Reviews

The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante

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husseinfaour's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

banopi's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book caused me more grief than the first, which is why it took longer for me to finish. The characters have only become more flawed as they grow up, but it makes them no less endearing to me. (Elena, in particular, is very close to my heart.)

So many things happened in this second book, but I just want to note that I appreciate the glimpses we get into Elena's relationship with her mother. It's a side note compared to her friendship with Lila, but I like it more.

As always, Elena Ferrante's writing is beautiful without seeming pretentious. She portrays the narrator's turmoil, joy, envy, shame, carefully manufactured nonchalance—everything—so well that it makes me feel like I'm living through her experiences and having her thoughts.

The cliffhanger though. God save us from pretentious men who think with their dicks but insist on knowing better than most people.

laurbergo's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

4.75

pansadita's review against another edition

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4.0

★★★★½

quero nino sarratore na cadeia esse esquerdomacho do diabo

mtstellens's review against another edition

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4.0

I’m loving this series. Books about long running (toxic) female friendships are my catnip. Nothing much really happens, this book spans a much shorter time period than the first book, but I never felt bored or uninterested. The academic anxiety that Elena has and the way she compares herself to her friend, Lila, hit home for me. The loss of independence and identity that Lila goes through as she becomes a wife and mother and the lengths she goes to to regain that independence. The disillusionment of her marriage and the ever-forking paths the two friends (frenemies?) go down. I’m already ready for the next one.