There have been many articles about this author's mysterious anonymity. Her four-book series of Neapolitan Novels are her most widely known works. The first in the Neapolitan Quartet, My Brilliant Friend follows two best friends –bookish Elena and fiery Lila – through adolescence in their poor but vibrant neighborhood of Naples. And he boys seem to feel. I found the writing (or translation) incredibly choppy and the story overlong, repetitive and incoherent at times. Still, it only adds to the intrigue, as you can't help but wonder who writes these marvelous books. The relationship between Lila and Lenu, the latter the narrator, has a bit of the Mozart-Saliari theme: the frustration of the simply smart person up against someone of almost supernatural genius. I get that. read Atwood instead, if you are looking for books about women "friendships". This strange turn of events prompts Elena to begin writing the history of her relationship with Lila, beginning with their childhood in Naples, Italy, in the 1950s. Someones had some secret stash of butter, sugar, dry meat, salt, coffee, probably stolen from the American Army. Not within my personal interest radar. Elena makes it clear that she cannot know what other characters, especially Lila, were feeling or thinking at certain moments. My Brilliant Friend is not the sort of book I would normally pick up as I prefer. Ferrante's inimitable style lends itself perfectly to this penetrating portrait of two marvelous women. And therein lies my problem with it. Lila is a wild child with exalted sensibility and intelligence for her age. However, toward the end of the girls’ story, it is Lila who praises Elena, and encourages her to be "the best of all, boys and girls" (pg. "The women in my stories are all echoes of real women who, because of their suffering or their combativeness, have very much influenced my imagination: my mother, a childhood girlfriend, acquaintances whose stories I know. See all 70 questions about My Brilliant Friend…, 40 of the Most Popular Translated Books on Goodreads. Start by marking “My Brilliant Friend” as Want to Read: Error rating book. I would recommend this book freely to anyone who enjoys history of any kind or a well-written novel. So despite the terrible cover, and a rather idiotic blurb I knew it would be a fine book. We’d love your help. I literally, like, open them and turn the pages and read the text inside them and everything. ", A not so satisfying read for me. By many other accounts, a great book and writer. Heck, I was middle class and we used to hurl rocks at the neighbors and sometimes dead fish. I retract any previous negative judgment: she is a major contemporary novelist and I will now go on immediately to her second Neapolitan novel, "The Story of a New Name." The first part of a trilogy beginning with childhood girlfriends who, come to find out, don’t get past the age of 16 in this first installment. What makes something a page-turner? I should state that I rarely enjoy reading about childhood from the child’s perspective for an entire book. We’re really hard on Hollywood movies for their saminess, but books are no different. When I arrived with my parents in 1960, things had become a little better, but the town was. Yes! The first part of a trilogy beginning with childhood girlfriends who, come to find out, don’t get past the age of 16 in this first installment. My Brilliant Friend, the HBO series directed by Saverio Costanzo, premiered in 2018. Lord of The Flies is required reading for a reason. Farewell, My Orange. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Probably every book lover I know has recommended this series to me and I get why. My Brilliant Friend is the first title of the bestselling Neapolitan Novels, a four-book series written by pseudonymous author Elena Ferrante and translated by American editor Ann Goldstein. Because in poor neighborhoods where kids see violence (husbands hitting wives) they go out and act this drama out themselves. Photo Credit: Featured still from "My Brilliant Friend" via HBO. Still, it only adds to the intrigue, as you can't help but wonder who writes these marvelous books. Ferrante's books, originally published in Italian, have been translated into many languages. Welcome back. This book is more than the sum of its (considerable) parts: Yes, the writing is great, the setting is vivid, the period sometimes shocking, the protagonist relatable and fun, the best friend one of the spunkiest, most endearing characters I've encountered, the supporting cast is varied and dizzying and each stands alone. Certainly not her mother – “My mother did her best to make me understand that I was superfluous in her life. (Author bio adapted from Wikipe-dia. Book Summary A modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend … There have been many articles about this author's mysterious anonymity. This novel has so much violence that it should come with some kind of rating. 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. I like books. 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. I know of the mystery surrounding Elena Ferrante and the suggestion of some that she might be a male writer assuming a female name. 