Ties by Domenico Starnone {Goodreads}
Published by Europa Editions in 2017
Paperback edition; 150 pages {BookDepository}
“In case it’s slipped your mind, Dear Sir, let
me remind you: I am your wife. I know that this once pleased you and that now,
suddenly, it chafes. I know you pretend that I don’t exist, and that I never
existed…” are the
words which open Ties, a novel about
a fractured marriage told from the perspective of the wife, the husband and the
children. I went into it with zero expectations since I received it in my March
Moth Box and haven’t heard about it before and I was taken completely by surprise.
Before
going into my thoughts and feelings for this novel I want to talk about Jhumpa
Lahiri’s both introduction and translation. The introduction is fantastic at
explaining why she loved the novel so much and she sets the mood for the actual
story; she also writes a bit about how was for her translating it into English
which I always find fascinating. And regarding the translation, I think it’s
great. It feels like English and nothing feels odd or out of place. Now, let’s
talk about the novel.
Under the
pretext of a marriage apparently broken due to the infidelity of the husband,
Starnone explores how one’s actions affect
and shape not only a person’s life but also the lives of those around and how
we can keep ourselves and those we love prisoners. But it’s not the only theme the author
tackles. Ties is focused on the
characters and with almost no plot whatsoever it appears to be a quiet novel;
however, it speaks volumes and it is such a pleasant yet devastating experience
to read about these people and how, because they not only lie to each other but
to themselves, they now look at their past with such bitterness and sadness
that it will ultimately break the reader’s heart – it definitely broke mine.
Yet, once you’re done with the novel, there is this sense of hope; that it is
possible to face one’s fears and see one’s faults even if doing so hurts. As
mentioned at the beginning, this is told from different perspectives and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story because it allows the reader to see different
versions of the same people and how each one is different depending on who is
telling the story.
Another
issue that I found so interesting was the discussion of how we “mold” our kids
by our behaviour and how much damage we can cause them without even realising it;
there is one particular character who feels people shouldn’t have children because
it will only bring pain to both the parents and the kid although I wish that
could have been explored a bit more since it is such a thought-provoking idea and
one I don’t normally read about.
‘Ties’ is one of those rare novels that invites you
to re-read it as soon as you've finished it not only to enjoy once more the
beautiful writing but also to take even more out of the story the second time around.