My brilliant friend, the book serial I fell in love with

I speak Italian, so I decided to read the book series one of the most famous Italian writers of today, Elena Ferrante (My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child), in the original language. It is still a mystery who the author is, but as she says, books speak for themselves if they are worth reading; if not, it is of no importance who the author is. Like many great novels, this rich, immersive, profoundly satisfying book captures a particular time and place with complete authority.

Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels Book Set
from: Juniper Books

Falling in love with the characters

I picked up My Brilliant Friend because female stories always attract me. This is contemporary realistic fiction about two women who grew up together in a poor neighbourhood in Naples in the 1950s and 1960s. The cast of characters is large, and for me, a Croatian reader who is very familiar with Italian culture, it was easy to understand the cultural context, which could be confusing for someone with other cultures.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links with no extra cost for you.

The narrator, Elena Greco, a bright working-class girl, tells us everything about her upbringing in a neighbourhood where harsh poverty is the norm and family violence is unremarkable. Elena grows up side by side with her best friend, Lila. Together, they survive childhood and adolescence, learning to go through life with limited opportunities because of their class and gender.
The first book, My Brilliant Friend, introduces us to the characters of Elena, or as they call her, Lenu and Rafaela, whom everybody calls Lina and only Elena calls her Lila. Their childhood friendship is filled with violence in their homes, schools, and streets. Family vendettas become legendary. Middle school is a battleground where learning extends beyond textbooks. Each change in girls’ bodies is assessed in terms of their newfound power.

Elena’s thoughts about herself
“I concluded that first of all, I had to understand better what I was. Investigate my nature as a woman. “

Elena and Lina

While telling the story of their friendship, Elena Greco often talks about violence. Not only were grown-ups involved in violence, but children were also acting violently from their young age. Mothers did not show love for their children; they were tough, especially with daughters. Mothers suffered violence from their husbands, and at the same, their sons were the privileged ones. Mothers did not expect their daughters to have a better life without violence.
Lina didn’t continue her education after completing the 5th grade, and this was the first time Elena and Lila had to separate. Lila’s father forced her to leave school and work in his shoe shop. Elena had to study a lot, mostly at night, because her mother demanded Elena help her with household chores.

Elena’s and Lila’s destinies went in different directions, but both suffered because of their gender. Elena’s father had aspirations for her, but her mother’s actions made it hard to succeed. It’s difficult to comprehend why a mother would want her daughter to have the same fate as her – a life of hardship with an abusive husband, where her only purpose is to serve him. Elena’s intention to leave Napoli pushes her to endure harsh treatment.

The ending of the first book is astonishing. The climactic ending scene, in which all the story threads come together – sex, romance, class, destiny – until the surprising twist in the final line, will make you reconsider the big part of the story.

Ferrante’s writing is so immersive that the book feels more like an autobiography than a novel. She accurately describes Italian history and neighbourhoods, and the characters’ emotions and experiences are so real that you feel you know them.

The second book is even more captivating

The second book, The story of a new name , follows Elena and Lila from their teenage years and into their early 20s. With Lila’s marriage, she ceases to be Cerullo and has to learn immediately that she is the female, and her husband is the male; therefore, she must obey.

The drama of the two women was so real and well-written that I feel as if these stories told me, my friends. I enjoyed the first book, but I found the second book to have a much stronger plot. Even though this novel has numerous domestic abuse and rape incidents, and some scenes are deeply disturbing, I still read it every free moment as I was wholly involved in their lives. Elena Ferrante wrote stark descriptions of what happens when it becomes acceptable for men to beat women.

A quote from the book that says it all:
“Of course, the explanation was simple: we had seen our fathers beat our mothers from childhood. We had grown up thinking that a stranger must not even touch us, but that our father, our boyfriend, and our husband could hit us when they liked, out of love, to educate us, to re-educate us.”

Even though this is the story of two female friends I cannot avoid thinking that this novel a social commentary of the society. Elena and Lila took different paths in their lives, but both women continue to experience sexual assault and the threat of violence. They still strive to change the stereotypes and expectations of their roles as girlfriends and wives. They face criticism and judgment when they attempt to better themselves through education and reading.

