This is the cycle of life as laid out to the women in the world of the 1950s as depicted by my brilliant friend, and. The story of a new name comes a scene as lovely and understated as it is pointed and bruising, a combination in which the show specializes, especial. This gorgeous novel should bring a host of new readers to one of italys most acclaimed authors. Compare book prices on to buy books from the lowest price among top online book retailers. Get an exclusive first look at my brilliant friend author elena ferrantes new book, the lying life of adults. My brilliant friend currently has a 94% rating from critics on rotten. Her translations for europa editions include novels by amara lakhous, alessandro piperno, and elena ferrantes bestselling my brilliant friend. He is a poet who publishes a book of poems, an accomplishment that elena finds very impressive. In the book my brilliant friend, elena, the teachers pet, sees the exceptional lila as not merely her competition but also her role model, her mirror, and, eventually, her subject. Named after the first of four novels in the neapolitan novels series by elena ferrante, it is set to adapt the entire literary work over four seasons of eight episodes. She met raffaella cerullo, whom she has always called lila, in the first year of primary school in 1950. My brilliant friend 2010 the story of a new name 20 those who leave and those who stay 2014 the story of the lost child 2015 the saga is an international bestseller, and the first book in the series has also been adapted into an hbo television series entitled my brilliant friend. This study guide consists of approximately 57 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of my brilliant friend. Neapolitan novels, book one by ferrante, elena and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Despite the schmaltzy book covers, the neapolitan novels are not. My brilliant friend the story of a new name features margherita mazzucco as elena and gaia girace as lila, and is based on the second book of elena ferrantes bestselling quadrilogy. Based on the ridiculously popularboth critically and commerciallyneapolitan novels by. My brilliant friend elena ferrante europa editions. From elenas perspective, her own goodness, the passiveaggressive. In 2012, elena ferrantes my brilliant friend introduced readers to the unforgettable elena and lila, whose lifelong friendship provides the backbone for the neapolitan novels. The genius of making elena ferrantes book covers look. Based on elena ferrantes bestselling book of the same name the first novel in a fourpart series published in the u. Published by europa editions, incorporatedin mar 2020. Quite recently i read my brilliant friend by elena ferrante, and in that blog post i was. The phrase my brilliant friendis used by lina about lenu once in the book, and the title reciprocates the compliment but with more justice.
My brilliant friend 2012, the story of a new name 20, those who leave and those who stay 2014, and the story of the lost child 2015. My brilliant friend is a sweeping familycentered epic that encompasses issues of loyalty, love, and a transforming europe. Nov 17, 2018 hbo launches its newest bookstotvadaptation this sunday night with the debut of my brilliant friend. While he is staying at the same vacation home as elena, he makes sexual advances. Youve watched all eight episodes of hbos my brilliant friend. Listen to my brilliant friend by elena ferrante at. The story of a new name is the second book in this series. In one of the loveliest sequences in elena ferrantes novel my brilliant friend, two girls read little women. Neapolitan novels, book one ferrante, elena, goldstein, ann isbn.
My brilliant friend is the gripping first volume in elena ferrantes widely acclaimed neapolitan novels. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Elena ferrantes books have been hailed as literary masterpieces. Elena greco is in her sixties looking back on her relationship with lila cerullo. Elena ferrante, my brilliant friend reading this book. The four volumes 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 were published in america by europa between 2012 and 2015. My brilliant friend episode guide, show summaries and tv.
Making more of an impact were by far the neapolitan novels, debuting with the highly praised my brilliant friend, which sold over 10 million. See cover of elena ferrantes the lying life of adults. Why australia has better covers for elena ferrantes. Hbo launches its newest books totvadaptation this sunday night with the debut of my brilliant friend. When the most important friend in her life seems to have disappeared without a trace, elena greco, a nowelderly woman immersed in a house full of books, turns on her computer and starts writing the story of their friendship.
