What do readers think of The Silent Period by Francesca Manfredi? Write your own review.

I was really intrigued by this book the minute I saw the funky, mesmerizing cover but of course, I never judge a book by this! This book was translated brilliantly by Ekin Oklap as I found it to be intelligently written as we go month by month through Cristina's (sometimes) tumultuous life. I can actually relate to her opting out of the whole social media insanity, but as time went by she eventually fell silent, I considered that a bit extreme but still understood why this was happening. It's hard to put into words all the emotions I feel she was going through but a lot was obviously family related. Her sister Elena almost seems cold in the beginning, but appears to care more than presumed by the end. I can see how this book may not be for everyone, but I found it to be very unique and feel it would appeal to a reader who also enjoyed Eleanor Olyphant is Completely Fine or the aforementioned Sally Rooney. I loved the book and look forward to more from this author.

I was fortunate to have received an advanced reader copy of this book. I absolutely loved it. The subject matter is incredibly interesting and thought provoking. It explores the choices we make in so many different ways - mainly about how we communicate with ourselves and others, verbally, in writing and by remaining silent. I savored almost every sentence - the writing and translation are beyond brilliant, and I found myself re-reading many paragraphs to savor every word. I can't say enough wonderful things about this book. A true gift to any serious reader, especially those who cherish translated works of fiction.

Francesca Manfredi's The Silent Period is a quietly powerful meditation on silence, isolation, and the human need for connection. Through Cristina's gradual withdrawal from speech, gestures, and writing, the novel explores how stepping back from a noisy, hyper-connected world can be both liberating and unsettling. The prose is spare and hypnotic, perfectly reflecting Cristina's internal state, while the narrative's ambiguity invites reflection on the meaning of communication, presence, and selfhood.

While the story may feel slow or uneventful to some, its emotional resonance lingers long after the last page, especially in the final chapters where Cristina's silence reaches its full, transformative depth. The book is a deeply introspective, existential read — one that asks readers to consider the value of words, the weight of absence, and the quiet power of choosing not to speak. (with help from ChatGPT).

The Silent Period is an engaging read. I enjoyed it overall as it tackles an issue very much at the forefront of today's world. The novel's message is clear in conveying the effect social media has on people, how technology has changed our lives over the past quarter century (and not necessarily for the better), and how for many it has been detrimental. I would recommend the novel to any reader who is intrigued by social media and its psychological effects on its users. Although I have to say I was disappointed in the way it ended, but I understand that may owe to the way stories are told in this postmodern era where it often happens that the climax is left to the reader's imagination.

I found "The Silent Period" an intriguing read. I found I could relate to the main character Cristina's desire to quit social media and (I think) her feelings of the shallowness of people's visions of other people's lives & relationships. I never felt that I wanted to stop reading this book even though there were parts I did not understand what the author was trying to convey. I feel like there are big ideas in this book that are "over my head"; therefore I think it is a book I would like to discuss with other readers. When I was trying to answer my husband's questions of why Cristina chose to be mute, I found I couldn't articulate an answer. However, all said, I am glad I read this book. I don't think this is a book for everyone, but I think it is a book that would lend well for discussion.

This might be the first time I have literally wanted to talk to a character in a book while I was actually reading it. Being new to the topic of mutism, I must admit I was deeply concerned and had so many questions about Cristina, the main character and the actual process and understanding of just what mutism is. Periodically I wanted to give her advice & actually talk to her face to face. The Silent Period is extremely thought provoking and is a book club's dream. There are way too many questions & not enough answers. The book is very well written, full of beautiful quotes and incites from Cristina along with excruciatingly painful scenes. I definitely recommend The Silent Period..it's not a beach read but definitely a read you won't put down!

Christina struggles with the amorphic nature of words. How they imply and can be inferred. She doesn't trust them. Small talk is senseless; she detests social decorum rituals and hates that people can hurt with and be hurt by words. While she is intrigued by language development and word origins, she develops an increasing belief that silence is the way to go. Her family struggles to understand her "selective mutism" and the rest of the book goes back and forth searching for her motivations, exploring her childhood relationships, etc. from her family's pov and her own. According to her, her family was distressed over the one thing in the world that she did best.

Friends tried to keep her in their life as long as possible, but it wasn't easy..."Are you listening to me?" said Silvia. "I hope so. I feel like I'm sitting in an empty confessional."
There are some great similes in this book and some ideas to make you stop and think. Overall, this is quirky read, perhaps too redundant, certainly dysfunctional in nature... I'm not sure I've made myself clear :)

I appreciate this opportunity to review Francesca Manfredi's The Silent Period.

I knew this book was going to be different, and that was part of the appeal. Although I could not relate to the opening page of the "Reptile" chapter about suicide seeming pure or promising or appealing in any way (a knife looking better against one's skin instead of a loaf of bread), the second page presented more of a universal thought:what would life be like without social media. The eyeballing boredom of posed photos with people more concerned with a photo of themselves in a place rather than enjoying the location itself. I found myself continuing to be interested in the story of Cristina, the 28-year-old, first-person narrator, with "September," chapter two. Common, everyday settings and activities versus Kafka-ish dreams of becoming a reptile make the book more universally appealing.

I found myself wondering as I read if the author was trying to document depression begins to take over a person's life and ultimately silences them, either literally or figuratively. It did seem like a search for meaning in one's life, the struggles many people have with varying degrees of depression, and shallow relationships with few truly concerned friends or family members were all a part of this book. Interestingly, however, even the protagonist does not know what to call her decision/lifestyle change, saying only "I started this 'thing' (I don't know what to call it: a journey?..." (p. 190).

Something that I understood in Part One of THE SILENT PERIOD was the attempt of friends like Daniele to stay in touch with Cristina through letters. Since I have made this attempt with a couple of special friends who had seemed quite different and somehow troubled during our last time together, I know the sadness of not being able to help a dear friend, of not knowing what was happening, and as time passed, not knowing if a friend was even still alive.

Part two of the book has some interesting observations in the form of a social media chat group. For example, "...I think that intelligence and common sense can also be measured through the ways we choose not to say anything." And, of course, just like often happens in real life, a sarcastic troll has to interrupt with a comment; in this case it is:"The real news is to find a woman who can be quiet for longer than a minute. hahahahaha."

Not really a 4 star for me, but I feel it deserves to be rounded up rather than rounded down. I appreciated the reading experience, so many thanks BookBrowse and W.W.Norton publisher.