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My Brilliant Friend (My Brilliant Friend, #1)

Elena Ferrante,

Ann Goldstein (Translator)

Start date: October 1, 2020

Finish date: October 31, 2020

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Nov 30, 2016 Candi rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, book-i-own

"It was as if, because of an evil spell, the joy or sorrow of one required the sorrow or joy of the other; even our physical aspect, it seemed to me, shared in that swing."

Elena and Lila, a friendship born of necessity – the need to find another human soul that understands us, our longings and sorrows - someone to emulate, someone that drives each of us to become our very best self. These two girls, born into poverty in 1950s Naples, forge a relationship that is both captivating and completely "It was as if, because of an evil spell, the joy or sorrow of one required the sorrow or joy of the other; even our physical aspect, it seemed to me, shared in that swing."

Elena and Lila, a friendship born of necessity – the need to find another human soul that understands us, our longings and sorrows - someone to emulate, someone that drives each of us to become our very best self. These two girls, born into poverty in 1950s Naples, forge a relationship that is both captivating and completely authentic. There is something about a novel told from the point of view of an adult looking back at his or her childhood that thoroughly captures my attention and feels so convincing. Even if I cannot relate to the circumstances or the surroundings, the emotions are so very real and bring back such sharp memories of my own inexperience and innocent yearnings.

With keen insight and skillful writing, Elena Ferrante has crafted a vivid account of two young lives struggling to rise above the usual fate of those born into such harsh conditions. The impoverishment and violence of the neighborhood are part of the daily fabric of Elena and Lila’s lives, but they dream of a life elevated above those around them. The key to achieving this dream – education. "In that last year of elementary school, wealth became our obsession. We talked about it the way characters in novels talk about searching for treasure… Then, I don’t know why, things changed and we began to link school to wealth. We thought that if we studied hard we would be able to write books and that the books would make us rich. Wealth was still the glitter of gold coins stored in countless chests, but to get there all you had to do was go to school and write a book." Oh yes, there was a time when I believed diligent studying would achieve similar results! What little girl doesn’t dream of becoming rich or famous?! Both girls work hard, but it is quite evident that Lila is the dominant one in the relationship – academics come easy to her and Elena finds herself wanting to reach those same heights. She often feels inferior to Lila and it becomes her goal to keep up with her, but believing she can never surpass the brilliance of her friend.

Of course, the competition between two coming-of-age girls doesn’t just end at schoolwork. The fragility of such a relationship is further tested by the attraction they hold for the boys of the neighborhood. In this arena, Elena perhaps feels she has an advantage over Lila: "In general I was the pretty one, while she was skinny, like a salted anchovy, she gave off an odor of wildness, she had a long face, narrow at the temples, framed by two bands of smooth black hair." However, true to the nature of girlhood, feelings of inadequacy settle in and Elena feels second-string once again. "But Lila now had retaken the upper hand, satisfaction had magnified her beauty, while I, overwhelmed by schoolwork, exhausted by my frustrated love for Nino, was growing ugly again. My healthy color faded, the acne returned. And suddenly one morning the specter of glasses appeared."

I couldn’t help but wish that Elena would stand up for herself, value herself as an individual separate from her attachment to Lila. Lila, the leader and Elena, the follower – certainly a familiar dynamic in a friendship. I wonder who benefits most from these friendships. Perhaps Elena needed the competition to drive her own ambition and rise above her circumstances. But Lila too needed someone to ground her, give her some sense of stability in her own life. I think perhaps such relationships are fluid – giving and receiving on both ends at different times, always changing along with the trials and tribulations each experiences. Ferrante does an exceptional job of examining the complexities of friendships and this is what I found to be the most fascinating aspect of this novel. The ending leaves one with a question and the desire to grab the second book in the series. Without a doubt, I will do exactly that. I am eager to follow not just Elena and Lila’s friendship but also to learn more about the fate of the large cast of characters – especially Nino, Stefano, Rino, Pasquale, Antonio, and even the city of Naples itself.
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Apr 25, 2019 Book Concierge rated it liked it

Shelves: concierge, strong-women, friendship, library, audio, italy, coming-of-age, historical-fiction, series

Audible audiobook performed by Hillary Huber
3.5***

This is the first of four books in the “Neapolitan Series” by Ferrante. In it we meet Lila and Elena, two young girls growing up in 1950s Naples. They struggle to grow up in post-war Italy, with limited financial resources, but a strong relationship and a determination to succeed. Their paths diverge somewhat but their friendship remains true, and through their experiences the reader gets a glimpse of life, love, heartache and joy in 1950s-1960 Audible audiobook performed by Hillary Huber
3.5***

This is the first of four books in the “Neapolitan Series” by Ferrante. In it we meet Lila and Elena, two young girls growing up in 1950s Naples. They struggle to grow up in post-war Italy, with limited financial resources, but a strong relationship and a determination to succeed. Their paths diverge somewhat but their friendship remains true, and through their experiences the reader gets a glimpse of life, love, heartache and joy in 1950s-1960s Italy.

I loved the way this friendship was portrayed, and the strength of these two girls as they faced the challenges of growing up. Elena is the narrator, a good student and the child of a civil servant who values education. Lila’s father is a shoemaker and while she is obviously smart and capable of advanced study, he does not want her to continue and cannot (or will not) afford to send her to school. But she has her best friend, who shares books and concepts with her and encourages her. Also, Lila has the library, and her considerable intelligence.

I could not help but be reminded of my BFF when I was growing up, and the tightness of that bond. Like these central characters, we hardly breathed without consulting one another, and shared every secret, every joy, every heartache, every dream, every disappointment, and every triumph.

I also really appreciated how the landscape and culture were practically a character in the novel. I felt immersed in 1950s Naples. I could practically feel the heat on my skin, smell the leather in the shoe shop, hear the cacophony of a neighborhood filled with boisterous children.

The cast of characters is large, but no larger than any tightly knit community / neighborhood. Also, several of them are referred to by different names. Lila, whose real first name is Rafaela, is also called Lina. Elena is sometimes called Lenu. The text includes a cast of characters at the beginning, which I found helpful.

Hillary Huber does a great job of narrating the audiobook. She really brought these characters to life. I did refer to the text when I began writing this review, and I think that I would have enjoyed the book even more had I read it rather than listened. But that is my failing, not Huber’s.
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Aug 18, 2016 Tasha rated it really liked it

I'm going to continue on with the series. Although it took me a little while to get into the story and the writing, I ended up thoroughly enjoying this one. I love how it ended and I'm really curious to see how it plays out. I've grown attached to the characters and I want to see where they go from here. ...more

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Feb 02, 2025 bunny ୨୧ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: top-100-nyt, top-100-nyt-readers

I definitely don't think I have the Ferrante fever, not enough to consider this the best book of the century (according to The New York Times at least). Only at the halfway point and towards the end did it spark a mild interest in me. The ending especially is the biggest reason why I will continue this series, it's like a crash that you can't look away from, and I want to know what comes of Lila and Lenú.

It's got a ton of characters, that even by the end of the book I was struggling to associate ...more

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