A YEAR OF READING WOMEN CHALLENGE
March - works by women, translated into English.

I'd never read an Elena Ferrante book before, and I did not know what to expect. My only reason for reading Troubling Love was that I was completing a challenge of reading translated works by women, and this was one of the few options available in my local bookshop.

My problem with reading translated works is that, no matter how beautiful the language (and Ferrante's language IS beautiful) I an't help but wonder if some of the poetry is lost in translation. This is the reason why I have Federico Garcia Lorda works in both English and Spanish, but unfortunately with Ferrante, I don't speak a word of Italian.

That aside, I enjoyed reading Troubling Love. The central mystery was engaging enough, but the true enjoyment comes from Ferrante's superb command of language and her intriguing characters. Despite its short length, Troubling Love cannot easily be read in one sitting, as every line deserves careful consideration and attention.