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jennareadsbooks 's review for:
The Bay of Noon
by Shirley Hazzard
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved The Transit of Venus so much that when I realized another Shirley Hazzard novel fit into my #10books10decades challenge, I immediately started reading The Bay of Noon. This one was published in 1970, 10 years before The Transit of Venus. I definitely loved Transit more, but I still really liked this one.
The Bay of Noon is set in Naples, Italy. The setting is a character in its own right. I read this right after watching the second season of The White Lotus and the combo really made me want to visit.
In this book, there are glimpses of the form that Hazzard’s writing will later take, with strong and sometimes shocking sentences, but this book has less plot and feels more languorous, and is written in first person rather than third. The story revolves around Jenny who comes to Naples to work for NATO. She becomes enmeshed with Giocanda, a local writer, and her lover Gianni, a married film director who has adapted one of Gioconda’s books. She also forms a separate will-they-won’t-they relationship with Justin, a Scotsman she meets through work.
Much like with The Transit of Venus, the ending of this book was stunning and reminded me of Hazzard’s brilliance. If you are a fan of her writing, I think this is worth a read.
The Bay of Noon is set in Naples, Italy. The setting is a character in its own right. I read this right after watching the second season of The White Lotus and the combo really made me want to visit.
In this book, there are glimpses of the form that Hazzard’s writing will later take, with strong and sometimes shocking sentences, but this book has less plot and feels more languorous, and is written in first person rather than third. The story revolves around Jenny who comes to Naples to work for NATO. She becomes enmeshed with Giocanda, a local writer, and her lover Gianni, a married film director who has adapted one of Gioconda’s books. She also forms a separate will-they-won’t-they relationship with Justin, a Scotsman she meets through work.
Much like with The Transit of Venus, the ending of this book was stunning and reminded me of Hazzard’s brilliance. If you are a fan of her writing, I think this is worth a read.