Book: My Brilliant Friend - A Tale of Lifelong Bonds and Unyielding Struggles
A Deep Dive into Friendship and Identity in Post-War Naples
My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante, is an immersive novel that chronicles the lifelong friendship between two girls, Elena and Lila, who grew up in a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of Naples in the 1950s. The novel begins with their early childhood and traces their intertwined lives as they grapple with personal struggles and societal change.
Although this is not my usual genre—I’m more drawn to fantasy fiction—I found Ferrante’s storytelling gripping, largely because of its raw portrayal of friendship, hardship, and ambition. The novel is both deeply intimate and brutally honest, capturing not just the individual stories of Elena and Lila but the broader context of post-war Italy.
The friendship between Elena and Lila is the heart of the novel, and it’s anything but simple. Lila is fiercely intelligent and rebellious, while Elena is more reserved and self-conscious. As they grow, their lives take different paths—Lila remains tied to her family’s shoe shop, while Elena seizes the opportunity to further her education. Ferrante’s depiction of their dynamic is wonderfully nuanced, showing how they constantly compare themselves to each other, sometimes pushing each other forward, sometimes pulling back.
One of My Brilliant Friend's most striking elements is the Naples neighbourhood's atmosphere, where poverty, violence, and traditional gender roles shape the characters’ lives. Ferrante doesn’t shy away from portraying the brutality of their environment. There’s a shocking moment where a father throws his daughter out of a window, and yet it’s told with such matter-of-factness that it underscores just how normalized violence is in this world.
The pacing is brisk, with short chapters that keep the story moving. By the time I reached the brutal cliffhanger at the end, I was fully invested in the characters’ lives and eager to dive into the next book. Ferrante’s ability to blend the personal and the political, the quiet and the epic, makes this a compelling read, even for someone who usually avoids contemporary realistic fiction. If you’re looking for a richly layered story about friendship, identity, and the passage of time, My Brilliant Friend won’t disappoint. And yes—cliffhangers do work.