A riveting tale of female companionship, Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Quartet is a four-part series of novels that intricately weaves the lives of two childhood best friends, Elena Greco and Raffaella "Lila" Cerullo, against the backdrop of an ever-changing 20th-century Italy.
The book series opens with ‘My Brilliant Friend,’ which introduces readers to the intense and complex friendship between Lila and Elena, two girls from a poor but lively neighbourhood on the outskirts of Naples.
The novel retells their adolescence, illustrating their bond as they navigate growing up.
They share a deep connection rooted in their intelligence and drive, a dynamic that encourages rivalry as well as support.
As the series continues, we as readers follow their journeys through life, discovering their own identity and purpose and experiencing love, heartbreak, and opportunity.
Additionally, this series has more to it than just the characters, Italy’s history and evolution is reflected within the pages.
It illustrates the change happening around the characters with the girls themselves trying to break free from the traditional roles that are expected of them.
It demonstrates the story of a nation that, in the novel, is recovering from a civil war, a world war and suffering political unrest.
Ferrante's writing is raw and powerful, capturing the authenticity and depth of their characters.
As the quartet continues through ‘The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child’ they immerse the reader into Lila and Elena’s adult lives, experiencing motherhood, changes and personal growth.
This itself is what makes it my favourite book series as it engaged me from the beginning and had me completely gripped by the narrative.
However, the anonymity of the author, Elena Ferrante, remains the most powerful element.
They remain a mystery to everyone, even their publisher.
By being unknown, they can write with no bounds, easily illustrating their life without a worry about who it may affect.
It also creates no bias - for us readers, Ferrante is just a name on the cover, nothing else.
The Neopolitan quartet has received widespread approval, winning ‘the 2016 ALTA Translation Prize for translations from Italian’ and was also voted the best book of the 21st century in a poll by The New York Times.
In conclusion, the series is a powerful tribute to female friendship and remains an essential and riveting read for everyone.
