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A review by heatherems
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
3.0
As Elena Greco grows through her childhood in Naples, Italy, she often attributes her successes to her childhood friend and muse, Lila Cerullo. Both girls are brilliant in so many ways, but only as they mature into young adults does Elena realize her own worth and the beginnings of confidence on her life-path.
Filled with the formative crystalline moments of childhood that we all experience, and a host of characters that shape Elena and Lila's life, My Brilliant Friend is a thought-provoking escape into the personal motives that determine where we reside in life. Does the pursuit of money drive you? The ambition to escape one's hometown or family? Do you suffer forever from a love lost? Does the need to learn, to excel, to be different force you onwards? Perhaps you are bent on revenge or one-upping your neighbors? We see all of these motives and more in Ferrante's characters.
A languid read, I wasn't sure how I felt about the book until the end, and I've found that I do care enough about the characters and the themes to continue on in the series. Recommended for readers who enjoy small details, a dreamy description of settings, and for those who enjoy the study of human interactions, who can follow a theme through an entire book, and who love the clarity of language as Elena Greco does.
Filled with the formative crystalline moments of childhood that we all experience, and a host of characters that shape Elena and Lila's life, My Brilliant Friend is a thought-provoking escape into the personal motives that determine where we reside in life. Does the pursuit of money drive you? The ambition to escape one's hometown or family? Do you suffer forever from a love lost? Does the need to learn, to excel, to be different force you onwards? Perhaps you are bent on revenge or one-upping your neighbors? We see all of these motives and more in Ferrante's characters.
A languid read, I wasn't sure how I felt about the book until the end, and I've found that I do care enough about the characters and the themes to continue on in the series. Recommended for readers who enjoy small details, a dreamy description of settings, and for those who enjoy the study of human interactions, who can follow a theme through an entire book, and who love the clarity of language as Elena Greco does.