The Naples Quartet (My Brilliant Friend series)

[Beautiful Loser]

Hi!

Since last year, I’ve been hooked on the fictional story about the friendship between childhood friends Elena and Lina and would love to discuss it with others who are familiar with the series too.

They are four novels by Elena Ferrante, starting with “My brilliant friend”, and have been adapted for a tv-series which follows the novels pretty much identically. Two seasons of the tv-series is out so far.

The story starts when the son of Elena’s childhood friend, Lina (or Lila as Elena calls her) calls to say that his mother has suddenly disappeared again, not leaving a single trace behind. This irritates Elena who then decides to write down every single thing she can remember of Lila and their lives - those memories result in the novels. The storytelling is very vivid and believable, and nothing feels made up. It’s honest and doesn’t seem to shy away from anything. It describes the poor neighborhood in Naples which both Elena and Lila came from, how they struggle to get away from there and improve their lives, feminism, romance, politics, working conditions... You name it.

I personally think it’s a modern classic even if it hasn’t been published for that long - the first novel came out in 2011, I believe. Elena Ferrante’s books have been praised all over the world and I’ve even heard of the term “Ferrante Fever” because the story is so good.

So! If you’ve read the books or watched the show (or done both!), I would love to discuss them with you, and if you haven’t... what are you waiting for??

[drugsdesire]

i will definitely be checking this out!! seems very in my lane when it comes to books and stories so this is perfectthanks again 

[Beautiful Loser]

5 minutes ago, drugsdesire said:

i will definitely be checking this out!! seems very in my lane when it comes to books and stories so this is perfectthanks again 

Yay!

[Nightmare]

i loooooved the first two books and the tv show is soooo well done. but the story kinda becomes trashy as you read all the books, didn't really like the ending but i'm looking forward to the 3rd season. (i've read all the books lol) 

ps: i'm also from naples so i love the way this show got so popular worldwide, slay!

[Beautiful Loser]

I’m almost done with book three (I know, I’m slow, but I’ve been putting my focus on other things too) and what I thought was really sad was that

Lila seemed to help everyone with their studies. First Lenú, then Nino with his articles and then Enzo, it felt so unfair that she herself never could never continue with school and study for herself as well. But since I’ve come this far now, I’m glad that helping Enzo eventually helped her as well, helping him gave something to her too. :)

So @Nightmare, how would you translate chillo strunz?

[Nightmare]

3 minutes ago, Clampigirl said:

I’m almost done with book three (I know, I’m slow, but I’ve been putting my focus on other things too) and what I thought was really sad was that

  Reveal hidden contents

Lila seemed to help everyone with their studies. First Lenú, then Nino with his articles and then Enzo, it felt so unfair that she herself never could never continue with school and study for herself as well. But since I’ve come this far now, I’m glad that helping Enzo eventually helped her as well, helping him gave something to her too.

 

So @Nightmare, how would you translate chillo strunz?

how do i make the spoiler box to talk about the book? lol

anyway, chillu strunz can easily be translated as that bitch (but with a negative meaning)

 

[Beautiful Loser]

3 minutes ago, Nightmare said:

how do i make the spoiler box to talk about the book? lol

anyway, chillu strunz can easily be translated as that bitch (but with a negative meaning)

 

Hm... good question... I just typed in

 

 [/*spoiler], I’m so used to doing it that I didn’t even think where to find it on the new look.

:B

 

Omggg these boxes won’t go away lol but anyway, just type spoiler within these [ ]

[Beautiful Loser]

I finished the third book last night. And man, it was intense.

Spoiler

I didn’t expect Nino to turn up again at the end but of course he did. But what I thought was a pleasant surprise though was that Elena finally did something about her feelings for him! Yas, rebel Elena!

The third book really made me feel that this is a modern classic. It covers, what, ten years?? of their young lives, from their early 20’s to around their 30’s and a loooot of things happen and changes during this time. As it does for many lives in the real world too!

Spoiler

I’m glad Lila got something good happen in her life too, towards the end. Finally it payed off helping others! It’ll be interesting to see how their friendship will evolve in this final book, it didn’t look too well at the end of the third book.

This book didn’t make me envy them as the second one did, what they had in the second book was something I’d like to have too. Someone close to feel a connection to, even though their friendship has never been perfect. I also appreciate how fearlessly the author brings up tough subjects, I haven’t seen that in other novels before... but then again, I haven’t read that many novels for an adult audience before, most were for young adults or teens.

10/10!

[Nightmare]

6 minutes ago, Clampigirl said:

I finished the third book last night. And man, it was intense.