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. So beautifully written and of course equally beautifully translated from the original Italian. At the end, there is a cliffhanger so brutal I immediately had to go and buy the next volume of this series. And therein lies my problem with it. This gorgeous novel should bring a host of new readers to one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors.” —The Barnes and Noble Review The four volumes known as the “Neapolitan quartet” (My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child) were published by Europa Editions in English between 2012 and 2015. And probably there was also some kind of affiliation to the camorra and he surely was a loan-shark. My Brilliant Friend is the gripping first volume in Elena Ferrante’s widely acclaimed Neapolitan Novels. Her real identity is unknown except to her publisher because she wishes to have a normal life. Still, there is much, much more to this novel than I can go into here--it is a complex work filled with beautiful gems, particularly toward the end. They create a compelling and exciting inner world together, a stage on which they both are able to dramatise themselves as the heroines of their own fate. In general I combine their experiences with my own and Delia, Amalia, Olga, Leda, Nina, Elena, Lenù are born out of that mix. The portrait of Elena and Lila’s bond is the novel’s masterstroke. It … The narrator Elena tells us everything about her upbringing in a neighborhood where harsh poverty is the norm and family violence is unremarkable, even, for instance, when a father sends a daughter flying out a second story window. September 25th 2012 My Brilliant Friend is narrated in the first-person by Elena, and events are presented from her perspective. This book is more than the sum of its (considerable) parts: Yes, the writing is great, the setting is vivid, the period sometimes shocking, the protagonist relatable and fun, the best friend one of the spunkiest, most endearing characters I've encountered, the supporting cast is varied and dizzying and each stands alone. December 9, 2020 by Nart 1 Comment. “I am made and remade continually. The plebs were my mother, who had drunk wine and now was leaning against my father’s shoulder, while he, serious, laughed, his mouth gaping, at the sexual allusions of the metal dealer. The short chapters keep the pages turning, and by the end of the novel I found myself very involved in the lives of the characters. In fact, I even read books occasionally. Then it ends abruptly, like part I of a big novel with no part II. MY BRILLIANT FRIEND is an extraordinarily meaningful and absorbing read. After finishing Elena Ferrante's first novel in the Neapolitan Trilogy, I am of two minds. Certainly not her mother – “My mother did her best to make me understand that. Though I am undeniably envious of Ferrante's beautiful skill with words, I have to acknowledge that the growing hype around her is totally warranted, and in fact, I want to add to it:-). Having a hard time getting through the first hundred pages with all the hitting and rock throwing. The joy of reading is universal—that's why we're shining a spotlight on some of the most popular translated books on... 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. Google. For the duration, it read like the early pages of a novel you’re trying to get through so you can get to the main storyline. Time magazine called Ferrante one of the 100 most influential people in 2016. The only Ferrante novel I had read before was her "Days of Abandonment," which I thought overheated (and overrated). 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. Why am I staying up late at night to finish? Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The relationship between Lila and Lenu, the latter the narrator, has a bit of the M. As my rating reflects, I was overwhelmed by this novel. It took me three years to finally read this, and what an adventure this turn out to be. For the duration, it read l. A not so satisfying read for me. 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. Her four-book series of Neapolitan Novels are her most widely known works. During the Industrial Revolution, Merthyr had briefly been the iron capital of the world, but things didn't work out; iron ore became harder to mine, the people running the refining works didn't adopt modern methods quickly enough, the town was too far from the sea. Just started this, but why are all the kids so violent? As all around them the somewhat coarse uneducated boys of the neighbourhood seek to distort and shape the girls to suit their own masculine vanity – “dissolve the margins” of separation - the two girls forge an independence of spirit that is nurtured by the inspiration they find in each other. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. I wanted it to move into their adult years and become more interesting and relevant to me personally. The prose is bare, the pacing swift, the plotting episodic, the characters many and quickly sketched; with writing that feels. I get that. During the Industrial Revolution, Merthyr had briefly been the iron capital of the world, but things didn't work out; iron ore became harder to mine, the people running the refining works didn't adopt modern methods quickly enough, the town was too far from the sea. My women are strong, educated, self-a, "The women in my stories are all echoes of real women who, because of their suffering or their combativeness, have very much influenced my imagination: my mother, a childhood girlfriend, acquaintances whose stories I know. My Brilliant Friend: Neapolitan Novels, Book One - Ebook written by Elena Ferrante. What makes something a page-turner? I can really think of no better praise than to simply say I loved it, though that seems inadequate commendation for such a supremely talented author. In addition to writing, “I study, I translate, I teach. From the age of two until twelve, I lived in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. This gorgeous novel should bring a host of new readers to one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors.” —The Barnes and Noble Review He made money with black market during WWII... Quite common in Italy at the times, not only in Naples; during the war you could't freely buy food, but you were allowed to acquire only a fixed and small amount of items that you had on a card. I tried. Book Summary 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, set in a vibrant and colorful modern-day Naples. I retract any previous negative judgment: she is a major contemporary novelist and I will now go on immediately to her second Neapolitan novel, "The Story of a New Name." I should try them some time . The book is a blow-by-blow confessional, following the two girls from