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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A lot of people love this series so I was excited to give the first in the trio a try. Found it impossible to follow, become engaged with or even care about the characters.
I feel like I set myself up by not even reading the blurb before starting this book, I just heard a ton of positive reviews over the years and decided that a book about friendship and girlhood would be exactly my cup of tea. For me it would have been important to know just how much insecurity and jealousy is involved in this friendship and the aspects of girlhood. It’s definitely a coming of age story as we follow Lenu and Lila as they grow up from children into their adolescense, but it also needs to be said that for the first half of the book it’s no plot just vibes and a big focus on the girls and around five hundred NPC side characters that are just there and do stuff. The last third flowed the best, probably because I finally was able to immerse myself more.
It’s well written in the way that I enjoyed just taking in the vibes and atmosphere, I like how Ferrante crafted Naples, the neighborhood and everything felt quite lively and whenever a character went on a trip for example, I felt like I went with them and could see the scenery and everything in front of me. There’s a lot of descriptions of inner monologue, feelings and things like that and the way that was written spoke to me. The themes around poverty, class structures, politics, family dynamics and what it feels like to grow up in poverty and then pursuing academia were very engaging.
So while I enjoyed parts of this, it was more of a miss than hit for me. These girls were so insecure, envious and jealous all the time, I got physically exhausted of it after some time. It’s certainly realistic, there’s constant cycles and everything, no question that this portrays what a lot of people experience in real life, it’s just not something I enjoy reading. The focus was way too much on the envy and insecurity. Most of the other female characters were just there in the background and didn’t do much and 90% of the men were just straight up insufferable (and while that’s hyperrealistic, I just didn’t care to read about it). Lila was so mean for most of the time that I honestly couldn’t be bothered to care about her from like 10 pages in and Lenu is so desperate to be Lila that she wasn’t all that interesting to me either.
This is obviously written from Lenu’s POV, we only get to see her view but that also limits the book quite a bit for me because I would have needed at least some chapters from Lila’s POV to relate to her in any way, or some actual conversations between Lila and Lenu would have needed to happen on page. We were only in Lenu’s head which made me feel disconnected and apathetic towards any other character besides her.
If you’re someone who likes reading (in excrutiating detail) about two girls growing into women and all that entails from all the insecurity, anxieties and fears, obsession over looks and boys, conflicts with family, siblings, friends and stuff, then this is definitely for you though!
sin palabras, sin quejas, sin estabilidad emocional después de terminar el libro
emotional
inspiring
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:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Beginning in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood just outside of Naples Italy. Elena recounts her life with Lila her childhood best friends. This is the first novel in the Neapolitan quartet that follows these women throughout their lives, this one starts in their adolescence until young adulthood.
I am obsessed with this book. I have not stopped thinking about it since I finished it. Elena and Lila perfectly encapsulate that toxic friendship you develop as girls in rough situations. I found myself relating Elena’s experiences to my own. I love the almost stream of consciousness from Elena. Truly her unfiltered thoughts are a reflections of something we have all felt in that kind of push and pull relationship. I also adored the setting of 1950's Italy. I haven’t decided if I am going to finish the rest of the quartet because this one just hit perfectly I don’t want to ruin it lol. It perfectly encapsulates girlhood and being raised in uncertain environments. I really loved the post war setting. The neighborhood boogie man, the way the girls naturally orbit each other. It is all so visceral and real. I originally picked this one up because of women in translation month. I read a lot of translated literary fiction but most of the ones I gravitate towards are usually from Asia/ South Asia. This was a stunning step outside of my comfort zone and I have added several more translated works to my TBR. This book wasn’t a perfect 5 stars for me because there were a few parts that kinda dragged a little bit but overall LOVED this book.
I would recommend this book if you love reading about toxic friendships, girl hood, unreliable narrators and a historical setting. Definitely check TWs
AHHH I loved this first book so much. I read this having NO expectation of what was to come, I basically picked it up on a whim. Also the title is so perfect???
I would’ve rated it five if it wasn’t dry in some parts—how I hate it when books are dry
I would’ve rated it five if it wasn’t dry in some parts—how I hate it when books are dry
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
I found this a real struggle tbh, I appreciate the detail and its evocation of the city but found myself unable to care for the characters to the extent that I found it a chore.