Official Review: The Tale of Lucia Grandi, the Early Years
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Official Review: The Tale of Lucia Grandi, the Early Years
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Tale of Lucia Grandi, the Early Years" by Susan Speranza.]
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When centenarian Lucia Grandi is approached by a young Literature student who asks her to tell her the story of her life, she feels that she has been given a chance to hold on to the existence that she senses is slipping away from her; as long as she continues to speak, the moment will last and she will stay alive.
She tells a tale of growing up in Long Island in the 1950s and 60s; a middle class childhood that sounds far from ideal, brought up in a family full of conflict and who seem to have had more than their fair share of problems, some external, some self inflicted and some just pure bad luck. It also seems to be a family with more than the average number of eccentric, disturbed and irrational characters all of whom influence Lucia's formative years to a greater or lesser extent.
I don't think Lucia was an easy child to bring up, and on one level it is possible to sympathise with her parents; she can be very frustrating and is often her own enemy, bringing out the worst in the people around her. On the other hand, much of her personality must have been shaped by the behaviour of her belligerent parents; it would not be possible to come out unscathed from a household full of family tension and sibling rivalry. The reader can empathise with many of her experiences as she tries to find her way in life, dealing with feelings of worthlessness reinforced by the adults around her.
The book closes with Lucia in her mid-twenties, leaving home in somewhat less than auspicious circumstances. Presumably, her story will continue in later volumes as the elder Lucia takes the opportunity to relive her life and stretches her moment of safety to make it last as long as possible, and it would be interesting to learn what she does as she grows older.
At times I find the book rather overanalyses the characters, perhaps I prefer them to reveal themselves through their own words and actions; but I guess this is Lucia's story as told by herself in the way she wants. Maybe some therapy was in order during her later life to help her deal with the early, negative influences.
Ms Speranza writes in an easy to read style, although there are quite a few proofreading errors, particularly in the first half of the book, which is disappointing, but didn't detract too much from the story. In spite of that, I am rating 'The Tale of Lucia Grandi, The Early Years' three out of four stars as overall I enjoyed it. I find it interesting to read about other people's lives and Lucia has certainly been very honest and, generally, not glossed over her own or other people's faults.
***
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She tells a tale of growing up in Long Island in the 1950s and 60s; a middle class childhood that sounds far from ideal, brought up in a family full of conflict and who seem to have had more than their fair share of problems, some external, some self inflicted and some just pure bad luck. It also seems to be a family with more than the average number of eccentric, disturbed and irrational characters all of whom influence Lucia's formative years to a greater or lesser extent.
I don't think Lucia was an easy child to bring up, and on one level it is possible to sympathise with her parents; she can be very frustrating and is often her own enemy, bringing out the worst in the people around her. On the other hand, much of her personality must have been shaped by the behaviour of her belligerent parents; it would not be possible to come out unscathed from a household full of family tension and sibling rivalry. The reader can empathise with many of her experiences as she tries to find her way in life, dealing with feelings of worthlessness reinforced by the adults around her.
The book closes with Lucia in her mid-twenties, leaving home in somewhat less than auspicious circumstances. Presumably, her story will continue in later volumes as the elder Lucia takes the opportunity to relive her life and stretches her moment of safety to make it last as long as possible, and it would be interesting to learn what she does as she grows older.
At times I find the book rather overanalyses the characters, perhaps I prefer them to reveal themselves through their own words and actions; but I guess this is Lucia's story as told by herself in the way she wants. Maybe some therapy was in order during her later life to help her deal with the early, negative influences.
Ms Speranza writes in an easy to read style, although there are quite a few proofreading errors, particularly in the first half of the book, which is disappointing, but didn't detract too much from the story. In spite of that, I am rating 'The Tale of Lucia Grandi, The Early Years' three out of four stars as overall I enjoyed it. I find it interesting to read about other people's lives and Lucia has certainly been very honest and, generally, not glossed over her own or other people's faults.
***
Buy "The Tale of Lucia Grandi, the Early Years" on Amazon
Buy "The Tale of Lucia Grandi, the Early Years" on Barnes and Noble
Latest Review: "The Sanctuary" by Cassandra R. Siddons
