My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

by Bright Summaries

Unlock the more straightforward side of My Brilliant Friend with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, which follows two bright young girls, Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo, as they navigate their childhood and teenage years in post-war Italy. In spite of Lila’s brilliance, her gender and her family’s poverty mean that, unlike Elena, she is denied the opportunity of an education and must marry at a young age. The novel is a stunning portrait of Italian society and female friendship, with all its tensions and complexities. It is the first of Elena Ferrante’s acclaimed Neapolitan novels, which trace Elena and Lila’s lives until Lila’s unexplained disappearance when the two women are in their sixties. 

Find out everything you need to know about My Brilliant Friend in a fraction of the time!

This in-depth and informative reading guide brings
•A complete plot summary
•Character studies
•Key themes and symbols
•Questions for further reflection

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Genres: Fiction

29 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2019

Reviews

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so easy to read, so compelling and the writing is top notch. Captures the complexity of adolescent female friendship so well. Stunning writing with nuanced and realistic characters and portrayal of emotions as a girl grows up.

[Sue Gabianelli-danneker · Rating 1 out of 5]

not engaging at all

[Christy Schultze · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this. Very slow.

[Patricia M. Koske · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a difficult time with all the characters, trying to remember who belonged to what family, constantly checking the character list. It took time to care about the two main characters.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful tale of two young friends who live in working class Naples in the 1950’s. The characters in the neighborhood, their interactions are reminiscent of what I experienced when I spent a summer in Italy in 1959.