Since the publisher europa released the first book, my brilliant friend, in 2012. Growing up on these tough streets the two girls learn to rely on each. Now that the hbo series, my brilliant friend, is in its second season and weve gotten to grow. But with my brilliant friend, which corresponds to a different kind of. My brilliant friend hbo tiein edition elena ferrante. The official website for my brilliant friend on hbo, featuring full episodes online, interviews, schedule information and episode guides. The modern masterpiece from one of italys most acclaimed authors is a rich, intense, and generoushearted story about two friends, elena and lila. Maybe youve also gone back and rewatched some of the early episodes with the young actresses playing lila and lenu. My brilliant friend trailer 2018 drama series youtube. My brilliant friend scores brilliant ratings at home. It is so honest and right and opens up heart to so much. But with my brilliant friend, which corresponds to a different kind of exploration on the part of the author, the atmosphere changes, everything expands, even the protagonist is, id say. Apr 07, 2015 listen to my brilliant friend audiobook by elena ferrante.
Reading ferrante reminded me of that childlike excitement when you cant look up from the page, when your eyes seem to be popping from your head, when you think. She is the author of the days of abandonment europa, 2005, troubling love europa, 2007, and the lost daughter europa, 2009. Dec 11, 2018 youve watched all eight episodes of hbos my brilliant friend. She is also the author of a childrens picture book illustrated by mara cerri, the beach at night. Ferrantes 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. It is the first in a series, and i confess that when i started reading it, i did not intend to continue with them i was just going to read this first one to see what all the fuss over ferrante was about. My brilliant friend is a story of friendshiphumbling, raw, human friendshipamid the backdrop of a poor section of postwar naples, italy. My brilliant friend the neapolitan quartet book one a modern masterpiece from one of italys most acclaimed authors, my brilliant friend is a rich, intense, and generoushearted story about two friends, elena and lila. A modern masterpiece from one of italys most acclaimed authors, my brilliant friend is a rich, intense, and generoushearted story about two friends, elena and lila. I once picked up the first novel in elena ferrantes bestselling series, after the very impressive argentine mother of a dear friend described the books as erotic masterpieces that can never be. The question and answer section for my brilliant friend is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. It puts a twist on historical fiction and the comingofage novel, as the book is told from the point of view of the narrator in the future. Hbos italianlanguage adaptation of elena ferrantes my brilliant friend, produced with italys rai network, is the adaptation of elena ferrantes novel following the friendship of two girls.
Ferrantes inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a. Soon to be an hbo series, book one in the new york times bestselling neapolitan quartet about two friends growing up in postwar italy is a rich, intense, and generoushearted family epic by italys most beloved and acclaimed writer, elena ferrante, one of the great novelists of our time. In 2012, elena ferrantes my brilliant friend introduced. The sweet linearity of my brilliant friend the new yorker. As for the book, it will stay behind, imperturbable, while the film comes closer and closer to one of its possible incarnations. Her neapolitan novels include my brilliant friend, the story of a new name, those who leave and those who stay, and the foruth and final book in the series, the story of the lost child.
With margherita mazzucco, gaia girace, annarita vitolo, alessio gallo. Elena ferrante on the screen adaptation of her book. My brilliant friend covers the womens childhood and adolescence in the 1950s. Elena ferrante, my brilliant friend this book was getting lots of likes in the books of the year lists published in english. Oct 19, 2011 my brilliant friend is the story of two childhood friends, elena and lila. Narrated in first person from elenas perspective, the novel opens. How elena ferrantes characters have grown over 4 neapolitan novels. A woman recounts the lifelong friendship and conflicts with a girl she met at primary school in naples during the early 1950s. In the midst of its eightepisode run, the cable network and platform has committed to a second season one that will cover the second of the four books. My brilliant friend hbo, an eighthour miniseries adapted from the first of elena ferrantes neapolitan novels, opens as the book does, with a telephone ringing in the dead of the night. My brilliant friend is the first book in italian writer elena ferrantes worldacclaimed quartet of neapolitan novels, which documents the friendship between elena greco and lila cerullo. But elena and lila dont merely read the book together. The story goes on to cover more than 60 years of their lives as elena tries to describe the mystery of lila. The prologue and chapter 1 begin sixty years from the beginning of the story, when elena and lila are.
