RaveThe Los Angeles Review of BooksThe narrative itself is captivating ... This weight on Giovanna’s grappling with the past may prove frustrating for readers, such as when Giovanna recalls hearing Roberto give a speech at church. The reader is not given this scene in present action, and yet it becomes the springboard for Giovanna’s fixation on him. Ferrante’s authorial decision to hinge Giovanna’s story on the recollection of this moment at the expense of the moment itself, however, is masterful rather than withholding; it’s a decision strongly rooted in character. Readers understand that Giovanna isn’t able to truly engage with her past.
Caitlin Horrocks
RaveThe Los Angeles Review of BooksWhat’s most extraordinary about The Vexations is the writing itself. There is the risk with historical fiction that the research will be heavy-handed, to the dilution of story. Horrocks’s vast knowledge of French history and classical music is on display, but the bounty of information never overwhelms. She distinguishes her writing style, using contemporary prose sprinkled with contractions, which allows a more accessible entryway into this bygone era. Her language is lyrical and captivating...The novel reads like a finely composed piece of music, swiftly interweaving winsome sentences with period details and the characters who lived them ... The Vexations presents itself as a window into a textured past made real and tangible for the reader ... The novel’s ending, narrated by Louise, is what makes The Vexations as extraordinary as Erik himself. Louise closes by centering completely on his genius. Every sentence Horrocks writes is a stepping-stone to this apex, and satisfying to such a degree that the reader will have the urge to close the book and begin listening to Satie’s music.
