Elena Ferrante’s best selling series is collectively known as the Neapolitan Novels. The series includes the following books: My Brilliant Friend (2012), The Story of a New Name (2013), Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay(2014), and The Story of the Lost Child (2015).

A modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, the series is a generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship. The story begins in the 1950s, in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow and their paths repeatedly diverge and converge, Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiment of a nation undergoing momentous change. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the their relationship.

About the Author

Elena Ferrante is a pseudonymous Italian novelist. The author believes that anonymity is imperative to her work and a key ingredient in the writing process. In a 2015 interview with the Paris Review, Ferrante stated,

Once I knew that the completed book would make its way in the world without me, once I knew that nothing of the concrete, physical me would ever appear beside the volume—as if the book were a little dog and I were its master—it made me see something new about writing. I felt as though I had released the words from myself.

Time magazine called Ferrante one of the 100 most influential people in 2016. The Neapolitan Novels have certainly been a boon to the tourism industry in Naples!

What I loved about the Neapolitan Novels

Everything. Seriously. I could not put down My Brilliant Friend and when I finished it I immediately downloaded the next book, and the next, and the next. In part, my obsession for the novels stemmed from the fact that I was two weeks from heading to Naples and other parts of Italy for a family vacation. Ferrante’s descriptions of life and locations in Naples helped inform my plans for exploring (including my decision to go to Ischia Island instead of the more swanky (touristy) Capri).

Aside from the page by page inspiration to visit Naples, the books draw you into the epoch of two friends from the time they meet in elementary school to their elder years.  One is the confident leader, the other a devoted follower. But, who acts as the leader or the follower constantly changes as the girls navigate school, work, marriages and families. I alternated between hating Lila for what I perceived as mistreatment of Elena and loving her for her no-nonsense approach to demanding that her friend be her best self.

Sometimes their interactions made me question the value of their relationship, but at the same time I found them honest and a real depiction of a long-term friendship. In many ways, I wish this novel was available when I was in my teens and twenties. It’s a fascinating portrayal of the various relationships one experiences throughout life and how they mold you. Not to mention serious inspiration to jump on a plane and head to Italy!