A review by quietspectacle
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Visceral and beautiful (at times) storytelling but drags and feels redundant in the middle. The Naples neighbourhood, beach town, and Naples city are all described in such detail that you feel you’re there. I think most would agree the second half is better than the first. The book does a great job at detailing the intricacies of human relationships and I think it’s better read and digested at a slower pace which I wasn’t able to do as I was reading it for my book club. It may have been the high expectations given the sheer number of must read book recommendation lists this is on or the mystery shrouded around the author but there are a lot of tropes it relies on for a coming of an age novel that doesn’t really challenge upon them or present something new. In that way, it feels much like a elevated soap opera with a little more realism. I was left a bit unsatisfied by this novel at the end but I still consider it a decent read and don’t regret picking it up.
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