Why people recommend it
Ties by Domenico Starnone is an evocative novel exploring the complex dynamics of family life, marriage, and the long-lasting fallout of domestic desertion. The book was featured prominently on The Book Review, where Gilbert Cruz and Greg Cowles discussed the publication alongside its English translation by Jhumpa Lahiri. During the episode, Domenico Starnone himself joined the conversation to explain that Ties is fundamentally a book about family which connects intimately to his previous literary works, while also describing his deliberate structural approach to the narrative. Greg Cowles inquired whether the novel functioned as a direct response to Elena Ferrante's book The Days of Abandonment, prompting further analysis of the text. Translator Jhumpa Lahiri reflected in her introduction and during the discussion on the intricate challenges of rendering the novel into English, noting that the translation process served as her own re-entry into the language. Guest John Williams later revisited the work on the same podcast, praising the deep interview that explored how the novel handles interpersonal relationships and family history. Through these discussions, the book is highlighted as a masterclass in Italian fiction, praised for its careful structure, emotional resonance, and the brilliance of its translation.
Who recommended it
- Gilbert Cruz Discussed
- Domenico Starnone Discussed
- Greg Cowles Discussed
- John Williams Discussed
Gilbert Cruz — 3 mentions
“Greg Kohl's will talk to starnone his translator and the novelist Juma leiri who translated his new book ties”
“he's the author of the new book ties which has been translated by Juma leiri”
“about that experience and you say in your introduction to Ties That translating this novel was your re-entry into English”
Domenico Starnone — 2 mentions
“TI is a book about family and it is connected intimately with another book via Jito”
“uh in the case of ties the process or the entering of the author is less visible”
Greg Cowles — 1 mention
“is Ral rate that ties the novel is responding in some way to the novel the days of Abandonment”
John Williams — 1 mention
“the other one is something we talked about on the show recently Greg did a great interview with the author and translator which is a novel called ties by Domenico starnone”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 1
“only could I be capable of translating ties in a dozen different ways given a a dozen different days”