Dry Heart - For Women

Natalia Ginzburg's "The Dry Heart" is a chilling feminist horror story about marriage, now back in print for readers to experience. The tale begins and ends with the matter-of-fact pronouncement: "I shot him between the eyes." As the narrative unfolds, a plunge into the frigid waters of loneliness, desperation, and bitterness, the narrator's murder of her flighty husband takes on a certain logical inevitability.

Stripped of any preciousness or sentimentality, Ginzburg's writing is white-hot, tempered by rage. She transforms the unhappy tale of an ordinary dull marriage into a rich psychological thriller that seems to beg the question: why don't more wives kill their husbands? The story's stark, uncompromising tone serves to highlight the narrator's descent into the depths of her own anguish and despair.

Ginzburg's protagonist is a woman trapped in a suffocating union, her individuality and autonomy slowly eroded by the mundane realities of domestic life. The husband, described as "flighty," is a source of constant frustration and disappointment, his indifference and emotional distance driving the narrator towards a desperate act of violence.

The Dry Heart offers a scathing critique of the institution of marriage, exposing the ways in which it can become a cage for women, robbing them of their sense of self and agency. Ginzburg's unflinching portrayal of the narrator's inner turmoil and her ultimate decision to end her husband's life challenges readers to confront the uncomfortable truths about the power dynamics and societal expectations that often underpin marital relationships.

The matter-of-fact delivery of the murder, both at the beginning and end of the story, underscores the narrator's sense of resignation and the perceived lack of alternatives available to her. Ginzburg's skill lies in her ability to elicit a range of emotions from the reader, from horror and revulsion to a deep empathy for the protagonist's plight.

In The Dry Heart, Natalia Ginzburg has crafted a work of exceptional psychological acuity, shedding light on the often-hidden struggles of women trapped in unhappy marriages. Her uncompromising voice and the story's haunting, unsettling resolution linger long after the final page has been turned. This feminist horror story stands as a powerful testament to the author's literary prowess and her unwavering commitment to exploring the complexities of the human experience.

product information: