Today I reviewed a book that I have yet to finish. Why do I feel obliged to write about it?
Elena Ferrante is a
wonderful name. It is not a real name, it is an alias. Not much is known about
Ferrante’s background. It is said that Elena grew up in Naples and is the daughter
of a seamstress.
Could Ferrante’s exquisitely
crafted writing only be accomplished by an academic? Some critics state so.
Like a beautiful journey
through Italy, you are slowly and confidently bought into Ferrante’s world. The
indoctrination is a raw process and an immersion into another culture, in the
years after The Second World War.
When I came across this
book and read the title “ My Brilliant Friend” I almost avoided it. I was
looking for a novel with substance. The title did not encourage me, and
the cover put me off. With so many wishy-washy books published that hanker
around love and relationships but never get to the grit, it would be easy to
give up there and then.
I read a few paragraphs before
I decided to purchase, I was certain I had a story to immerse myself in.
Yes, this would be a layered read.
It said to my heart this
would be as interesting as fine wine or a spicy exotic meal. There would
be joy within the paragraphs to fulfill the hungry reader.
So, what’s it all
about (Di cosa si tratta ?)
I suppose the best way
to answer that question is to look within our own lives. In our
childhoods, we all hoped to find a brilliant friend. And by this, we get to the
plot of the book.
Our two young friends
Elena and Lila are living through the aftermath of the Second World War. We
enter the 1950s and find ourselves settled in Naples, the regional centre of
Campania and capital of Naples provincia.
Friendship is the golden thread within the novel. It entangles us gently as we arrive
We find a society, if
not a country, still caught up in the violence and reality of the Second World
War. Italy lost many men through the battles fought in El Alamein to the almost
eighty-five thousand troops who did not return from Russia. Europe and Italy participated
in what can only be described as perpetual devastating events for many
years during the war.
The psychological aftermath plays out in the storyline.
At times you see this mixed with the outdated myosignal attitudes and actions of men towards women. A very believable undercurrent of everyday violence is present. Possibly the anger and desire to be part of something great failed or went wrong on a worldly platform for Italy in The Second World War. This has repercussions for families striving to make a living and educate children. Bodies in bits and human souls back at home in mourning. Italy was torn apart in the war. This is reflected in the plot of the book.
The Families
Our narrator is Elena
Graco, otherwise known as Lenuccua or Lenu, the daughter of a porter employed
at the city hall. There are three younger siblings, Peppe, Gianni and Elisa.
Elena’s mother, a housewife is crippled with a limp and throughout Elena’s childhood,
we hear of her irrational fear that she will also somehow inherit this disability.
Not surpass the status of her mother, that of a housewife.
A competitive streak
defines Elena’s relationship with her friend Lila. Like any friendship, nothing
is perfect, and there is always something to learn.
Elena is not only
destined for more than her mother achieved but also finds to her amazement and
hard work that she is academically gifted. As she moves through her school
years, she excels at most things, but especially in Latin and Greek in the
later years.
Raffaella Cerullo (Lila) is the daughter of a shoemaker striving to make money in the 1950s as shoe factories started to take over the market. Frustration besets the whole family in their struggles to make ends meet. Unlike Elena, Lila has an older brother. They are close, and he is protective. But just as in all our Nepalese families, his fragile emotions can be stirred very easily.
In the first quarter of the book: We see how Elena and Lila's friendship opens up. We discover that Elana is attracted to something within Lila who is different, crude, mostly trustworthy, and strong. Early on Lila decides to throw their toys into the basement of a local Garacci family. The father is much feared. Fulfilling the role of the archetypal figure of the monster in fairy tales. Lila has grit, but then she comes from hardy stock. As scratching around for a living, a way forward in the aftermath of the Second World War was difficult, almost impossible at times.
These two friends encourage
and teach girls to be daring. To not settle from whence you came, if that
is the cheaper side of town. You may be poor, but with study, and hard work,
you can find a different place to inhabit. Elena and Lila carry on in
the face of adversity.
We directly hear
Elena’s thoughts on her friend. We sense jealousy at times in both of them. But
in the end, this propels Elena to learn and develop where otherwise there would
have been nothing.
These girls will have more because…
The challenges are many. We follow their journey into adulthood. Lack of support, money, also violence, and death are all around. We see how the leftover drama from the war years plays out and intercedes in the girls' lives.
For now, I shall
leave you there. I hope you find a copy of this book. It is the ideal book to
inspire young woman to do well for their sakes and not settle for less than
they desire
My Brilliant Friend
is the first of The Neapolitan Novel Series by Elana Ferrante. A New York Times Best Seller.
Book Two: The
Story Of A New Name
Book Three: Those
Who Leave And Those Who Stay
Book Four: The
Story Of The Lost Child
My Brilliant Friend Official Trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MqIaSd6BH0
All writing content © Sonya Lawrence 28/10/2024 Book Image
Naples Image: https://unsplash.com/@paola_andrea
From my other blog:
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