Reviews

حياة البالغين الكاذبة by Elena Ferrante, معاوية عبد المجيد

annasorr's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I devoured this book in airplanes and trains on my way to Italy. I loved Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels and went into this novel (perhaps unfairly) hoping to capture some of the same feelings I had while reading that series. Ferrante’s prose is quick and cutting, and I loved the entire setup of the novel— meeting Vittoria, learning more about the family’s secrets, diving deep into a large community of characters. I was so invested in the novel until it reached its ending, which, while powerful, felt like another beginning rather than a completed story. 

jess271201's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

meepmoop27's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

would give it five million stars

andotherworlds's review against another edition

4.0

3.75 // pre review - ferrante stan arc continues

thureris's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

pagesintranslation's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

robyn1998's review against another edition

reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 I wasn't particularly keen on this. The family was almost unbelievably melodramatic and there were lots of repetitive ruminations on things that seemingly didn't matter at all. I usually like how Elena Ferrante uses motifs, like the shoes in My Brilliant Friend, but every time the bracelet was mentioned here I wanted to roll my eyes. It's still a passable book but I just expected more from Elena Ferrante. 
 Also, I found Marisa Tomei's narration intensely irritating and overblown which probably detracted from my enjoyment.

gadicohen93's review against another edition

3.0

The book started out strongly — we're in the mind of a Neapolitan preteen who starts discovering dark secrets about her family, personified in the character of her aunt. The unadorned writing spurts out with the breathless impatience of a teenager's diary. The aunt is an intriguing character. Turns in the plot, little dark asides, mysterious hints kept me engaged.

At some point, though, the book veers off of this thread and meanders into other characters, growth in other directions. The narrator fully becomes jaded. The writing loses the punchiness of the first half, the plot loses its enigma.

bennibarzy's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jlsjourneys's review against another edition

4.0

I love Ferrante, the exceptional way she gets into the inner life of women & how we live in relationship with each other. This is described as a story of a adolescent girl on the cusp of adulthood; and wow - the adulthood around her is rather bleak, and so is much of this book. The ending was … well, let’s go with “upsetting.” Not a hopeful book, and not Ferrante’s best IMHO, but still worth the read for her fans.