A review by marcepax
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I can understand the hype and I don't think it's undeserved. I enjoyed this book to some extent, but I felt asphyxiated for the most part. The obsession of Elena for her firend is so strong it felt claustrophobic, especially since the first person point of view locks us up in her head. The story doesn't pull any punches regarding the violence in Naples, the domestic violence, the violence of poverty. It's a harsh story, filled, also, with all the seemingly univeral insecurities of a girl growing up. The skillful writing made all of this hit very hard.
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