A review by boomerlusink
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

3.0

Some excellent writing here, especially on adolescent politics and class conflict. Mostly I just found the biographical tone of the book uncompelling for the most part- only hints of a beginning, middle, and end. It just sort of... goes. And while the writing is poignant and brutal in a way I enjoyed on a moment to moment basis, I just wasn't ever excited to pick up the book. I was never curious about what would happen next or to whom, and moments of excitement and strong meaning were infrequent and passed quickly. Mostly it reads like a novelization of unedited or un-curated musings on childhood. Great pieces, underwhelming whole.