Book Review: "The Days of Abandonment" by Elena Ferrante

Now, you're probably thinking about why I'm only reading this now. To be honest I think I have only ever read one other Elena Ferrante novel in my life and I remember disliking it. Her female protagonists are often obsessed with the men they are with and are two-dimensional characters who complain about practically everything. Unfortunately, this was no different. I have been trying desperately to enjoy this author because everyone else does. But her storylines are only average and her characters are often insufferable. So, unfortunately I think I'm going to stop reading her for a while until someone recommends something I might actually enjoy by her. I apologise.

From the outset, Ferrante plunges the reader into Olga’s devastation. Her husband, Mario’s abrupt departure sets off a torrent of raw, unfiltered emotion that ranges between rage, despair, and self-loathing. Olga’s voice is searing and unrelenting, dragging the reader into the darkest recesses of her psyche. Ferrante’s prose captures this turmoil with unflinching honesty. Each sentence pulses with anger and pain, making Olga’s unraveling seem very real. It’s a harrowing portrait of a woman coming undone, and Ferrante’s commitment to depicting the ugliest, most uncomfortable truths of heartbreak is admirable. This, I have to admit was something that is difficult to do and so, though it wasn't really my thing - it was still something I have to respect. Unfortunately, that respect didn't last very long.

This unrelenting focus on Olga’s suffering also becomes a sticking point. The protagonist’s repetitive inner monologue grated me down. Her vacillation between moments of clarity and overwhelming self-pity feels authentic to the experience of grief but also exhausted my patience. At times, Olga’s obsessive ruminations—her fixation on Mario’s betrayal and her inability to move beyond it—become suffocating. While it’s clear that Ferrante intentions were to inhabit Olga’s fractured mental state fully, the lack of variation in her thoughts can feel monotonous and frustrating. This is added on by the monotony of her very average life. It isn't poetic in description but rather just as I would put it - 'blah'.

As a protagonist, Olga is maddeningly inconsistent. Her back-and-forth reactions—moments of resolve quickly followed by emotional collapse—make her journey feel interminable. Yet, it’s precisely this inconsistency that underscores Ferrante’s commitment to authenticity. Real grief is messy and nonlinear, and Olga’s portrayal captures that truth. Still, the sheer relentlessness of her emotional state can make her a challenging character to root for. Her flaws—her self-absorption, her inability to prioritise her children, her often irrational behavior—are laid bare, making her feel deeply human but also deeply frustrating. So even though it is something that we as readers can admire, there is something deeply stupid about the way she is conducting herself. I cannot imagine any woman would care so much that one random person exits her life. You just feel yourself saying "get on with yourself...from what we know about him, I don't think any of the readers care if he's under a bus."

Ferrante’s secondary characters, particularly Olga’s children and the enigmatic neighbor Carrano, provide moments of relief and depth. The children’s confusion and need for stability serve as a stark contrast to Olga’s turmoil, while Carrano’s quiet presence offers a glimmer of hope. These relationships add texture to the narrative, reminding the reader that life continues to unfold even in the wake of personal disaster. Having other characters around except for these two idiots was a breath of fresh air. It provided something else to look at instead of the idiocracy of Mario or the monotony of Olga. It was basically the only salvation.

In conclusion, The Days of Abandonment is a raw and unrelenting examination of heartbreak and self-reclamation. Ferrante’s mastery lies in her ability to render the messy, unvarnished truths of human emotion with precision and intensity. Yet, the novel’s unrelenting focus on Olga’s suffering and the flatness of Mario’s character detract from its impact. If I've said it once I've said it a million times: it may be a good premise on paper, but without a character to latch on to, the reader cannot get anywhere fast. So, all in all, this is an author I probably won't be bothering with from now on.