Reviews

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

juliannanyman's review against another edition

5.0

Tää oli vaan ihana <3 kiitos iinalle suosituksesta

tommeyer3's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

2.0

I so desperately wanted to love this book. It’s written in a very classical style that’s hard to pull off — full of characters with one motivation, extreme family dynamics, and plot lines that intertwine. In that way it reminds me a bit of dickens or austen.

But it just doesn’t really pull it off. Character after character comes off as one-note, complex life experiences seem flattened, and the build is less focused on engaging the reader than it is on getting where it’s going.

There were a number of times where I wondered if it was the translation that had flattened these characters. Maybe I’ll learn Italian so I can better judge.

polly_ellen's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

hxcpanda's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

3.5

Points for the unexpected gay moment at the end but otherwise I didn't think this was the most riveting novel. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Violence

franciska_kovacsy's review against another edition

4.0

Gyönyörű történet, nem lehet letenni. Egy kevés hiányérzetem azonban maradt a könyv után, mivel azt reméltem, egy részeletesebb kép bontakozik ki benne a 60-as évek beli Nápolyról, vagy legalább a telepről.

A szerző azonban a leírások helyett inkább érzelmeken, impressziókon, karaktereken keresztül enged betekintést ebbe a világba.

Rendkívül szórakoztató könyv, de számomra kicsit több korrajzzal lett volna tökéletes.

noelys's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

valsometimesreads's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

Good! (May I add, queer undertones?)

Elena and Lila are such interesting foils and their progression is so subtle that the gap between them is jarring when you realize it.

Very intrigued by the end, looking forward to reading the next one

I personally don’t love accounts when they’re still children/teens and that definitely shows in the sense that it took me a bit to get into it

caroreads22's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

micklesreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

I went into this knowing nothing about it, and I was completely absorbed. The book ends in the middle of a scene, and it feels like it's really just the first part of an epic. Beautiful prose, complex characters... It's wonderful.

racheln1111's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

3.0