Release date: October 19th, 2011
Series: L'amica geniale #1
Pages: 331
Genre: Fiction
A modern masterpiece from one of Italy's most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense and generous hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante's inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighbourhood, a city and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her two protagonists.
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I've heard a lot of praise about this book, so I said to myself that I have to pick it up and read it to see what the fuss is about.
I have to say that this is a brilliantly written book about unique and different childhood friends.
The story is happening in Italy, Naples, in the fifties, right after the war. The city is trying to get itself back on its feet and people are trying to revive the city by bringing business into it.
Lila and Elena come from families that aren't rich. They both have the same dreams - to become rich and successful when they grow up.
Elena and Lila have a somehow different, yet very interesting friendship. Elena always sees Lila as the smarter one and she follows her steps and does everything she does because she wants to be just like her. When they go to school, it's obvious Lila is smart without having to try much and Elena wants to be just like her, so she spends long hours studying.
But the paths to reach the dream can be very different and Lila and Elena soon find that out when Lila can't continue going to the school anymore. That makes Lila sad, of course, but she doesn't show that to Elena. She borrows the same books Elena's studying from and she teaches herself, which makes Elena jealous of her because she's always one step before her.
But things quickly change for Lila's life. While Elena continues going to the school, Lila gets engaged at 16 and then married to a rich man which brings her dreams just a little closer for her.
This book was amazing. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. The story is a little slow-paced at times and it's unfolding slowly, but it's still interesting with every page you turn.
It's different and refreshing. It's also informative because we get an insight into how different and dangerous Italy was in those days.
Elena Ferrante is a pseudonymous Italian novelist. Ferrante's books, originally published in Italian, have been translated into many languages. Her four-book series of Neapolitan Novels are her most widely known works.
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