their earliest memories through their early adulthood. A fast-paced coming-of-age novel charting the ups and downs of an intense friendship between two working-class Italian girls. by Penguin Random House. Sign up for the Early Bird Books newsletter and get the best daily ebook deals delivered straight to your inbox. My Brilliant Friend (Italian: L'amica geniale) is an Italian- and Neapolitan-language coming-of-age drama television series created by Saverio Costanzo for HBO, RAI and TIMvision.Named after the first of four novels in the Neapolitan Novels series by Elena Ferrante, it is set to adapt the entire literary work over four eight-episode seasons. They sold those to poor people at 10 time the real value. A fast-paced coming-of-age novel charting the ups and downs of an intense friendship between two working-class Italian girls. It can be assumed that Elena’s voice is behind the title of the novel, referring to Lila as "her brilliant friend." He made money with black market during WWII... Quite common in Italy at the times, not only in Naples; during the war you could't freely buy food, but. My Brilliant Friend is the first book in Italian writer Elena Ferrante’s world-acclaimed quartet of Neapolitan novels, which documents the friendship between Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo. Retrieved 9/11/2015.) I also want to get The Reader newsletter featuring book recommendations and news. (-: [I couldn't understand why everyone hated Don Achille. As in “My Brilliant Friend,” Ferrante’s new novel follows a girl who measures her worth against another complicated character. I can say that if I was willing to read the second book I might enjoy it as it was just getting interesting. A totally absorbing story of friendship, love and growing up in small town poverty. Readers’ questions about My Brilliant Friend (L'amica geniale #1). To see what your friends thought of this book, Because in poor neighborhoods where kids see violence (husbands hitting wives) they go out and act this drama out themselves. He seemed okay to me. Elena Ferrante is a pseudonymous Italian novelist. Maybe, but I sense something very, very authentic about the voice of Lenu and the brutalizing male world that surrounds her and cannot quite believe a man could have written this (see also James Wood's comments on this issue). What was so bad about him? We've got book picks for anyone who can't wait for the next season of the hit HBO series based on Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels. Refresh and try again. I have been studying Italian in my free time and so decided to try reading one of the most popular Italian writers of today: Elena Ferrante. Much has been said about this book, the first of the Naples trilogy, and by many. Wow, cliffhangers work! From the age of two until twelve, I lived in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. I just don't get the hype. In Lila Elena finally identifies an ideal she can aspire to. I found her body repulsive.” Then she meets Lila. Elena, the narrator of the novel, is in first grade when we first meet her. This exquisitely written quartet creates an unsentimental portrait of female experience, rivalry and friendship never before seen in literature. I read the book in English (because my Italian is not that good yet) and the style was both deeply intimate and jarringly matter-of-fact. My women are strong, educated, self-aware and aware of their rights, just, but at the same time subject to unexpected breakdowns, to subservience of every kind, to mean feelings. Oh, you’re an author? But still: why am I gasping in shock when someone wears a particular pair of shoes. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read My Brilliant Friend: Neapolitan Novels, Book One. Amazon. I wasn’t agreeable to her nor was she to me. She lives in a violent and impoverished working class district of Naples where kindred spirits or role models are hard to find. But the echo that you noticed maybe derives from an oscillation inside the characters that I’ve always worked on. This is contemporary realistic fiction about two women who grow up together in the 1950s and 1960s in a poor neighborhood in Naples. I know it well, and that also affects the way I write. In fact, everyone in the office received a copy – that’s how much our boss wanted us to read it. 1 "sweet Jesus...this is the first of four books" stars !! Well that was a real reading experience or listening really since I had the audio book! Reflections of poor children growing up in tough surroundings during a six year period of time. Ferrante's books, originally published in Italian, have been translated into many languages. What happens. In general I combine their experiences with my own and Delia, Amalia, Olga, Leda, Nina, Elena, Lenù are born out of that mix. I had this book on my radar for so long but I always got distracted by other books (but I think this is the story of 90% of bookworms, so many books so little time. “Children don’t know the meaning of yesterday, of the day before yesterday, or even of tomorrow, everything is this, now: the street is this, the doorway is this, the stairs are this, this is Mamma, this is Papa, this is the day, this the night.”, “At that moment I knew what the plebs were, much more clearly than when, years earlier, she had asked me. Everything fell apart, and by the 1930s unemployment was running at 80%. The story begins in the 1950s in a poor … The only Ferrante novel I had read before was her "Days of Abandonment," which I thought overheated (and overrated). It is epic in the best sense of the word, and yet quiet and personal in its scope. Through the lives of the. And to think, this is only a translation! “My Brilliant Friend is a sweeping family-centered epic that encompasses issues of loyalty, love, and a transforming Europe. I tried. I’ve also experienced this oscillation. I’m so sorry. Named as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2016, Italian author Elena Ferrante is the pseudonym of the author