My Brilliant Friend is a tempestuous excavation of life in a sub-proletarian neighbourhood of Naples. Shrouded in violence and danger, the town becomes a microcosm of post-World War II Catholic societies. The story follows the mimetic relationship between the two protagonists, Lila and Elena. Lila is depicted as a complicated disobedient child, who is exceptional… Continue reading My brilliant female friendship — the subversive nature of friendship in Ferrante’s quartet
In A Girl’s Story, Annie Ernaux, in a somewhat self-indulgent practice, recounts her girlhood: all its desire, shame and vulnerability that encircles the years of female adolescence. Ernaux’s creative ability to place herself into the body of her 18-year-old self means reliving sexual and emotional trauma. She delves into the summer of 1958 when she… Continue reading Journey to the self — detangling adolescent desire and conditioned female shame in A Girl’s Story
From Nazi Germany to the Pinochet regime in Chile, the burning of books has been a potent symbol of authoritarian control, cultural repression, and the systematic elimination of dissent. While the act of burning books might seem extreme, it is a deliberate and strategic move by fascist regimes to consolidate power and eliminate any threats… Continue reading Why fascists burn books — a history of censorship and control