Adulthood – political changes impact Elenas and Lila’s life

The third book Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay follows Elena and Lila`s lives in their 20s and 30s. Both women experienced significant changes in their careers and families, significantly as the political climate of Italy grew more tense and violent.

The lives of friends Elena and Lila became even more complicated. The political situation around them was changing. It was the time of protests; in the `60 and `70, communists fought fascists, and everywhere our heroines turned, they risked violence, either on the street or at home. They were both involved in these historical changes in feminism and politics. Elena got involved in the best way she knew, writing about the political situation and the role of women in society. Women must reinvent themselves because all the knowledge about women was written by men. Lila is working in a factory with terrible conditions, trying to make a difference and make it more human. Workers were poorly treated and had no human rights. She got involved in the communist movement, which was risky and violent. Elena was the one who was always moving around, and she spread her word throughout while Lila was in Naples risking her life doing the same thing.

These novels are about an incredible friendship filled with every human emotion, including jealousy, rage, fear, and respect. The third book is filled with choices they are forced to make, and the end is astonishing again.

Elena’s thoughts about herself as a woman that I can relate to:
“I concluded that first of all, I had to understand better what I was. Investigate my nature as a woman. I had been excessive, I had striven to give myself male capacities. I thought I had to know everything, be concerned with everything. What did I care about politics, about struggles. I wanted to make a good impression on men, be at their level … I had been conditioned by my education, which had shaped my mind, my voice. To what secret pacts with myself had I consented, just to excel. And now, after the hard work of learning, what must I unlearn.”

Going back to roots

In the fourth book, The Story of the Lost Child , Elena made significant changes in her life and returned to Napoli to follow her childhood love. Writing about three previous books, I never mentioned Nino because I wanted to make this a female story as this is a book of female friendship, but now I cannot avoid him. He is the guy they both suffered for. Women’s friendships become overburdened. They meet again in their childhood neighbourhood, and the two friends remain in a love-hate relationship.

Both of them became successful women in their own rights. They struggled their whole life to escape the poverty and bounds imposed from birth because of their gender. In the end, they achieved their goal and became wealthy, but they still lived in the poor region of Naples. They were not only loyal to each other, but they were also loyal to their city, Naples, even though it was the place they wanted to escape from with all their might.

Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels Book Set
from: Juniper Books

Is it fictional or truth

After reading all four books in the series, I am still trying to decide whether this is a fictional memoir or a story based on the truth. Their lives are so well-drawn, their emotions and experiences are so real, and the history and neighbourhoods of Italy are so well-described that this book feels more like an autobiography than a novel.

Over these four books, I have become deeply connected to Elena and Lila. I can relate to the life-changing things that happen to them, and when Lila suffers a devastating loss and is consumed with manic grief, I can relate to her pain.
In the end, after reading the story of Elena and Lila, I miss them. Finishing the book was a sad experience. It felt like losing my friends. I continued reading other Elenas Ferrante books to keep in touch with her characters, who are so vivid and easy to relate to.

Juniper Books designed custom jackets with a vintage-inspired look that alludes to Elena and Lila’s lifelong friendship, making this the perfect gift for friends, sisters, and anyone who loves an engaging read.

Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels Book Set – $159.99
from: Juniper Books

My Brilliant Friend: HBO Series Adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s Book Series

The book series “My Brilliant Friend” was so captivating that I had to watch the HBO series based on the beloved book series by Elena Ferrante. Set in post-war Naples, Italy, this poignant tale follows the lives of two inseparable friends, Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo, as they navigate the complexities of friendship, ambition, and societal expectations against the backdrop of a rapidly changing city.
As compelling as the books are, so is the serial “My Brilliant Friend.” The audience takes an unforgettable journey through the intricacies of human relationships and the power of friendship.

Myvirtualcupoftea.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post might also contain affiliate links to other sites. And if you purchase anything using these links, I earn a little commission with no extra costs for you. Thank you for supporting my blog!