An Italian friendship
This is the story of Elena and Lila. It is a history of their friendship beginning in Naples.I am attracted to stories about friendship but this book didn't hold my attention. It was translated into English so possibly something was lost in translation. The descriptions of Italy were great! I felt like I was actually there! If only I felt the same about the main characters.
Rated of 5
by Lori E. (Boston, MA)
My Brilliant Friend
I was very disappointed in this book. Although I appreciated learning about life in Italy in a poor community in the 50's, I found the book tedious. I was bored by the extensive recounting of her early childhood, and I was unsatisfied with the ending. The prologue of the book promised something that it never delivered for me.
Rated of 5
by Dorothy L. (Manalapan, NJ)
A FLAWED JEWEL
My Brilliant Friend has all the components for a good novel--primal human emotions, complex relationships, and an intriguing setting. We feel the love, hatred, fear, ambition, guilt of this microcosm of Italian society in the 1950's. Set in a very poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, we are drawn into relationships between parents and children, siblings, neighbors, and lovers. There is sometimes a Dickensian feel in the description of everyday life--the dreams, hopes, and often despair of the inhabitants of this sequestered world. The thread binding all these relationships is the coming of age and enduring friendship of two young girls, Lila and Elena.
But, for me, this novel is seriously flawed and ultimately fails. The endless narration and lack of dialogue makes this a difficult read. It is a character driven book, but there are too many characters and too many subplots. There is no clearly defined main plot line to propel the book forward. The ending is understated and disappointing. It does not make this reader eager to read the rest of the trilogy and continue the journey.
Rated of 5
by Diane D. (Blairstown, NJ)
Not my style
I have to say this is not a book I would ordinarily read. I kept hoping it would get better, but it just didn't interest me. The way it was written, made it difficult for me to get interested in it; and I didn't understand the lifestyle, which just didn't make sense to me. It also read more like a memoir than a novel.
Rated of 5
by Carolyn S. (Decatur, GA)
My Brilliant Friend
This ia a story of two young friends set in Naples in the 50's. The story was a little gritty and the characters were not fleshed out enough to keep them separate. It was difficult to get through the book because there was not a strong plot.
Rated of 5
by Deborah D. (Old Forge, NY)
Slow going
The story of two close friends and their choices and opportunities held my interest for too short a time. Although the premise was interesting I found it drawn out and repetitive.
Rated of 5
by Hazel R. (Westwood, MA)
First in a Trilogy, but Doesn't Stand Alone
The prologue of this book will grab you, but you will not understand what has happened any more at the end of the book, as you will in the beginning. There is a lot of character development and the protagonists are quite idiosyncratic, but it was too much of the same thing, and I doubt I will plow through 2 more books to find out more about what was happening in the prologue. A read-alike that I would give a much higher rating to would be the Big Stone Gap books.
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of 5
by Ilene R. (Northfield, IL)