The neapolitan novels begin in 2010 when the son of an old friend telephones the main character, a woman in her 60s named elena familiarly called lenu. The muchanticipated fourth and final book in elena ferrantes. I would recommend this book freely to anyone who enjoys history of any kind or a wellwritten novel. Why does this brilliant, bestselling book have such a cheesy cover. Casting the hbo limited series, my brilliant friend, based on the first book of the acclaimed elena ferrante neapolitan series. Oct 11, 2012 my brilliant friend the neapolitan quartet book one a modern masterpiece from one of italys most acclaimed authors, my brilliant friend is a rich, intense, and generoushearted story about two friends, elena and lila. The series begins in postwar naples and spans 60 years of friendship between two women. Buy a discounted paperback of my brilliant friend online from australias leading online bookstore. Hbos my brilliant friend is gorgeous and savage the. The story begins in the 1950s, in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of naples. If i were president of the world i would make everyone read this book. My brilliant friend neapolitan series, book 1 my brilliant friend elena ferrante. Since the publisher europa released the first book, my brilliant friend, in 2012, the series has sold over a million copies in the u.
Between my brilliant friend and the story of the lost child, the novels cover some five decades and a wide cast of. Lamica geniale is an italian and neapolitan language comingofage drama television series created by saverio costanzo for hbo, rai and timvision. I can really think of no better praise than to simply say i loved it, though that seems inadequate commendation for such a supremely talented author. Elenas childhood friend lila a nickname for raffaella has disappeared, and her son is unable to find her. From the minute we put down the four books that make up elena ferrantes neapolitan novels, we knew that it would take some extraordinary talent to bring our beloved characters to life on the small screen. The uk spectator took the trouble to note that the cover of book four. My brilliant friend is an extraordinarily meaningful and absorbing read. The first season of the hbo series my brilliant friend, directed by severio costanzo premiered in 2018. A modern masterpiece from one of italys most acclaimed authors, my brilliant friend is a rich, intense, and generoushearted story about two friends, elena and lila, who represent the story of a nation and the nature of friendship. My brilliant friend season 2 teaser 2020 hbo youtube. The neapolitan novels are a 4part series by the italian author elena ferrante, translated by ann goldstein and published by europa editions new york. Reviews of books i have read, cover to cover, and in addition occasional essays on more or less academic topics.
Nov 19, 2018 based on the first book of the beloved neapolitan series by elena ferrante, the series faces high expectations. The genius of making elena ferrantes book covers look like. The story of a new name comes a scene as lovely and understated as it is pointed and bruising, a combination in which the. With these books, which the new yorkers james wood described as large, captivating, amiably peopled. This exquisitely written quartet creates an unsentimental portrait of female experience, rivalry and friendship never before seen in literature. My brilliant friend is often at its best when it invokes this same crisis of knowledge, of growing up where everyone knows your business and no one can admit the truth. Booktopia has my brilliant friend, the neapolitan novels. The sophomore run will be based on the story of a new name, the second book in elena ferrantes quadrilogy. Dec 05, 2015 but for most of the novel, she stays one academic step ahead of lenu in latin, greek, english by borrowing books from the local library.
Elena greco, a nowelderly woman immersed in a house full of books, turns on her computer and starts writing the story of their friendship. My brilliant friend is the story of two childhood friends, elena and lila. Today, ew revealed the cover of elena ferrantes next novel, the lying life of adults, which will be published in the us on june 9th by europa. My brilliant friend study guide contains a biography of elena ferrante, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Translated by ann goldstein my brilliant friend starts on sky. My brilliant friend finale recap, season 1, episode 8. My brilliant friend is an expansive epic that gleans rapturous beauty from the most desolate of circumstances, but it is the intimacy between the central duo and the. A modern masterpiece from one of italys most acclaimed authors, my brilliant friend is a rich, intense and generous hearted story about two friends, elena and lila. In the third book in the new york timesbestselling neapolitan quartet that inspired the hbo series my brilliant friend, elena and lila have grown into womanhood.