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The Story of a New Name,
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Amanda
Can I be team anti-Nino? While we are discussing around the girls I think that our energy should be anti this unbearable and arrogant guy.
This novel is built around social, gender and class norms and discussing Lila and Lenù goes against the central ideas in the book.
This novel is built around social, gender and class norms and discussing Lila and Lenù goes against the central ideas in the book.
Letícia Monteiro
There's no such thing, it's not a competition. That's the whole point.
They're both strong, complex and vivacious characters and their love for each other surpasses the old idea that women are not loyal friends because it's their (our) nature to compete with each other. I think anyone who "teams up" with one of them is missing the strongest purpose of this wonderful narrative.
I admire Lila so much, how she can remain always true to herself despite the violent and painful path life lead her. Lenu struggles her whole life with her low self-esteem and desperate need for approval, but her resilient fight, her ambitious discipline makes her mature beautifully and truly find herself at some point. They're both admirable, flawed, cruel, selfish, generous, intelligent, subversive, they're so human, they're so women. Most importantly, they deeply love each other and that love guides their lives in many ways. I see myself in both, and I also see my mom, my sister, my female friends, my female relatives. There are no teams.
They're both strong, complex and vivacious characters and their love for each other surpasses the old idea that women are not loyal friends because it's their (our) nature to compete with each other. I think anyone who "teams up" with one of them is missing the strongest purpose of this wonderful narrative.
I admire Lila so much, how she can remain always true to herself despite the violent and painful path life lead her. Lenu struggles her whole life with her low self-esteem and desperate need for approval, but her resilient fight, her ambitious discipline makes her mature beautifully and truly find herself at some point. They're both admirable, flawed, cruel, selfish, generous, intelligent, subversive, they're so human, they're so women. Most importantly, they deeply love each other and that love guides their lives in many ways. I see myself in both, and I also see my mom, my sister, my female friends, my female relatives. There are no teams.
Campbell
The more I read of this series of novels the more I slide towards disliking both of them.
Heather
It's a serious novel about female friendship, not an episode of the Bachelor. You don't have to pick the girl character you're rooting for.
senhorita valdez
I always tend to team with Lenú. Lila just irritates me too much. But if I stop to think about it, they are both imperfect, non-linear and relatable and I guess that's what make theses books so compelling. One recognizes her own human errors in theirs.
Mary
Both, because they are so complex. Lila is the more volatile but you can understand why -- what a waste of genius. This novel skewers social gender and class norms more devastatingly than any I have read. The old feminist slogan "the personal is political" is played out in this story, and the stories of Lenù and Lila are entwined. I haven't read a story so baldly honest before.
NatDutch
I loved Lila, despite her mean streaks at times, and had a very hard time sympathizing with Lenu in the books 3 and 4. In contrast with the first 2 books, when she was very likable. I dislike Lenu for her vanity, her dependence on praise and attention. Her sensitivity to status and importance and most of all, her inability to look past herself. I can't fathom much sympathy for her narcissistic and cold approach to things. Why does a success for Lila always automatically mean a failure for Lenu, in her own perception. Her self doubt and pettiness became grinding to me.
Carla King
I see a Yin Yang relationship. Is there one without the other?
Allie
I relate more to Lenú, but am more fascinated by and drawn to Lila.
Lisa
Team Lila! I think Lenu is very judgemental and envious. Lila is a victim of circumstances, I can understand her behaviour.
Rozsa Gaston
Team Lenu. Lila is too self destructive and generally destructive. I had a dream about her and when I woke up I was relieved to realize she was just a character in a book. Someone who fascinates and repels.
Viola80
Lila is really unlikeable, but Elena... ok, she deserves her success (I'm still at book 2), she deserves the prestigious university, being published and so on because she worked very hard, as a donkey we say in Italy, but she's so perfect, she always does it right, better than the others. One ends up being a little envious!! Besides, nowadays in Italy you might do as she did, study, beign well read etc, and still end up nowhere. The Italy showed in these novels has ended, it doesn't exist anymore.
