7:38 lmfaooo same!!!! i was waiting for your review! i love lenu, i connected with her much more than i did with lila throughout the series, which was very surprising because it seemed that lila resonated with a majority of readers. i warmed up to lila by the final book though. can't wait to hear your thoughts about the last two books!! they completely blew me away.
Yea I see that Lila connects more with readers, but I also find that I probably resonate with Lenu more, as well. Lookig forward to reading the rest of the series.
i've read the whole series at least twice, and book 1 i think 3 times now. its incredible. a masterpiece. and the HBO adaptation of the series is PERFECT. each season follows one of the books. co-written by Ferrante herself. check it out if you ever need a refresher of books 1-2 before picking up book 3!
Alana you keep saying "choice." That Lila chose not to pursue school but that's not true. It was her father's choice out of poverty. Why this is super important and why I identify with Lila especially is b/c my parents made a huge choice for me to move to Canada, a choice I did not like and fought tooth and nail as a teenager. It turned out that I was right. They regret it now. But, the point is, I had a very unhappy life instead of a happy one. Is it worthless? No. But if i had known emancipation from my family was a thing A RIGHT ACCORDING TO THE LAW, I'd done it. I didn't know. I was stupid and ignorant. If I had known I'd cut myself off and go home to live with my grandparents. I feel for Lila b/c she's so stuck in the era of her time where parents had so much power. Her father even throws her out of the window when she says she wants to go to school. The window! And then she's called a whore for leaving a husband who rapes and beats her. Man... I love her. I love Lila. I'm so glad a character like this was written. Anyway, thanks for the review. Thanks for reading. Thanks for reviewing. Much much appreciated.
Well done. People especially women have a difficult time telling the truth about our lives, how absolutely powerless we are to determine our own destinies no matter the culture. This is the beauty of Lila. And reminds me of the story of Black women, the history our absolute human need for vindication.that Naples neighborhood reminds me of every “ hood’ I’ve lived in and fled from to a life of self determination. Globally, education continues to elude girls.m and constrict their lives. These are not our choices. Silly anti feminist statements frankly misogynistic from the review among many ! The fault is not on ourselves but in our stars. And no maam thank heaven she isn’t a character in this book because I would have put that one down. Nothing to learn here! In the Diaspora we trade ourselves for a bit of food, a bit of safety, a book! Many trades, it’s a trading civilization. Lenu too. She got better deals, she was dealt a better hand. I love Ferrante for her ruthlessness- and her compassion for women and girls and as a matter of fact for the feminine in men, decent men that is. IMHO - this woman’s reviews skim the surface. The really interesting backstory here is the vicious class struggle and the constraints of caste on women and men. Btw: I don’t come to a podcast to hear about dry heat or wet heat, or that euphemism about hurtpeople hiring people. . Sigh. A book podcast is not the weather channel or your personal journal. Carry on, reader. Your story is not uncommon and it’s universal. See with your own eyes!
I know exactly what you mean! My literary daughter and I call this the old negro spiritual device, it’s a way back to the pure self. Just to get your mind right you have to reach back. That is what Ferrante does for us, too. She’s an ancient girl spirit.
Hey! I love watching your reviews. There so many books I’m interested in based off your reviews. I have read this one! Or listened on audio anyway. I really enjoyed. I hadn’t started the others yet but this review is a push to get to it!
Loved Ferrante's "My Brilliant Friend" and its girls vs. boys rock-throwing fight (!!) and portrayal of Naples where my grandmother's ancestry is from, but have not read anything more of her yet as I don't do well with following series!
I still haven’t read any Ferrante but I’m counting on really enjoying it once I do. I love a reading domestic and intimate narrative stories. Great review!
Hope you enjoy it whenever you get around to her! I'm looking forward to diving into more of Ferrante's work outside of this series, as well! Thanks!! :)
As someone raised in the NE now living in the SE of the states, give me a freezing blizzard any day. I’ll stand ten frostbitten toes down on that😂. Also lol hood adjacent. IYKYK. I plan to read this before the year is up. Thank you for preparing me for still wanting Lila to catch hands.
I too prefer freezing cold over the stinking summer. I can’t stand the hot weather. HBO has a series based on the four Ferrante’s books. The series (My Brilliant Friend) is in Italian and it’s well acted.
Sup Lana. Cute. Actually, Lana and Lenu- pretty close. Maybe Lana will narrate a novel about growing up in da hud (fiction, of course). I heard about Ferrante's pedestrian style and I agree. Then, I saw the show and I can't help but love Lila. Of course she's frustrated. As the teacher Miss Olivera says, "You were meant for higher things." Please read ONE CHILD and then TIGER'S CHILD and see how the system fails an American girl with an IQ of 180. I think you might enjoy despite deep despair.