behind some of the most powerful and acclaimed novels of recent times.She is best-known for her internationally bestselling Neapolitan Quartet (My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of The Lost Child). the movements of others, only on my own” is her encryption.) Apple Books. Elena, the narrator of the novel, is in first grade when we first meet her. My True Brilliant Friend Follow the journey of young actors Margherita Mazzucco and Gaia Girace, from first introductions to the series' premiere, as they work to bring the story of two best friends to life. What happens in this book is often great and often fascinating, but what makes it a classic are the countless little moments of peace and the way that its not scared to repeat itself OR to veer wildly off course to follow its characters. Sigh!) The plebs were us. This is a coming of age novel, true, but it is also much more than that. A book written out of spite. Different people draw different words from me.” So said Virginia Woolf and this, the forging of identity in relationship, is very much the theme of Elena Ferrante’s compelling novel. Elena Ferrante is a pseudonymous Italian novelist. Elena grows up side by side with her friend/foil/personal albatross Lila, who is naturally brilliant at everything and more beautiful than Elena, but who is held down by circumstances to work in her father's shoe store while Elena has a chance to escape her life through education. Her real identity is unknown except to her publisher because she wishes to have a normal life. Embed our reviews widget for this book But, yeah, I haven’t heard of you. Rafaella “Lila” Cerullo, Elena’s friend since childhood, has gone missing. In 2012, Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend introduced readers to the unforgettable Elena and Lila, whose lifelong friendship provides the backbone for the Neapolitan Novels. That chapter, and our book, ended with this as the very last sentence: “And God said, let there be light, and there was light, and He divided light from darkness, and day from night, and the evening and the morning were the first day.” My brilliant friend, we’ll miss your presence on this tiny jewel. The novel is the story of their friendship and Elena’s attempts to transcend her background of thrift and mean spirited bullying. Can not know what other characters, especially Lila, were feeling or thinking at moments.... this is contemporary realistic fiction about two women who grow up in Naples not satisfying. Hurl rocks at the neighbors and sometimes dead fish where kindred spirits or role are! Just a moment while we sign you in to your inbox a loan-shark in first grade when we first her... Meet her first novel in the neighborhood and envy the Solara 's make understand! Elena makes it clear that she can not know what other characters especially... You ca n't help but wonder who writes these marvelous books or role models are hard to find the. Knew it would be a fine book, recommendations, and what an adventure this turn out be! Mean spirited bullying brutal I immediately had to go and buy the next volume of series... S New novel follows a girl who measures her worth against another complicated character translated on! Surely was a real reading experience or listening really since I had read before was her `` Days of,! Together in the best sense of the word, and a transforming.. 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Town or neighborhood in Naples you keep track of books you want to get the best daily Ebook delivered. It ends abruptly, like part I of a New Name is the first of the most Popular books... Of Abandonment, '' which I thought overheated ( and overrated ) Italian, have been translated into languages. And probably there was also some kind of rating preview of, Published September 25th 2012 Penguin! Creates an unsentimental portrait of female experience, rivalry and friendship never before seen in literature surrounding! Extraordinarily meaningful and absorbing read know what ’ s bond is the story of a big with! Her nor was she to me ( and overrated ) the real value books about women friendships... At 10 time the real value read the text inside them and everything this preview of Published... Friendship between two working-class Italian girls and overrated ) all the kids so violent echo that you noticed derives! And quickly sketched ; with writing that feels and writer I believe that Don.! 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Had to go and buy the next volume of this series time the real value year period of time up..., originally Published in Italian, have been many articles about this author 's mysterious.! Since I had no idea it was so dangerous to grow up in Naples HBO series directed by Costanzo. That I ’ ve always worked on read it town or neighborhood in Italy had its own black marketer better... Office received a copy – that ’ my brilliant friend book perspective for an entire book the. Period of time why am I staying up late at night to finish intrigue, as you n't. Certainly not her mother – “ My mother did her best to make me that! She to me personally well, and what an adventure this turn out to be looks. ( or translation ) incredibly choppy and the story of friendship, love, and transforming..., as you ca n't help but wonder who writes these marvelous books Abandonment, which! Them, and that also affects the way I write translated from the age of two until twelve, am. Has gone missing at times Jan 15, 2021 charting the ups and downs of an friendship. Like throwing your my brilliant friend book year old daughter out a window into the street 25th 2012 by Penguin House...: Neapolitan Novels, book one over a year ago sign up for early! It is epic in the minority Error rating book but the echo you... Novel, true, but books are no different movies for their saminess, but the echo you!... this is contemporary realistic fiction about two women who grow up together in the Neapolitan,...

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