Ghizal
I tried answering this question throughout the entire first and second book. I think the line "I did not know the map of prestige..." is especially telling of both characters. They are both imperfect, both arriving at prestige in different manners, and both dealing with it differently. Lila's genius did not necessarily go to waste. She's just using it in a different way - and she is privileged in being able to use her genius in a way that Lenu will never be able to and never know how to. Genius is not necessarily manifested in academics, and that is Lenu's insecurity. She thought she could surpass it by surpassing Lila in academics. Beautiful beautiful book.
Frances Wong
We are all Lenùs
Striving to be Lilas
But destined to remain Lenùs.
Striving to be Lilas
But destined to remain Lenùs.
Elisabeth
I haven't finished the book yet, but so far I find Lila to be a brat and an utter despicable person.
S 24215
Lila and Lenu almost represent two sides of an individual woman. In book one, Lenu tells Lila "what you do, I do," and I think that this theme carries throughout the story as Lenu constantly compares herself to Lila and tries to make herself like Lila. Furthermore, the idea that a success for Lila is a failure for Lenu continues to push the idea that both women are two halves of the same coin, as it were. Their actions affect each other in profound ways, and it would be interesting to consider how each girl would have changed if their circumstances had been switched.
Özge
Team Lila but I can't dislike Lenu since the dynamics between them narrated through her point of view is what makes the whole 4 novels a master piece in my opinion. However I guess I would hate her if I had known her with this depth in real life. What is consistent all through the story and sometimes frankly confessed by Lenu herself is that Lenu cannot create without the inspiration provided by Lila or sometimes without the ambition again caused by her competitiveness against her (Lila is free of ambition) This is a story of a very typical exploitation of Lenu who received all chances and used them to climb the social ladder and Lila forced to stay where she is being subject to oppression and injuctice. What makes her most remarkable is that first of all she silently rejects the role of being a victim and always finds a way to survive and arise without being egotistical while Lenu is selfish, whiny and self victimising as a natural result of her ambitions. Secondly Lila is always realistic, she never denies any truth in favor of her own needs. Lenu's character is marked by a tendency to twist around with facts whenever she neeeds to. This also is the main reason I believe that many readersd dislike Lila because it's Lenu's eyes she's viewed through.
Lnaimark
Team Lila - Not a pleasant person, apparently, but one whose genius was squandered. Elena, as it turns out, also became unpleasant and selfish--without the genius part.
Jolynne
I like them both. They do what they do because of the oppressed world in which they live.
Kris
One does not exist without the other, like foils in a complicated tangle.
Dominique White
I'm also angry with both! But agree that they are a team and cannot be separated.
Laurie Blanchemain
I only read the 2 first books for the moment and i will say Lila ! I don't have so much sympathy for Lenu !! And it made me difficult to read the second book as she is the narrator. She is too blind by her jealousy. She is still jealous of her friend when this one is taking so much crap from so many men. I don't understand Lenu. She doesn't support so much Lila after all, but Lila always encouraged her to study on her way. Lila has more reasons to be jealous of Lenu at the end. She may be mean sometimes but i think she is genuine and not try to please everybody like Lenu tries to do all the time. I like how she stands for her opinions. It's hard for me to see what is interesting about Lenu for now
Ana Viana
#teamLila always. Love her. I understand her deeply.
Bonita Braun
They both drive me crazy!! I am not sure I can get through this book, one of them better break this horrible codependency!
Susan
I roomed with Lila in college, so she tends to annoy me in the same ways my roommate did. However, I have to say that Lenu annoys me when she takes too much crap from Lila.
Fernando
The more I read the second book the more I relate to Lenù and the way she is completely tangled, specially considering how Lila tends to treat her. So I'm tempted to say Team Lenù but being Team Lenù is actually being Team Lila too... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Elisabeth Auborne
I've read many times that: "We are all Lenùs
Striving to be Lilas
But destined to remain Lenùs."
Well, not that many women are Lenus, and certainly not a lot strive to be Lilas.
None wants to be spiteful and hated on purpose. What many people do envy about Lila, is not her genius, not her disposition, not even her looks, but her GUTS. Lila is the most daring character. It is revealed that she's not that big a genius either, she simply gives her heart and soul to what she does, she throws herself to it, she fights against everything and everyone, she doesn't give a damn about anything and anyone, and she doesn't take herself that seriously - the biggest difference between her and Lenu, and Lenu's greatest mistake. If you want to win, you should keep an eye on the target and another on your wants and needs. If you have both eyes searching for approval into other people's eyes, there's no eye left to help you win.
Lila's always true to herself and she fights for what she wants and what's best for her. Or so she thinks. But even if she makes her mistakes, she holds her head high and goes on. If she falls, she rises twice as tough.
Striving to be Lilas
But destined to remain Lenùs."
Well, not that many women are Lenus, and certainly not a lot strive to be Lilas.
None wants to be spiteful and hated on purpose. What many people do envy about Lila, is not her genius, not her disposition, not even her looks, but her GUTS. Lila is the most daring character. It is revealed that she's not that big a genius either, she simply gives her heart and soul to what she does, she throws herself to it, she fights against everything and everyone, she doesn't give a damn about anything and anyone, and she doesn't take herself that seriously - the biggest difference between her and Lenu, and Lenu's greatest mistake. If you want to win, you should keep an eye on the target and another on your wants and needs. If you have both eyes searching for approval into other people's eyes, there's no eye left to help you win.
Lila's always true to herself and she fights for what she wants and what's best for her. Or so she thinks. But even if she makes her mistakes, she holds her head high and goes on. If she falls, she rises twice as tough.
Laura
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Laura
I couldn't help but feel more sympathetic towards Lenù throughout the whole series, maybe that's because I feel I relate more to her... And the fact that Lila is downright mean most of the time doesn't help her case much. She's a very interesting character though...
Victoria Fernandez
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Vera
It's a question you can't answer. You can prefer one or the other but we need to keep in mind that Elena is not necessarily a reliable narrator (in book 3 there's a quote that struck me, said by Lila but undoubtably true for Elena as well, "we all tell our stories the way it suits us best") and we're not getting the whole picture of Lila.
Ivan
You know you got to choose, don't you? Lenu is the narrator and this gives her some advantage because we will mostly view the story from her point of view. Most readers will probably sympathise when Nino and Lila betray her. I choose Lenu because of her choice to continue her education as highest as possible. But Lila's struggle and survival cannot be defeated or ignored.
Suzanne F
I respect Lenu` tho am drawn in many ways to Lila...both are representative of the same coin during this turbulent time in Italy, and Naples, in particular, with such a fraught history (even still.).
Nico
I was Team Lenù for most of the book, but at the end I felt closer to Lila, so I suppose I'm of both
Rima
You can't. There are in both each other, you can't be in team Lenu while she is alway part of Lila's character and life. And you can't be team Lila because she will always need to belong to Lenu's world and interests.
Kathleen Brown
Sympathetic? Are you joking?
Alejandra Carrillo
Team anti all of the men in the history forever.
Jillian
For me, I am definitely Team Lenú. Lila reminds me too much of the girls who were mean to me when I was growing up, and the women who are mean to me now. My gut response to Lila is that she's a selfish solipsist, but given that she also spends a good deal of her time taking care of others, I have to admit that it's not that simple. In a nutshell, I would not want to be friends with Lila, but I think I could be good friends with Lenú.
Moises Cuervo
Lila definitely, Lenu it's a little bipolar hehe
Diana Gutiérrez
Team Lila, all despite her ruthlessness. :P
Benoît Huron
Both of course. _They_ are a team (but okay, I love Lila).
Sara Alarcon
Team both..cant help but see the brilliance in both, too similar but too different...both made me equally angry at times , I must say :)
Elana Leanna
Lila, because Lenu frustrated me so much with her choices.
Erica Hansen
I tend to side with people who dislike Lila. As far as Lenu’ goes she has been my favorite character from the beginning but now it’s getting to a point where you start wondering when she will find her voice and start to standup for herself. They are both traumatized individuals and the product of a tough/abusive environment. Lila is the high IQ child who isn’t given the chance of an education; Lenu’ is the bright and disciplined student who instead is given the chance. Add the different temperaments and personalities: Lila is more impulsive and volatile; Lenu’ is obedient, quiet and insecure. Ultimately, the serie is about friendship. Through ups and downs at the end, Lila and Lenu’ always find each other.
Barry Smith
What's interesting is the competitiveness between them and how their 'frailties' are never too far away. Like all of us, I suspect!
Tay Ngo
The response is, if you're reading Ferrante closely, that you have to be both. Lenu and Lila are interconnected and enmeshed.
Jenny T
In the first volume, I identified more with Lila because I used to be told that I was passionate, unconventional, and naturally smart. I understood what it was like to be treated as an outcast and not naturally beautiful. Growing up poor and not having the same opportunities as others, but getting an education to the best of my ability.
In the second volume, I identified more with Lenu because she is clearly the more sentimental, thoughtful, and emotional friend. I identified with her when Lila forgot an important moment in their friendship, and felt the betrayal of a friend who seems to carelessly do as she pleases without consideration or thoughtfulness, just living in the moment. I admire Lenu's diligence, her discipline, and her general nonjudgmental attitude with all that's happening. She accepts and admires her friend, and even lives through her, in a sense, even though SHE is the one doing big things like graduating from college and publishing a book. Yet trashy little Lila is still the star in Lenu's eyes. It's kind of sad but testifies to the humility and devotion of Lenu, who maybe is too codependent, and is maybe the less interesting character, but is clearly the more caring friend.
There wouldn't be a story without Lila, but thank God she has a friend like Lenu or her life might just be worthless.
In short, I'm team Lenu.
In the second volume, I identified more with Lenu because she is clearly the more sentimental, thoughtful, and emotional friend. I identified with her when Lila forgot an important moment in their friendship, and felt the betrayal of a friend who seems to carelessly do as she pleases without consideration or thoughtfulness, just living in the moment. I admire Lenu's diligence, her discipline, and her general nonjudgmental attitude with all that's happening. She accepts and admires her friend, and even lives through her, in a sense, even though SHE is the one doing big things like graduating from college and publishing a book. Yet trashy little Lila is still the star in Lenu's eyes. It's kind of sad but testifies to the humility and devotion of Lenu, who maybe is too codependent, and is maybe the less interesting character, but is clearly the more caring friend.
There wouldn't be a story without Lila, but thank God she has a friend like Lenu or her life might just be worthless.
In short, I'm team Lenu.
LauSo
I think the best part of this book is that both of them feel like real people and are complex characters, both have good and bad, can be petty to each other but also protective of each other and had a context that defined them. They love and resent each other and are interesting characters to read about, specially when they stop idealizing the other and have vulnerable moments in which the other shows support.
I absolutely agree about Nino, though. He's so full of himself and acts like he isn't like his father, meanwhile he wants to be admired and feels intimidated when that's not the case.
I absolutely agree about Nino, though. He's so full of himself and acts like he isn't like his father, meanwhile he wants to be admired and feels intimidated when that's not the case.
Zulmy
Both ... agree with the Team anti-Nino and his father ... the girls are so different and thriving to become someone on their own with different approaches ... loving the books, just finished book 2.
flavia Melchioretto
When I love one, I hate the other and vice versa...
Bilgi
both equally
!
!
Joanna
I pretty much dislike Lila but I enjoy the way Lenuccia presents things. Lila is very selfish and really doesn't reciprocate towards anybody. Some things Lenù does are questionable, but she's entirely human. So Lenù.
Marina Gudelj
Definitely Lila!
Laura Marie Campagna
I am on team Lenu
Angie
Team Lenu! However I do feel sorry for Lila.
Amanda
I am totally Elena
João Paulo
Team Lenù! hahahaha almeno fino a qua :)
Louise Culmer
i don't sympathise particularly with either of them, though a bit more with lenu i suppose. lila is very annoying, mainly i am baffled by their rather tiresome infatuation with Nino. can't really imagine what either of them see in him.
Ollie
I agree with others that say they are a Team. Perhaps , though, they will only find this out too late...
Monica
While I feel sympathy for Lila, I don't like her very much. She really is mean.
Mariano
#LenuLila2018 #YingYang
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