I recently read my first Natalia Ginzburg, Valentino and Sagittarius. This book consists of two novellas that have some overlapping themes. 

 

Valentino is about an unserious boy, Valentino, who shocks his family by marrying an ugly but wealthy woman, in an act that his family suspects is just for money. The story is narrated by one of his sisters, Caterina, who is studying to become a teacher. The family slowly gives in to Maddalena’s wish to provide for them. 

 

Sagittarius, also narrated by a young woman, follows the woman’s mother as she moves into town. She’s quickly dissatisfied with her life there, disappointed by the marriage of her beautiful daughter Giulia to a poor doctor. When she meets Scilla, they plot to open an art gallery in the town. 

 

Both novellas have palpable feelings of foreboding thanks to Ginzburg’s precise descriptions. They are both narrated from a detached perspective, and the second especially feels cold. I like this type of writing - the characters were interesting and the perfect amount of detail was included to let the uneasy feelings build. In Sagittarius, where you just know the mother is ripe for becoming the victim of a scam, I couldn’t stop reading. It’s a swindler story from before they became such a thing. 

 

Really enjoyed this one! If you like classics, and if you have followed @carolinecalloway and wondered how anyone would ever in their right mind give her their money, this one is for you.