This is a delightful, brief murder mystery of an unusual kind. The narrator tells us in the 6th line of the book that she shot him between the eyes, The rest of the book is a very interesting narration of what happened up to that point. ( )

This is the story of the relationship between a 20-something woman and a 40-something man. The narrator marries Alberto, and they have a child—and the relationship fails.

This is the story of the reasons why, from her perspective. I love Ginzburg’s to-the-point writing. The story jumps back and forth, but really every sentence helps explain why this relationship was destined to fail. The title is a clue, but—BUT—the original Italian title is È stato così “it was like that”. Which IMO is so much better.

Ginzburg’s writing is so concise and sharp that I am actually now reading it in the original Italian. It’s hard because my vocabulary is lacking so I keep looking words up, but I am happy to say I do understand the sentence construction and tenses.

But I also had issues with this English translation. I still don’t understand what the “zinc case” all of the books were being packed in was. And now I know “draughts” means checkers. I thought it was a card game…like maybe scopa, translated for whatever reason. Have not gotten to it yet in the Italian. ( )

This short novella, first published in 1947, packs a psychological punch despite its size. In the fourth sentence the protagonist shoots her husband between the eyes, but what follows is as much a detached retrospective on the feelings that had led up to the murder as it is an explanation of the circumstances.

The narrator, whose name we never learn, feels unreliable from the beginning, prone to a riotous imagination and self-delusion that leads to marriage to Alberto for all the wrong reasons. Whilst at the beginning she is an unlikeable character, through Ginzburg's direct style of writing we begin to develop a frustrated sympathy over her desperation to please and be wanted by a husband who isn't in love with her.

There's no sentimentality to Ginzburg's writing, and with cool matter-of-factness she exposes the weakness in the narrator's character as she passively watches her marriage quickly derail. It's an interesting approach which enables the reader to get a 360 degree view of the marriage without deliberately leading us down a path of certain conclusion in the process. Sometimes marriage just don't work out, Ginzburg's detached writing suggests, and she seeks to bring the reader on an unbiased journey that exposes human flaws in relationships without creating a villain out of either party.

4 stars - very cleverly and subtly done. ( )

didnt think i would like this as much as i did, i read this in one sitting ( )

He had asked me to give him something hot in a thermos bottle to take with him on his trip, I went into the kitchen, made some tea, put milk and sugar in it, screwed the top on tight, and went back into his study. It was then that he showed me the sketch, and I took the revolver out of his desk drawer and shot him between the eyes. But for a long time already I had know that sooner or later I should do something of the sort.

This happens on the first page. The question isn't who but why and this novella carefully details the relationship between a naive young teacher, living in a boarding house and longing for a better life, and a reserved man in love with a married woman. First published in 1947, this novella is also a clear look at the choices available to women at that time. ( )