Title: My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan #1)

Author: Elena Ferrante

Publisher: Europa Editions 2012

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 331

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Alphabet Soup - F

The story begins in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood 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 they grow - and as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge - Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists.

Our book club pick for this month and I was pretty disappointed. I just couldn’t really dive into this world and these characters. The storytelling felt stilted at times. And all the characters were so incredibly unlikeable. I know many many people have loved this series. I just don’t think this one is for me at all.

Next up on the TBR pile: