The book that I chose to read this week was “My Brilliant Friend” by Elena Ferrante. I think I chose this book in the beginning of the semester because it sounded familiar and now I know why – there’s a TV Show adaptation on Crave! Never watched it but now I might have to as it’s usually always satisfying to watch a book being adapted into a show or movie. Anyways, I’d say this book is definitely in my top 3 favourites – and it seems to me that basically all my favourites were towards the end of the semester.
The book begins looking into Lila and Elena’s childhood, as they build a connection from a very young age. In their primary school days, they would play a lot with dolls, which would expose them to terrors in the darkness of a cellar, which reflected their own fears of the world around them. It was clear that again, from a young age, Lila was evidently bolder than the narrator as Elena was typically more hesitant. For example, in their violent confrontation with the gang of older boys, who threw rocks at them, Lila stepped up viciously and would match their energy, while Elena wouldn’t.
Further, I found that I really admired Lila and her defiance, making her this strong female character even at a young age. Despite facing opposition from her father regarding her education, she still remained determined to attend school. Also, with the money that Don Achille gave her (to compensate for the missing dolls that were taken away from her and the narrator) she bought a copy of “Little Women”, which I thought was super relatable and interesting… Like Elena and Lila, in the book, the sisters Jo and Amy have a complex relationship characterized by competition and mutual support. Both girls strive for success and recognition in their own ways, often feeling overshadowed or envious of each other’s achievements. I don’t think her choice in choosing to buy “Little Women” was this deep but it’s still interesting to think about.
Plot twist: Carmela’s (the girl that Elena and Lila began to get close to) father, Alfredo Peluso, was arrested for the murder of Don Achille. I felt bad for the narrator at this scene when Carmela and Lila “whispered together continuously and if [the narrator] approached they moved a little farther off so that [she] wouldn’t hear.” I feel like everyone, especially in their childhood, has felt left out and neglected when in a friend group of more than two. I definitely had some flashbacks.
I think this book perfectly summarizes a lot of female friendships. The near ending during the wedding ceremony, where Elena tells Lila that she’ll eventually quit school as at a certain point it is over, Lila replies “not for you: you’re my brilliant friend, you have to be the best of all, boys and girls.” This is probably the best line in the entire book. This whole book, where we have been hearing Elena talking about herself being inferior to Lila as she was the brilliant friend, and that she wasn’t as smart or as pretty as her, to now, near the end, hearing your best friend saying that must be somewhat shocking. Lila truly cares about Elena and her academic successes. I don’t necessarily think Lila and Elena were true best friends, as I don’t really believe that there is room for competition in a healthy relationship. Obviously one or the other (especially Elena) had insecurities which created issues in their friendship. However, I do believe this is super realistic and could be relatable, but I think the ultimate goal is to achieve a healthy relationship which they somewhat did near the end of the book which is nice to see.
How do you think the narrative of “My Brilliant Friend” would change if it were told from Lila’s perspective instead of Elena’s?
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