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My Brilliant Friend
The International No. 1 Bestseller
Series: Neapolitan Quartet
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Format: Paperback / softback
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My Brilliant Friend
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Ideal for readers of literary and general fiction who appreciate character-driven stories and rich explorations of friendship and social change. Fans of deep emotional narratives and contemporary Italian literature will find this a compelling read.
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See moreFrom one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, comes this ravishing and generous-hearted novel about a friendship that lasts a lifetime.
From one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, comes this ravishing and generous-hearted novel about a friendship that lasts a lifetime.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
A modern masterpiece from one of Italy's most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense and generous hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante's inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship.
Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighbourhood, a city and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her two protagonists.
Series: Neapolitan Quartet
View all-
My Brilliant Friend
The story of Elena and Lila begins in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighbourhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets, the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else, as their friendship, beautifully and meticulously rendered, becomes a not-always-perfect shelter from hardship. A memorable portrait of two...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay
Set against the vibrant and tumultuous backdrop of the late 1960s and the 1970s, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay continues the intricate saga of the defiant and spirited Lina and her lifelong friend, the intelligent and ambitious Elena. This third instalment in Elena Ferrante’s acclaimed Neapolitan Novels, masterfully captures the evolving landscapes of personal and political upheaval, portraying...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Story of a New Name
The Story of a New Name, the second book of the Neapolitan Quartet, continues the compelling narrative of Elena and Lila, two childhood friends navigating the complexities of life in a poor neighbourhood of Naples in the 1950s and 60s. Lila has recently married Stefano and is now deeply entwined in the pressure-laden world of the family business. Her life...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Story of the Lost Child
The Story of the Lost Child is the captivating conclusion to Elena Ferrante's remarkable Neapolitan Novels. This mesmerising finale sees the complex relationship between two lifelong friends, Elena and Lila, reach its zenith. Now adults, their lives remain intertwined despite following vastly different paths, bound by an unbreakable bond marked by love, rivalry, and unprecedented loyalty. Elena, the reflective and...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
My Brilliant Friend
A modern masterpiece from one of Italy's most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense and generous hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante's inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship. Through the...Paperback$5000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Critics praise Ferrante's novels for their intensely personal and nuanced portrayal of friendship. James Wood of The New Yorker describes the work as 'intensely, violently personal,' while Megan O'Grady in Vogue calls it 'one of the more nuanced portraits of feminine friendship in recent memory.' Elizabeth Strout, author of Olive Kitteridge, enthusiastically recommends it for its honesty and emotional impact. The novel has been acknowledged by The Economist as a standout contemporary work, with The New York Times Book Review praising its literary depth.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781609450786
Publisher: Europa Editions
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 11 October 2012
Country: United States
Imprint: Europa Editions
Contributors:
- Translated by Ann Goldstein
- Translated by Ann Goldstein
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 210.0mm
Height: 135.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 336
About the Author
Elena Ferrante is the author of The Days of Abandonment (Europa, 2005), Troubling Love (Europa, 2006), The Lost Daughter (Europa, 2008), and the four novels known as the Neapolitan Quartet (My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child) which were published by Europa Editions between 2012 and 2015. My Brilliant Friend, the HBO series directed by Saverio Costanzo, premiered in 2018. Ferrante is also the author of Frantumaglia: A Writer’s Journey (Europa, 2016), a children’s picture book illustrated by Mara Cerri, The Beach at Night (Europa, 2016), and a collection of personal essays illustrated by Andrea Ucini entitled Incidental Inventions (Europa, 2019). The Lost Daughter was made into a feature film directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring Olivia Colman. Her most recent novel is The Lying Life of Adults (Europa, 2020). In the Margins, a collection of original essays on reading and writing, was published by Europa in 2022. Ann Goldstein is one of the most accomplished translators from the Italian working today. Best known for her translations of Elena Ferrante’s oeuvre, she has also brought to Anglo-Saxon readers novels by Primo Levi, Pierpaolo Pasolini, Alessandro Baricco and other classic and contemporary Italian writers.
