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Dramatika asked this question about The Story of the Lost Child (Neapolitan Novels, #4):
Do you think Lila could be trusted as a friend? Why Lina continues this toxic relationship with Lila, who to me is perfect illustration of the proverb with friends like this..Lila is complex character, manipulative yet selfless, evil yet kind at the same time, but too dangerous to have as a friend I think.
Marzie Thanks for @Lnaimark for pointing out the Lenú/Lina confusion in the question and the response.

I think that Lila was fiercely loyal, in her way, to El…moreThanks for @Lnaimark for pointing out the Lenú/Lina confusion in the question and the response.

I think that Lila was fiercely loyal, in her way, to Elena/Lenú but that both women have evolved so much that their ties to one another begin to fray. Neither is as magnificent as the person on the pedestals they have put one another on. Lila doubts herself less than Lenú does and I think that self-doubt and self-justification make Lenú a less than reliable narrator. That said, Lila's often heedless forward momentum, especially in the first two books, makes her disloyal to those who thought they bought her loyalty. And that, I think is the key- Elena was her friend and cherished the friendship early on. Lila's interaction with almost everyone else in her life, other than perhaps Enzo, was transactional. They wanted to buy her and for her to provide connections and the spoils of these connections for them. Lenú never expected that from her. (less)
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The Story of the Lost Child
by Elena Ferrante
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