Joining better readings cheryl akle on the night weve got two of australias best loved novelists, caroline overington and michael robotham. Find out when we discuss elena ferrante and her work, with the focus on the first of the neapolitan novels, my brilliant friend, for only our second. A writers journey europa, 2016 in which she recounts her. The girls meet at age six in their poor naples neighborhood. The series has been characterized as a bildungsroman, or coming. Discussion questions for my brilliant friend by elena. The novel opens with elena greco learning that her longtime friend lila cerrullo also known as raffaella and lina has vanished without a trace. Elena ferrante s latest novel, the lying life of adults, is coming in june. The days of abandonment, troubling love and the lost daughter. My brilliant friendstory of a new namethose who leave and those who staythe story of the lost child. From one of italys most acclaimed authors comes this ravishing and. The two protagonists are now in their 20s, and marriage appears to have imprisoned lila. In a rare interview, elena ferrante describes the writing.
Obviously the friendship between elena and lila is at the centre of the novel, but ferrante acutely depicts many other relationships. My brilliant friend is a story of friendshiphumbling, raw, human friendshipamid the backdrop of a poor section of postwar naples, italy. About elena ferrante elena ferrante was born in naples. The real heart of elena ferrantes neapolitan novels is the economic striving that drives their heroine throughout her life. The book introduces the reader to elena and lila, two young girls living in a poor and vibrant neighbourhood on the outskirts of naples. Meanwhile elena continues her journey of selfdiscovery. She rarely gives interviews and never appears in public.
Altogether three of the eight titles are published by penguin a good man in africa by william boyd, first published by penguin in 1982, what a. The story of a new name, those who leave and those who stay, and the fourth and final book in the series. Its been more than a year since the release of the tremendously satisfying finale to the neapolitan quartet, the story of the lost child, and elena ferrante s name is still on everyones lips. Imagine if jane austen got angry and youll have some idea how explosive these works are. Book club notes for the book everyones talking about. Elena ferrantes neapolitan novels book club district. She is the author of the days of abandonment europa 2005, troubling love europa 2007 and the lost daughter europa 2009. My brilliant friend greek edition by elena ferrante. Elena ferrante and the force of female friendships the. This november, babbel book club is reading my brilliant friend, the first book in literary sensation elena ferrante s neapolitan novels.
My brilliant friend is the first of the four neapolitan novels written by elena ferrante, an italian author who has always written under a pseudonym. After abandoning a few dud novels, i was excited to pick up elena ferrantes book because i could tell from the first page that she was an author. The neapolitan novels by the italian writer elena ferrante are a series of so far three books about the lifelong friendship between two women, and when i read them i find that i. Since the publication of her first book in 1992, nobody has known the true identity of elena ferrante. Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. Her neapolitan novels include my brilliant friend, the story of a new name, those who leave and those who stay, and the fourth and final book in the series, the story of the lost child. My brilliant friend by elena ferrante book club discussion. Alice sebold, author of the lovely bones from one of italys most acclaimed authors comes this ravishing and generoushearted novel about a friendship that lasts a lifetime. Simply put, the quartet was unlike any writing id encountered.
Written by elena ferrante, audiobook narrated by john waters, amy ryan, zoe kazan, sonali deraniyagala, elizabeth strout, judith thurman, parul sehgal. How would the book be different if told from the point of view of lila or another character. A modern masterpiece from one of italys most acclaimed authors, my brilliant friend is a rich, intense, and generoushearted story about two friends, elena and lila. John waters, director the feverish speculation about the identity of elena ferrante betrays an understandable failure of imagination. My brilliant friend neopolitan novels 1 elena ferrante, 2012 u. Discussion questions for my brilliant friend by elena ferrante. Her four book series of neapolitan novels are her bestknown works time magazine called ferrante one of the 100 most influential people in 2016. My brilliant friend by elena ferrante reading guidebook. She is the author of the days of abandonment europa, 2005, troubling love europa, 2007, and the lost daughter europa, 2009.
Elena is an important novelist of the italian generation and last year she even featured on the prestigious new york times, top 10 best books of 2015 for the story of the lost child, which is. By david haglund, parul sehgal, and katy waldman to listen to the audio book club discussion of my brilliant friend. When i first came across my brilliant friend, oblivious to ferrante fever, in a local bookshop, the title simply intrigued me. Her best known works, those of the neapolitan saga, were adapted into an hbo series. Ferrante s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two. Whatever her true identity, elena ferrante is one of italys most acclaimed authors.
