The second book, following 2012’s acclaimed My Brilliant Friend, featuring the two friends Lila and Elena. The two protagonists are now in their twenties. Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila. Meanwhile, Elena continues her journey of self-discovery. The two young women share a complex and evolving bond that brings them close at times, and drives them apart at others.
The Neapolitan Series is absorbing, dramatic, perfect...
I loved the first book in this series and was lucky to be sent the second from the publisher in exchange for honest feedback.
The Neapolitan series makes for compulsive reading - once you learn a little about Elena and Lila as children, you're in it for the long haul. The second book 'The Story of a New Name' follows the girls as they are grown up and take different paths in life - finding themselves seeking each other out on occasion despite their mixed feelings towards each other. They are both adults now and still they are destined to compete emotionally, leading to very turbulent scenes.
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| A market place in Naples, 1950s |
I am particularly drawn to the narrator, Elena - she is still struggling to 'find' herself and to accept herself for who she is; she compares herself to other women and other students often - easily influenced by those who are more successful than she is or may seem to have more going for them in their lives than she has. Ferrante expertly mirrors the turmoil that a lot of young people have in accepting themselves and moving on.
The book is full of whirlwind drama and unstable characters, and Ferrante writes with a power and intimacy that brings the grit of every day 50s and 60s Naples to life. The realism and depth of the situations that the characters find themselves in suggest to me that Ferrante uses a lot of personal experience to write her novels. Well worth a read and it's perfect for summer - start at book 1 'My Brilliant Friend'.
(Thank you to Turnaround UK for the reading copy.)
@turnarounduk
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