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My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Novels, #1)

Elena Ferrante

Start date: July 1, 2019

Finish date: July 30, 2019

Discussion: Monthly Bonus Reads

Why we're reading this: July Bonus Read- International Day of Friendship

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
[close] July Bonus Read- International Day of Friendship

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

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What Members Thought

Mar 21, 2018 Richard Derus rated it it was ok

Shelves: borrowed, returned

Rating: 2* of five

I have no memory of when I read this blah little excursion into pointlessness. The translation was perfectly fine, I'm informed by a bilingual Italian, so I say with confidence:

~meh~

I can't abide comparisons of this tedious twaddle to Jane Austen...there is absolutely not one scintilla of the genius that is Austen in this ponderous pile of pablum, this blancmange of a book. It will, as I see has been commented before, be perfectly adequate television. Though not tel ...more

58 likes · Like · see review

Apr 15, 2015 Suzy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-authors, favorite-series, family-dynamics, tv-fave, historical-fiction, friendship, auto-fiction, coming-of-age, goodreads-discoveries

UPDATE 2021: The tv series of books 1 & 2 was fabulous - better than I could have hoped for! Originally aired in the States on HBO. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7278862/...

Update 4/27/2017 - tv series in the works!!!! http://variety.com/2017/tv/global/hbo...

This is an exceptional book about life and friendship, played out within the backdrop of a dirt poor 1950's Napoli neighborhood where families have lived for generations, families who rarely leave the confines of the neighborhood except for a ...more

44 likes · Like · see review

Jun 27, 2017 Rania Nasir rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: booked-for-brunch-ii

I absolutely loved this book. It had me hooked from the first chapter. I was quite surprised that a translated work would hold such command over my attention. The writing is beautiful but not over-the-top or complicated. Elana articulately depicts the most nuanced emotions. The setting, the characters, the relationships are all gorgeously portrayed.

I particularly love the relationship between the two best friends and how it oscillates between love, worship, jealousy and pain.

Cannot wait to rea ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 23, 2016 Randy A. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Kind of like young adult Judy Blume set in 1950s Naples. I liked it but didn't love it. It's an easy read that would be great for vacation. Unfortunately the translation probably sacrificed some of the writer's style. ...more

1 like · Like · see review