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My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Novels, #1)

Elena Ferrante

Start date: May 10, 2018

Finish date: June 13, 2018

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Jun 18, 2025 Joe Bruno rated it really liked it

I just finished the first book of this series and enjoyed it quite a bit. This first offering is a coming-of-age story with two main characters. My friend Tommy says the next book, and the subsequent ones, are simply a continuation of this one. Depending on where the story could go, that might not be bad, though it needs to pick up the pace a little.

The female aspect of this did not elude me, but would think it resonates better with women. I thought the complexities of the small neighborhood tha ...more

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Jun 26, 2018 Kenneth Hardcastle rated it liked it

Shelves: bildungsroman, historical-fiction, paperback, class

My Brilliant Friend is the start of a life story continued in the Neapolitan Novels. Lenu Greco is a young woman growing up in Naples, Italy after World War II. At a young age, she falls in with Lila, the shoemaker’s daughter. Lila is sharp and fearless, flourishing in and fighting back against their dangerous environment. Lenu is drawn into her proximity primarily out of a need to avoid showing weakness. As time passes and the neighborhood children blossom into adolescents, Lenu and Lila grow c My Brilliant Friend is the start of a life story continued in the Neapolitan Novels. Lenu Greco is a young woman growing up in Naples, Italy after World War II. At a young age, she falls in with Lila, the shoemaker’s daughter. Lila is sharp and fearless, flourishing in and fighting back against their dangerous environment. Lenu is drawn into her proximity primarily out of a need to avoid showing weakness. As time passes and the neighborhood children blossom into adolescents, Lenu and Lila grow closer and apart in turns. The novel focuses on the trials of adolescence, the position of young women in 1950s Italy, and the force of scandal that can rock a small community.

I was drawn into the lives of these characters, and could even tell almost everybody apart without the aid of the character index as the book wrapped up. The description of how Lila has to navigate dangerous love without saying “no” is as true and relevant today. Her subsequent outright and relentless rejection of a seemingly more brutal person made me laugh and was similarly and paradoxically realistic. As a recent transplant to Naples (Florida), I found the descriptions of the city somehow accurate to my reality. Lenu doesn’t say much about her mother, but every word the elder Greco woman says is a gem.

The translation seemed a little choppy, but it served to remind me that this was a different culture. I spent a lot of time wondering whether this was more a direct translation or more a translation that fit the spirit the author intended, what is possible with Italian to English, and whether I could even communicate the same idea any better. (Usually not.)

My slight distaste for historical fiction combined with a title one might find on a child’s first essay had me really resistant to starting this book. But, book club would not be delayed. I came to find out that the title was pretty clever. Aside from being an apt description of how the protagonists saw each other, the novel starts at an age where that might be an appropriate title. As the book wound to a conclusion, I caught myself making theories about the future of the characters. I think there is a good chance I will read the sequels someday. ...more

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Jun 13, 2018 Teresa rated it liked it

This book was not bad. I won't say great because I really didn't care if I picked it up and finished it or not. It had some interesting parts, and showed some of the culture of post war Italy. But she never really made me care about any of the characters. ...more

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Jul 01, 2015 Courteney marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Nov 11, 2015 Julia marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jun 13, 2018 Anne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: digital-discourse, 2018

Jun 09, 2018 Readridinghood marked it as to-read

Jun 16, 2018 Brittany marked it as to-read

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