I started this read but think I will have to come back to it. It didn’t grip me even through I know Naples well and it’s a city I love.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This is a difficult one to review because I feel really conflicted about it. It’s a very ugly book in many ways, full of bitterness and disappointment, ugly behaviours and lies, but at its heart lies the story of a man (Federí) who is led by his obsession for painting above all other things, and the relationship his son (Mimi) has with him and the troubled and conflicted feelings that arise from this artistic endeavour overshadowing the lives of the whole family and colouring the young son’s childhood and adolescence. It’s very interesting psychologically as the son tries to understand his own rebellion against every character trait resembling that of his father’s, who is deeply distasteful to him due to his treatment of the boy’s mother and his obsessive lying and bragging - but it’s also difficult to read so much hardship and bitterness - a lot of the novel has a feeling of overwhelming negativity and it took me a ridiculously long time to read it, perhaps for this reason. I definitely found the novel interesting though so I don’t regret reading it - but I don’t really know how I feel about it! I’m not sure why it needed to be so long, though - it meanders back and forth and seems to cover the same ground over and over again - there was not much of an arc.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Europa Editions for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The House on Via Gemito is a stunning modern Italian classic, reminiscent of Elena Ferrante in terms of its brutal and unforgiving depiction of the daily toils of the lower class of Naples society.

Fedri, selfproclaimed artistic genius and father to our narrator, leads a tormented life of near-greatness, cruelly tormented by the seeming impossibility of finding fame and fortune despite his undeniable talent. In a time-jumping, twisty but cohesive narrative, we follow Fedri's story, from growing up to raising his own children. Through careful and detailed accounts of the tense and often disappointing process of finding a model, creating a beautiful piece of art, only to never be quite good enough to make it big, our narrator invites us into the family home and gives the reader a truly immersive experience of their lives.

This is a wonderful look at father-son relationships and the resentment that gradually builds towards the father as he becomes more and more selfish and abusive throughout the course of the novel is raw and realistic. Whilst I do feel that this book could have done with being a little more succinct, as it did take me a very long time to get through and I was finding myself losing patience at some of the more descriptive segments, overall this was an incredible read and I am very grateful to have had the chance to read it. Highly recommend!

The House on Via Gemito was published in Italy 20 years ago and was the winner of the prestigious Strega literary prize. Domenico Starnone is a writer who manages to get under the skin of his characters highlighting their foibles and the impact on their own and others lives. There is no denying that this translated version from Oonagh Stransky is a powerful piece of writing digging into the under belly of Neapolitan life in the 40s and 50s.The story focuses on the world of Federí, an artist of profound talent but also an embittered man who continually feels victimised by the world around him that he believes often fails to see "his genius. Events are recounted by his son Mimi who is reflecting back upon his childhood whilst researching his father's life in the attempt to write a biography and also track down his infamous masterpiece "The Drinkers"; but from the start we discover the Federí is a man of contradictions and mood changing temperaments. At times the aggression that FederÍ displays towards his family - in particular his wife Rusinè- is harrowing and uncomfortable reading especially in a world where coercive control is more recognised and yet Starnone manages to capture the man's vulnerability as well especially when exploring his childhood and later years. In many ways this reads like a factual biography of a living renowned artist. Feelings toward Federí as a character fluctuate from disliking a bully and obnoxious and arrogant man to recognising a lost and perpetually bewildered man who was looked down upon by the art world especially as he wasn't part of an elite system. This is a powerful read- challenging, uncomfortable at times, fascinating and rich in prose. Longer than Starnone's other novels but certainly worth reading.
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