A review by notagreatreader
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Well, this book is sure an experience. An experience of a lot of violence. I did enjoy the setting of post-WWII Naples, certainly not a setting I've ever read a book about before. So that was kind of fascinating. Also fascinating - the dynamic between Lila and Elena and how they grow and change from little girls to young women. I also liked reading about Elena's fight, for the lack of a better word, for education, to do well at school and be allowed to go to school. I actually can't say if I enjoyed this book as a whole, but it was an engaging read without being a page turner. I guess that's what happens when there isn't an actual plot. The tension ebbs and flows in small waves but doesn't rise throughout the book. I quite like that.
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