Elena and Lila, the two girls whom readers first met in My Brilliant Friend, have become women. Both women are pushing against the walls of a prison that would have seem them living a life of mystery, ignorance and submission. They are afloat on the great sea of opportunities that opened up during the nineteen-seventies. Yet they are still very much bound to see each other by a strong, unbreakable bond.
"Each of us narrates our life as it suits us." - Lila Cerullo
I am completely entranced by The Neapolitan Novels. This, the third book in the series is as absorbing as the two before it. Elena and Lila are in their mid twenties to early thirties and are struggling with their individual families and dilemmas. Elena still holds Lila on a pedestal and she still finds herself drawn to her best friend despite their many bitter disagreements.
The books are meant to be read in order. Elena and Lila often refer back to events that occurred in books one and two - reminding the reader that they have been along for the journey right from the very beginning.
It is difficult to describe the brutal honesty with which Ferrante pens Elena's thoughts and feelings - the fact that a lot of people don't like the characters to me feels like Ferrante has done her job well. They're not meant to be liked; they're meant to be human. I would love to read these novels through the eyes of Lila to compare how they view their experiences.
This is the only series I have ever read that I will really miss once I finish the fourth and final book.
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