IN A NUTSHELL
- My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein (Europa Editions, 2012)
- In 40 words or less: The first of four novels by an elusive Italian author centering on the friendship of two women from their childhood in Naples to the present.
- Genre: Fiction
- Locale: Naples
- Time: 1950’s-60’s
- Read this for an intimate view of life in an isolated working class Italian neighborhood.
In Spring, 2012, I went to the Europa Editions booth at Book Expo and asked which of their titles they would recommend above all others for book groups. And I took home a yellow-bound advance copy of My Brilliant Friend. As I started to read it, I realized it really is a book to share in a group.
Fast forward to 2015. The final book, The Story of the Lost Child, is released in the U.S. market to great acclaim. My Brilliant Friend becomes a bestseller and I encourage a group to choose it for discussion. And just this week it was announced there’s a move to bring the story to the (small) screen.
Reading about Elena and Lila often seems like you are tagging along behind two best friends, hearing their secrets and their bickering, growing closer and farther apart as they face individual challenges. From childhood the girls were different from most in their tight-knit neighborhood. Smart and competitive, their families often don’t understand them. Ferrante takes the reader in and out of all the apartments, low-end shops and into the intimacies of families struggling to make their way. The community has its own enforcers and watches out for those unable to take of themselves.The first book in the quartet takes Elena and Lila from playing with dolls through Lila’s wedding.
Ferrante’s fine writing, as ably translated by Ann Goldstein, belies the roughness in the storytelling that reflects life in these Naples neighborhoods in the 1950’s and 60’s. Disputes are often settled with violence and women have little or no say in their lives. People cross the boundaries of the neighborhood as if they were leaving the country. And there is little curiosity about the Naples that tourists visit or even the nearby seashore.
The mission of the publisher, Europa Editions, is to bring international literary fiction to American and British audiences. Based in New York with deep Italian roots, their books are well-written, affordable and beautiful. I love the look and feel of their books – soft-covered with a matte finish and books flaps as part of the cover. My Brilliant Friend is a wonderful introduction to this publishing gem.
by 
Surprised you liked it as much as you seem to. I was impressed by the book and its topic but found the ending completely unsatisfying – I had not real sense of what at the end she wanted us to believe or even feel for the main characters
Trudy, thanks so much for commenting. My take is My Brilliant Friend is a small bestseller, along the lines of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which is also published by Europa Editions. Setting the first part of the story in the 50’s and 60’s about female friends it has the potential carry along multiple generations of current readers. I was struck by the isolation and grittiness of the neighborhood. I felt I was seeing authentic lower-class Neapolitan life during the period. Both Lila and Elena recognized they were different but struggle to break away. Some of the attraction is that My Brilliant Friend is only the first part of their journeys. Ferrante is an enigma. It isn’t known who is behind the pseudonym or if it is actually a female author. That mystery adds additional appeal for me.
I’ve just found your blog and I’m looking forward to reading your reviews but I wanted to comment on this one. I agree that reading the book is like tagging behind the two friends and listening in on their friendship and how they conduct it, but I struggled to finish the book. I found the writing tedious, with more show than tell, reported rather than direct dialogue and not enough description of the setting. A very dear friend lent me her copy of My Brilliant Friend and she loved it. Several other friends enjoyed it too, so I am wondering what I missed? I will try and read the other books in the series, but I’m not in a hurry. I have, therefore, to agree with Trudy’s comment. What I’m looking forward to from this blog is swapping comments and ideas about books, and the stimulations of sharing different opinions, so I hope you don’t mind that I’ve shared mine.
Cheers
Janet
Hi Janet, welcome and thanks for commenting.My attention was captured by the totally insular nature of their community and the choices these two very bright women then made. I live in the Washington, DC area. I am saddened that there are people who have lived their entire lives within 2 or 3 miles of the Capitol building and other national treasures and have never seen them in person. Proximity means nothing in a self-isolating community.
We can agree that the writing didn’t always shine but I am still in for the long haul. The translation is so natural that the feel is of an Italian writing a book in English. I was willing to accept the repetition of The school scenes because I knew this was the ticket out.
Thank you for pushing me to refine my takeaway. Looking forward to future discussions!