From one of Italy's most acclaimed authors, comes this ravishing and generous-hearted novel about a friendship that lasts a lifetime. 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. Ferrante has created a memorable portrait of two women, but My Brilliant Friend is also the story of a nation. Through the lives of Elena and Lila, Ferrante gives her readers the story of a city and a country undergoing momentous change.
Nothing quite like it has ever been published before . . . Brilliant novels, exquisitely translated. -- Meghan O'Rourke - The Guardian
Elena Ferrante has established herself as the foremost writer in Italy-and in the world. - The Sunday Times
Stunning. An intense, forensic exploration of friendship. - The TLS
To the uninitiated, Elena Ferrante is best described as Balzac meets The Sopranos and rewrites feminist theory. - The Times
Ferrante's writing seems to say something that hasn't been said before, in a way so compelling its readers forget where they are, abandon friends and disdain sleep. -- Joanna Biggs - LRB
Author
About Elena Ferrante
Elena Ferrante was born in Naples, Italy. Though one of Italy’s most important and acclaimed contemporary authors, she has shunned public attention and willfully kept her identity a mystery. The Days of Abandonment is Elena Ferrante’s second novel. She is also the author of Troubling Love (l’Amore molesto), to be published by Europa Editions in 2006.
