I first heard of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels from my sister who purchased the first book after finding it on the best sellers shelf at Indigo. There are four books in the series, My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child. The boxed set is available online through Indigo.
I have this rule where I need to read a book before I watch the film or television adaptation. But, I broke my own rule and I started watching My Brilliant Friend with my dad and my sister in December 2018. I was so captivated by the story, the characters, the cinematography, and over all the Neapolitan dialect spoken by the actors, which is the dialect I grew up speaking with my maternal grandparents. I watched all eight episodes in three nights; I could have done it in less but, I had to work during the day. Priorities.
The series takes place in postwar Naples and is narrated by an elderly Lenù (Elena) who recounts the story and the characters of her childhood and adolescence, and overall her friendship with Lila. Lenù is timid, reserved and naive, while Lila is outspoken and fearless. Both girls have a passion for learning and they are two of the brightest students in their class.
Things take a turn when Lenù’s parents allow her to obtain a higher education after elementary school, and Lila’s parents refuse, even though she fought tooth and nail, and her teacher Ms. Oliviero insisted that their daughter pursue a higher education. Unfortunately, Lila was going to work to help her family and live a life of oppression, and she would never belong to herself, while Lenù would go off to school and learn about the world and experience life outside of her small town and pave her own path. This is where the parallel between both girls is depicted so elegantly and unapologetically by Ferrante in the novels, and by the actors in the television series. While both girls slowly drift apart due to their circumstances and live opposite lives and experience love and hardship, they always find their way back to each other.
The second season premiered on HBO this past March and follows the second book in the series, The Story of a New Name.
I cannot recommend this series enough. If you want to pick up a good book, then purchase these! If reading isn’t your thing, then watch the series on Crave and escape to southern Italy, you won’t be disappointed! But I do strongly recommend both!