My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante: “Lila had received Little Women... and I got the book Heart, by Edmondo De Amicis, with not a word of explanation.”
Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai: “Tonight, after the massage, I read a little of 'Heart' to Mother as a bonus. Whenever I read it, I get the same feeling I had as a small child, and my own heart feels honest and clean. Mother cried, head bowed, at the parts about Enrico and Garrone. [auto-translated]”