  Reveal hidden contents

I didn’t expect Nino to turn up again at the end but of course he did. But what I thought was a pleasant surprise though was that Elena finally did something about her feelings for him! Yas, rebel Elena!

The third book really made me feel that this is a modern classic. It covers, what, ten years?? of their young lives, from their early 20’s to around their 30’s and a loooot of things happen and changes during this time. As it does for many lives in the real world too!

  Reveal hidden contents

I’m glad Lila got something good happen in her life too, towards the end. Finally it payed off helping others! It’ll be interesting to see how their friendship will evolve in this final book, it didn’t look too well at the end of the third book.

This book didn’t make me envy them as the second one did, what they had in the second book was something I’d like to have too. Someone close to feel a connection to, even though their friendship has never been perfect. I also appreciate how fearlessly the author brings up tough subjects, I haven’t seen that in other novels before... but then again, I haven’t read that many novels for an adult audience before, most were for young adults or teens.

10/10!

 

Spoiler

i kinda hated the way elena screwed everything up in the third book. and for what? that ugly fuckboy. nino is such a disgusting character, i really despise him. i’ve always loved elena way more than lila but she disappointed me sooo much in the third book. 

 

[Beautiful Loser]

48 minutes ago, Nightmare said:

 

  Hide contents

i kinda hated the way elena screwed everything up in the third book. and for what? that ugly fuckboy. nino is such a disgusting character, i really despise him. i’ve always loved elena way more than lila but she disappointed me sooo much in the third book. 

 

Spoiler

Yup, I absolutely agree. What’s interesting though is that she knows this, mentioning his past lovers as well, but still decided to go to him. Maybe because her married life was so boring, she couldn’t stand it anymore? A couple of months with him and then she’d be free to do as she’d like if he’d end up dumping her as well.

I thought in book two that Nino isn’t that different from his father, really. They both toy with women and their feelings, the only exception is (as far as I know) that Nino doesn’t go for teenagers and barely legals. His dad felt very uncomfortable in that sense.

 

[Nightmare]

27 minutes ago, Clampigirl said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Yup, I absolutely agree. What’s interesting though is that she knows this, mentioning his past lovers as well, but still decided to go to him. Maybe because her married life was so boring, she couldn’t stand it anymore? A couple of months with him and then she’d be free to do as she’d like if he’d end up dumping her as well.

I thought in book two that Nino isn’t that different from his father, really. They both toy with women and their feelings, the only exception is (as far as I know) that Nino doesn’t go for teenagers and barely legals. His dad felt very uncomfortable in that sense.

 

Spoiler

yeah, nino is basically his dad 2.0

he’s a literal piece of shit 

 

[Beautiful Loser]

Ok I finished the last and final book two days ago (started reading it last summer, didn’t have time to read in peace until recently) and I loved it, I really liked the end too.

Spoiler

Nino is suck a jerk though, for real, lol, I’m glad Lenú ditched him too. And I’m also glad she got to be with him like she always wanted, and then woke up and saw who he really was.

 

This series truly feels like a modern classic, and I’ll definitely buy my own copies one day. I’ve borrowed my mom’s copies the past year. Honestly, I can’t recommend these books enough.

 

I also saw that the third TV series season will be out soon-ish? I look forward to watch it a lot.

[COCC]

Why am I only discovering this thread now 

I have read all the books and loved them. I will readily admit that I cried a little at the last book 

 

Spoiler

maybe because I became an uncle in the same period

 

Spoiler

My highlights:
- The characters feel real. Not every author can do that so well.
- The intimate relationship between the two main characters - an exciting mix between rivalry and friendship.
- The setting in a time that has passed, but can still be felt today in some places.
- I thought it was brilliant in the first book how she described the neighbour from the eyes of a child. As an adult reader, you only realised indirectly after a few pages that there was something wrong with him and that he was a criminal.
- It is fun to follow how all the characters grow older, have their own challenges and go their own way.

I very rarely watch television. Series have to be very captivating for me to watch them. Unfortunately, that was only partly the case here and I only watched the first season. Maybe it was because of the many brown tones and few colours, the similar scenes / always the same film locations 

[Beautiful Loser]

YESSSSS @COCC what I loved about these books is that all the characters and the situations they get into all feel so real! If someone told me this was a memoir, I wouldn't question it at all. I love these books so much, I borrowed my mom's copies when I read them but I'll definitely buy my own books one day and re-read them.

[Pnin]

Season 1 wrecked me it was so beautiful but I haven’t gotten around to #2 yet…. 

[Beautiful Loser]

I haven't had the opportunity to watch the latest season yet.