The neapolitan novels are a 4part series by the italian author elena ferrante, translated by ann goldstein and published by europa editions new york. A writers journey europa, 2016 in which she recounts her experience as a. Think of us as an online version of your local book group discussing one book a month with fellow times readers and our books desk. Does ferrante make us question elena s reliability as a narrator. Elena ferrante s piercingly honest portrait of two girls path into womanhood is also the story of a nation and a meditation on the nature of friendship itself. Slate critics debate the first of elena ferrantes neapolitan novels. Find out when we discuss elena ferrante and her work, with the focus on the first of the neapolitan novels, my brilliant friend, for only our second ever better reading book club live. Elena ferrante my brilliant friend tiein edition 2018, pp. Her neapolitan novels include my brilliant friend, the story of a new name, those who leave and those who stay, and the foruth and final book in the series, the story of the lost. Tv, books, music, and art, from trawling netflix for a worthy binge to endorsing your next book club pick. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. My brilliant friend, the first in elena ferrante s quartet about best friends from a naples ghetto, is a novel about power.
Discuss some of these, such as that between elena and her mother, or between lila and her brother. Neapolitan novels 4 books set by elena ferrante neapolitan books. The story of elena and lila begins in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of naples. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. The book is the first in a series of four, and season 2 will take on the next installment, the story of a new name. This strange turn of events prompts elena to begin writing the history of her relationship with lila, beginning with their childhood in naples, italy, in the 1950s.
Our brilliant friends after dinner book club and watch party. Were thrilled that elena ferrante s epic story has resonated so powerfully with viewers and critics, and we look forward to the continuing journey of elena and lila, casey bloys, president of hbo programming, said. Elena ferrante is the author of the days of abandonment europa, 2005, which was made into a film directed by roberto faenza, troubling love europa, 2006, adapted by mario martone, and the lost daughter europa, 2008, soon to be a film directed by maggie gyllenhaal. Our next better reading book club live will discuss elena ferrante s my brilliant friend. The story of a new name follows elena ferrante s critically acclaimed my brilliant friend, featuring lila and elena. The first two books in elena ferrante s neapolitan series europa editions the first book of the series was published in italy in 2011, the last in 2014 a short period of time for such an. Ferrante s books, originally published in italian, have been translated into many languages.
This tour of elena ferrante s naples is a roving book club with lots of indepth conversation about the extraordinary neapolitan novels in the places where the stories are set. The story of the lost child is the fourth, and final, book of elena ferrante s neapolitan novels, beginning with my brilliant friend. Italian author elena ferrante is becoming more and more popular in america. Join elena ferrante s translator, ann goldstein, europas editor in chief, michael reynolds, the executive director of the national book foundation, lisa lucas, and executive director of the center for fiction, noreen tomassi, for an informal online conversation about ferrante s novels and the hbo adaption of my brilliant friend. Though her most recent book, the lying life of adults, has yet to be translated into english, there are still plenty of. The story of elena and lila begins in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighbourhood on the outskirts of naples. A comprehensive guide to elena ferrantes my brilliant friend, this discussion aid includes a wealth of information and resources. About elena ferrante elena ferrante is the author of the days of abandonment europa, 2005, which was made into a film directed by roberto faenza, troubling love europa, 2006, adapted by mario martone, and the lost daughter europa, 2008, soon to be a film directed by maggie gyllenhaal.
Soon to be an hbo series, book one in the new york times bestselling neapolitan quartet about two friends growing up in postwar italy is a rich, intense, and generoushearted family epic by italys most beloved and acclaimed writer, elena ferrante, one of the great novelists of our time. After abandoning a few dud novels, i was excited to pick up elena ferrante s book because i could tell from the first page that she was an author in control of her craft. Discussion questions ooocuin ferrante s novels are intensely, violently personal, and because of this they seem to dangle bristling key chains of confession before the unsuspecting reader. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. Our book of the month for january 2019 my brilliant friend by elena ferrante the truest evocation of a complex and lifelong friendship. Ferrante s talents are in full force in my brilliant friend, which follows the relationship between two women. My brilliant friend 2012, the story of a new name 20, those who leave and those who stay 2014, and the story of the lost child 2015.
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