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Notes -
I just finished Elena Ferrante's second Neapolitan novel. The writing is terrific and beautiful, but the plot movement left something to be desired in my mind. The first book was far better. I might still get around to the third some time this summer if I can get it from the library, it's not a difficult book to read, so it's a good vacation book.
This weekend I'm planning to dig into Moneyland, which my mother picked up for me at the bookstore because an old advance copy was available free, I guess it's a book about how rich people move money around. Should be a fun read.
I'm wrapping up The Cartiers on audiobook. I'll do a bigger writeup when I finish it, but it's a really fascinating work of family and business history. The jeweler aspects are interesting, the innovation of platinum settings and the creation of iconic pieces like the Santos and the Tank. There's also a personal view of European history to it, the family firm working its way through wars. In 1870, the business almost failed during the commune, but ultimately survived and made money selling the gems of bankrupt Paris aristocrats. In 1914, all three brothers (Louis, Jacques, Pierre) served; Louis most famously as a general's aide behind the lines would invent the Tank style of watch based on seeing early tanks at the front line, though it was Jacques who would win the Croix de Guerre and serve at the front lines despite his brothers and father urging him repeatedly to avoid combat service and think of the company. After the war they lost their Russian customers, but did a roaring business recycling gems for cash for exiled Russian Whites and (sub rosa) for the Soviets. With the firm remaining open through WWII, it's a snapshot of real life for frenchmen in occupied Paris, and what it actually looked like. The aftermath permanently reoriented their business toward their US offices. It's not exactly a worms-eye view (these are guys who had bitter rivalries with Faberge, challenged Rothschilds to duels, and made gems for kings and capitalists) but it's a uniquely selfish view: the Cartiers cared most about Cartier, and though they were often patriotic ideology was secondary to personal interest.
How difficult was the first book? I'm thinking of reading it in Italian (my Italian is workman-like but not good). Do you feel like it works as a stand-alone?
I'm a dirty monolingual so I read it in English, but the language wasn't difficult, nor were the concepts. There is a lot of mentions of interplay between dialect and "Italian" in the text, so idk if in the original you'll run into Neapolitan slang. The first book is pretty self-contained, and it's mostly one of those post-modern one damn thing after another books anyway, but knowing it's a quartet I'll probably finish it up.
Hmmm maybe not the best Italian book for me to start with in that case. Thanks for the info.
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