Also by Elena Ferrante
View all-
My Brilliant Friend
The story of Elena and Lila begins in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighbourhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets, the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else, as their friendship, beautifully and meticulously rendered, becomes a not-always-perfect shelter from hardship. A memorable portrait of two...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay
Set against the vibrant and tumultuous backdrop of the late 1960s and the 1970s, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay continues the intricate saga of the defiant and spirited Lina and her lifelong friend, the intelligent and ambitious Elena. This third instalment in Elena Ferrante’s acclaimed Neapolitan Novels, masterfully captures the evolving landscapes of personal and political upheaval, portraying...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Story of a New Name
The Story of a New Name, the second book of the Neapolitan Quartet, continues the compelling narrative of Elena and Lila, two childhood friends navigating the complexities of life in a poor neighbourhood of Naples in the 1950s and 60s. Lila has recently married Stefano and is now deeply entwined in the pressure-laden world of the family business. Her life...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Story of the Lost Child
The Story of the Lost Child is the captivating conclusion to Elena Ferrante's remarkable Neapolitan Novels. This mesmerising finale sees the complex relationship between two lifelong friends, Elena and Lila, reach its zenith. Now adults, their lives remain intertwined despite following vastly different paths, bound by an unbreakable bond marked by love, rivalry, and unprecedented loyalty. Elena, the reflective and...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Lying Life of Adults: A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
Incendiary. - Mail on Sunday The most intense writing about the experiences and interior life of a girl on the cusp of adulthood that I have ever read. - Financial Times An astonishing, deeply moving tale. - The Guardian Modern, urgent, truthful. - The Telegraph Giovanna's pretty face has changed: it's turning into the face of an ugly, spiteful adolescent....Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Incidental Inventions
"This is my last column, after a year that has scared and inspired me." With these words, Elena Ferrante, the bestselling author of My Brilliant Friend, bid farewell to her year-long collaboration with the Guardian. For a full year, she penned short pieces, the subjects of which were suggested by editors at the Guardian, turning the writing process into a...Hardback$3400Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
In the Margins
'Elena Ferrante has established herself as the foremost writer in Italy - and the world.' - The Sunday Times A delightful collection of essays exploring reading and writing from the internationally acclaimed author of My Brilliant Friend and The Lying Life of Adults. Ferrante's writing has been described as compulsive (The Times) and astonishing (Guardian), her novels have sold millions...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Days of Abandonment
'Stunning... the raging, torrential voice of the author is something rare.' - The New York Times The Days of Abandonment is the break-out novel by the internationally acclaimed author of My Brilliant Friend. Rarely have the foundations upon which our ideas of motherhood and womanhood rest been so candidly questioned. This compelling novel tells the story of one woman's headlong...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Lying Life of Adults: A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
Two years before leaving home my father said to my mother that I was very ugly. The sentence was uttered under his breath, in the apartment that my parents, newly married, had bought in Rione Alto, at the top of Via San Giacomo dei Capri. Everything - the spaces of Naples, the blue light of a very cold February, those...Hardback$5000Elsewhere:$5500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
My Brilliant Friend: The Four Volumes
When Elena Ferrante set out to write the story of Elena and Lila, she conceived it as one single work of fiction, one expansive novel that would capture the reality and ambivalence of female friendship, motherhood, marriage, class, and adolescence. 2025 marks 10 years since publication of the quartet was completed. To celebrate this anniversary, as well as honour and...Hardback$9999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Frantumaglia
In this collection, renowned and reclusive Italian writer Elena Ferrante addresses subjects such as her choice to remain anonymous, her literary inspirations, politics and culture, and the role of the writer (and the publisher) in modern society. Ferrante's voice is ever the same; direct, penetrating, sharp, inspiring and intimate. Frantumaglia highlights the thoughts and reflections of Ferrante, who is the...Paperback$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Lost Daughter
From the international bestselling author of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND Leda is devoted to her work as an English teacher and to her two children. When her daughters leave home to be with their father in Canada, Leda anticipates a period of loneliness and longing. Instead, slightly embarrassed by the sensation, she feels liberated, as if her life has become lighter,...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
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