New Item Tuesday

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2bLPCHB

Staff Review: My Brilliant Friend and The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante

The publication of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels (a quartet) has been one of the biggest literary events of the century (granted, we're only sixteen years in, but still). To say Ferrante has gathered brilliant accolades, that she's garnered the wildest acclaim, would be an understatement. The publishing industry and the media have already inducted her into the literary pantheon. For this reason, and because the slim Europa paperbacks that embody her U.S. translations are so attractive, I finally took the plunge. At this point I'm two books in.

Ferrante herself is a mystery woman. No one knows who she is, what she looks like, or where she lives. This in itself, in an age of massive media attention to every big new thing, is remarkable and might reasonably be perceived as a sort of media blitz of its own (search "Elena Ferrante's identity" and you get over 100,000 results). Everyone is speculating, guessing, even claiming to have found her. If she remains elusive, it will be a marvel.

So, what do I think of the quartet halfway in? I'd have to say I like them, I dislike them, and I can't seem to put them down. Ferrante creates an exquisitely detailed world that spans decades and brings Naples to life politically and culturally. The story line follows the friendship of two Neapolitan girls born just after World War II. They're five or six as My Brilliant Friend begins and about twenty as the second novel, The Story of a New Name, concludes (they'll be going on seventy by the end of the series).

Elena and Lila were born in the same poor, violent neighborhood in Naples, where husbands beat wives, brothers beat sisters, parents beat kids, and the typical hissed threat is "Do that again and so help me God I will kill you." At that time in Italy, feminism wasn't a concept nor was divorce legal; the lives of many Italian women were bleak. Many men's lives weren't so great either.

Elena, the studious good girl, and Lila, the rebel, are both unusually bright but only Elena completes high school and even goes on to college. Over the years the girls' friendship waxes and wanes, sometimes breaking off tumultuously. Events play out within a large cast of neighborhood characters: family members, schoolmates, boyfriends, teachers, parents, shopkeepers, and the notorious Solara family, linked to the Camorra (Neapolitan organized crime), whose members control the neighborhood through loansharking, extortion, threats, beatings, and even murder.

It's not the novels' gritty setting with its violence and corruption that, at times, turns me off. It's the wildly unpredictable nature of Elena and Lila's friendship. At times Lila's a true-blue friend and at other times she behaves in unpredictable, despicable, and cruel ways. She hurts Elena again and again. Of course, it can certainly be said that she hurts herself more. Elena gets in a few licks too, at one point dumping a box of Lila's journals, painstakingly written over the years and entrusted to Elena's care, into the Arno River. Their breaches can make for tough reading. 

Reviewing this series in the Financial Times, the novelist Claire Messud wrote, "I end up thinking that the people who don't see Ferrante's genius are those who can't face her uncomfortable truths: that women's friendships are as much about hatred as love . . . ." I guess I can't -- or don't -- accept that particular "truth," but I also can't stop reading the novels; I'm just about to start book three, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay. Ferrante has created a series that's powerfully compelling. And, in the end, maybe my love/hate relationship with it is fitting. After all, Lila and Elena love and hate each other for over sixty years. Maybe I'm just not Neapolitan enough to get it.

~Ann, Adult Services

Nine Unexpected Craft Books

Crafts can be an amazing way to relieve stress. The creativity, the focus, the repetitive actions -- the entire process can create a calming atmosphere that makes your daily cares seem miles away. Although, these are exactly the same reasons that you might find your typical craft projects unbearably boring. Never to fear! We've gathered a few of our newest (and quirkiest!) craft books together to help you find your crafting inspiration.

DIY, Dammit!: a practical guide to curse-free crafting by Joselyn Hughes
(745.5 HUG) A comedian-turned-crafter, and creator of the popular web series DIY, Dammit!, shares what she's learned the hard way, in a full-color illustrated guide to DIY crafting that includes 35 projects -- including a dog bed, "Cutie Pie" pillows, and a beer poncho -- as well as a helpful list of resources.

The Organic Artist: make your own paint, paper, pigments, prints, and more from nature by Nick Neddo
(702.84 NED) It's time to go back to basics! If you're interested in art, but find that it's becoming an increasingly expensive hobby, The Organic Artist is just the book for you! It encourages us all to return to those days when art was made with all-natural materials, such as charcoal and birch bark. Immersing you in the natural world, The Organic Artist seeks to inspire creativity by connecting you to your organic roots.

Little Felted Dogs: easy projects for making adorable pups by Saori Yamazaki
(745.5924 YAM) Whether they adore their pugs, or wish they had a Pomeranian, dog lovers of all stripes will fall in love with these miniature versions of two dozen beloved breeds. Simple needle-felting instructions require only a small amount of wool and are easy enough for crafters to customize an homage to their own adorable mutts.

Handmade Lampshades: beautiful designs to illuminate your home by Natalia Price-Cabrera
(745.5932 PRI) This book is bursting with inspirational images, tips and ideas. Sixteen contemporary projects are covered in useful step-by-step tutorials.

Animal Heads: trophy heads to crochet by Vanessa Mooncie
(746.434 MOO) A collection of trophy animal head patterns to crochet to add whimsy to any room in your home. Featured are 10 faux taxidermy projects and detailed hand-drawn charts for each, along with a comprehensive techniques section to help you learn all the skills necessary.

Ancient Worlds, Modern Beads: 30 stunning beadwork designs inspired by treasures from ancient civilizations by Mortira vanPelt
(745.5942 VAN) In Ancient Worlds, Modern Beads, ancient inspirations meld with contemporary styles to create stunning jewelry projects for today's beading enthusiast. Author vanPelt offers readers 30 craft projects that are just perfect for both novice and experienced beaders.


The Art of Paper Weaving: 46 Colorful, Dimensional Projects by Anna Schepper
(745.54 SCH) Originating in Germany and refined in nineteenth-century Denmark and Norway, the charming, time-honored craft of paper weaving has been transformed by virtuoso paper crafters Anna and Lene Schepper into a modern art form with an amazing array of creative possibilities.

Subversive Cross Stitch: 50 F*cking Clever Designs for Your Sassy Side by Julie Jackson
(746.443 JAC) Tired of cheerful little bears and angels on frilly bookmarks and samplers that just don't do your sense of self-expression justice? Jackson has just the solution with her in-your-face cross stitch designs.

Knit Your Own Dinosaur by Sally Muir
(746.432 MUI) Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne are back with a new title in the Best in Show series. This time they have turned back time and delved into the fascinating prehistoric world with a collection of new patterns for dinosaurs and other creatures.