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My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

My Brilliant Friend

by Elena Ferrante

  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Readers' Rating (19):
  • Published:
  • Sep 2012, 336 pages
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There are currently 19 reader reviews for My Brilliant Friend
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Dorothy L. (Manalapan, NJ)

A FLAWED JEWEL
My Brilliant Friend has all the components for a good novel--primal human emotions, complex relationships, and an intriguing setting. We feel the love, hatred, fear, ambition, guilt of this microcosm of Italian society in the 1950's. Set in a very poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, we are drawn into relationships between parents and children, siblings, neighbors, and lovers. There is sometimes a Dickensian feel in the description of everyday life--the dreams, hopes, and often despair of the inhabitants of this sequestered world. The thread binding all these relationships is the coming of age andmore
Lori E. (Boston, MA)

My Brilliant Friend
I was very disappointed in this book. Although I appreciated learning about life in Italy in a poor community in the 50's, I found the book tedious. I was bored by the extensive recounting of her early childhood, and I was unsatisfied with the ending. The prologue of the book promised something that it never delivered for me.
Ilene R. (Northfield, IL)

An Italian friendship
This is the story of Elena and Lila. It is a history of their friendship beginning in Naples.I am attracted to stories about friendship but this book didn't hold my attention. It was translated into English so possibly something was lost in translation. The descriptions of Italy were great! I felt like I was actually there! If only I felt the same about the main characters.
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