.”

Ms. Ferrante is unsparing in her portrait of Olga, without turning this into a maudlin tale or a “poor pity me, the victim” type of story. First of all, the prose is precise and exquisite (examples: Olga’s husband blew away the past “as if it were a nasty insect that has landed on your hand.” Or this: “In those long hours I was the sentinel of grief, keeping watch along with a crowd of dead words.” Or this: “Starting at a certain point, the future is only a need to live in the past. To immediately redo the grammatical tenses.”)

As Olga falls into the void – the “absence of sense” – she falls into a frenzy of self-loathing and inertia. It take a strong stomach to read about her attempt to seduce a neighbor in a near-parody of what “making love” is really all about. During the end of that passage, it becomes clear that Olga’s “days of abandonment” are not caused by her husband Mario’s departure; rather, they are caused by her abandonment of herself. While she reaches rock bottom, she is also responsible for her young son and daughter and the innocent dog with “good dog eyes”, Otto. One feels their sense of confusion and betrayal as well – and commiserates.

I have never read Elena Ferrante before and have rarely read a book with such raw honesty and such ferocious power. I am, fortunately, happily married but anyone who has ever suffered feelings of betrayal (and all of us do, at some point in our lives, through husbands, family members, friends) will gasp in shock at the authenticity of Days of Abandonment. I believe it’s a masterpiece.

Read more

28 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
My 2 Cents
This one packs a punch! 4.5/5 stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2011
Verified Purchase
Lately, I've found myself returning to authors that I've enjoyed in the past. Elena Ferrant is one of these authors. Here is my review of her book, The Lost Daughter, in case you missed it previously. In The Days of Abandonment, the title pretty much says it all. A short novel (188 pages but, with a story, and an intro that packs a wallop.

"One April afternoon, right after lunch, my husband announced that he wanted to leave me. He did it while we were clearing the table; the children were quarreling as usual in the next room, the dog was dreaming, growling beside the radiator. He told me that he was confused, that he was having terrible moments of weariness, of dissatisfaction, perhaps of cowardice. He talked for a long time about our fifteen years of marriage, about the children, and he admitted he had nothing to reproach with us, neither them nor me, He was composed, as always, apart from an extravagant gesture of his right hand when he explained to me, with a childish frown, that soft voices, a sort of whispering, were urging him elsewhere. Then he assumed the blame for everything that was happening and closed the front door carefully behind him, leaving me turned to stone beside the sink."

What follows is the story of a 38 year-old wife and mother with two young child who begins to unravel, losing all sense of normalcy in life with this unexpected announcement by her husband Mario. Of course, Mario's confusion is just an excuse, as there is a 20 year-old woman in the picture which is revealed early on. The new woman is actually a student Mario had once tutored, and then began to see on the side. He told his wife the affair was over, when in fact it was still going on.

Olga was once a writer, but she traded her dreams of becoming famous for marriage and motherhood, and after 15 years of comfortable routines, she finds herself totally helpless with what has just happened. Once Olga kept a spotless house, cooked gourmet meals, her home is now in shambles, her children and even the family dog , Otto are neglected. She spends her time in desperation, writing letters to her husband - not even knowing where he is staying. She spends a lot of time analyzing what and when things started to go wrong in their marriage. She experiences, many of the stages of "death and dying" -denial, anger and rage, a bottomless pit of depression before she moves on to the final stage of acceptance.

She has a hot and heavy sexual encounter with an older man, Carrano, who lives in her building, which could shock some readers. It's descriptive, complete with foul language and some remorse afterward. A sad incident involving the family dog occurs, and there is incident when Mario comes over to see the children and she invites him to stay for a meal that really left me chuckling. After several months of watching her own life spiral downward, Olga gradually begins to accept the fact that life as she one day new if will never be the same.

This sparse book was so well written. It was translated from Italian, and the words just flowed so well. It's an additive read, told from Olga's point of view, which worked perfectly; she was a believable protagonist The story's ending was hopeful . I invite you read this book, and to go inside the mind of, "a woman scorned. "

Read more

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
jennifer obergfell
Sad and depressing
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024
Verified Purchase
The book was in perfect condition and came on-time.

Regarding the story, this book is well written. If you like sad, depressing books this one is for you. It was a book club read so not something I would have chosen.

Read more

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Christine Walker
A masterful work of fiction
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
I've read this book several times and will read it again for the pleasure of Ferrante's writing and Olga's story. I refer to this book when teaching fiction craft, especially for the sensory detail, but also for character, point of view, tension and plot, emotional resonance and thematic accumulation. On my ReadtoWriteBooks blog, I've discussed aspects of this book at length. Suffice to say here that Ferrante masterfully brings the reader into Olga's consciousness by creating the vivid, continuous dream that John Gardner talks about in "The Art of Fiction." "The Days of Abandonment" is a work of art.

Read more

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Nikki
5 Stars
Reviewed in Canada on December 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
One of this generations best writers. This series is the most honest depiction of female friendship.

Read more
Report
Zaid Shaikh
Progressively Depressing - Haunting
Reviewed in India on July 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
Definitely one of the toughest books I have read recently.

It's Travel Blog of Olga - from Sanity to Insanity.

I have no idea how Elena was able to describe a degrading mental health and the depression so vividly - as if she has experienced it somehow.

70% of the book is taking you through the mental degradation of Olga. But I really appreciate how Elena has penned the whole saga - so well. Throughout the book I kept thinking - what is she going to do? Are her kids going to be OK? Will her Dog be OK? When will she care? When will she snap out of this torrential depression.

Amazing book!!

Read more
Report
Wennel
Raw Despair
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
I’m just about a third into this book and it’s not a comfortable read.
Don’t expect to feel good about it. At this point , if I had Olga anywhere near me, I’d be tempted to slap her face.
Should I give up and move on to something more uplifting ? I won’t, because the writing is exquisite and I really want to know if she saves herself.
Elena Ferrante’s writing is powerful and draws you in. Kudos to Anna Goldstein for her superb translation. You can feel the anguish, despair and rage Olga is feeling. How you react to it will depend, I reckon, on how you would feel if you walked in her shoes.

Read more
Report
Cliente Amazon
Bel libro
Reviewed in Italy on September 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
Il libro l'ho letto in italiano ed e bellissimo. Volevo regalarlo ad un amico che vive a Londra e non conosce l'italiano.

Read more
Report
Translate review to English
Amazon Kunde
The Days of Abandonmet von Elena Ferrante
Reviewed in Germany on May 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
Ausgezeichnete Geschichte, realistische Beschreibung von einer hoffnungslosen Frau nach der Trennung von ihrem Mann, an dem sie sehr
abhängig war.

Read more
Report
Translate review to English

See more reviews

Amazon Prime Free Trial

Return this item for free

Return this item for free

Image Unavailable

Follow the author