Hi Alana, Well…great deal of untapped potential here. Dabbles with great themes that deserve attention. Class, Cold War nuclear paranoia, feminism and changing sexual morays, post-war Italian politics…all there, but just touched upon. Mostly it's just an endless soap opera of high school girl issues. Extremely boring for the fellas. Could have used a more Isabel Gilbert (The Doctor's Wife, Mary Elizabeth Braddon) kind of vibe i.e. literature as an escape from lousy circumstances. Or possibly a Jude Fawley (Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy) kind of direction i.e. how tough it is to break into academia if you're poor. Just a very difficult slog for a dude. I couldn't connect with anyone in the book. There were way to many characters all with difficult Italian names. At least it wraps up with a decisive if somewhat depressing ending. Definitely NOT a dude read 1 out of 5 dude stars.
7:38 lmfaooo same!!!! i was waiting for your review! i love lenu, i connected with her much more than i did with lila throughout the series, which was very surprising because it seemed that lila resonated with a majority of readers. i warmed up to lila by the final book though. can't wait to hear your thoughts about the last two books!! they completely blew me away.
Yea I see that Lila connects more with readers, but I also find that I probably resonate with Lenu more, as well. Lookig forward to reading the rest of the series.
i've read the whole series at least twice, and book 1 i think 3 times now. its incredible. a masterpiece. and the HBO adaptation of the series is PERFECT. each season follows one of the books. co-written by Ferrante herself. check it out if you ever need a refresher of books 1-2 before picking up book 3!
Ooooooh I didn't know she co-wrote the series!!
Alana you keep saying "choice." That Lila chose not to pursue school but that's not true. It was her father's choice out of poverty. Why this is super important and why I identify with Lila especially is b/c my parents made a huge choice for me to move to Canada, a choice I did not like and fought tooth and nail as a teenager. It turned out that I was right. They regret it now. But, the point is, I had a very unhappy life instead of a happy one. Is it worthless? No. But if i had known emancipation from my family was a thing A RIGHT ACCORDING TO THE LAW, I'd done it. I didn't know. I was stupid and ignorant. If I had known I'd cut myself off and go home to live with my grandparents. I feel for Lila b/c she's so stuck in the era of her time where parents had so much power. Her father even throws her out of the window when she says she wants to go to school. The window! And then she's called a whore for leaving a husband who rapes and beats her. Man... I love her. I love Lila. I'm so glad a character like this was written. Anyway, thanks for the review. Thanks for reading. Thanks for reviewing. Much much appreciated.
Aw yay! :)
Well done. People especially women have a difficult time telling the truth about our lives, how absolutely powerless we are to determine our own destinies no matter the culture. This is the beauty of Lila. And reminds me of the story of Black women, the history our absolute human need for vindication.that Naples neighborhood reminds me of every “ hood’ I’ve lived in and fled from to a life of self determination. Globally, education continues to elude girls.m and constrict their lives. These are not our choices. Silly anti feminist statements frankly misogynistic from the review among many ! The fault is not on ourselves but in our stars. And no maam thank heaven she isn’t a character in this book because I would have put that one down. Nothing to learn here! In the Diaspora we trade ourselves for a bit of food, a bit of safety, a book! Many trades, it’s a trading civilization. Lenu too. She got better deals, she was dealt a better hand. I love Ferrante for her ruthlessness- and her compassion for women and girls and as a matter of fact for the feminine in men, decent men that is. IMHO - this woman’s reviews skim the surface. The really interesting backstory here is the vicious class struggle and the constraints of caste on women and men. Btw: I don’t come to a podcast to hear about dry heat or wet heat, or that euphemism about hurtpeople hiring people. . Sigh. A book podcast is not the weather channel or your personal journal. Carry on, reader. Your story is not uncommon and it’s universal. See with your own eyes!
I know exactly what you mean! My literary daughter and I call this the old negro spiritual device, it’s a way back to the pure self. Just to get your mind right you have to reach back. That is what Ferrante does for us, too. She’s an ancient girl spirit.
Hey! I love watching your reviews. There so many books I’m interested in based off your reviews. I have read this one! Or listened on audio anyway. I really enjoyed. I hadn’t started the others yet but this review is a push to get to it!
yay! Glad to hear it and thanks for watching! :)
Loved Ferrante's "My Brilliant Friend" and its girls vs. boys rock-throwing fight (!!) and portrayal of Naples where my grandmother's ancestry is from, but have not read anything more of her yet as I don't do well with following series!
Series are tricky because they can be a lot of keep up with! I look forward to reading some of her other works, outside of this series.
@alanaestelle2076 Are there stand-alones by her? That's a good idea I should look THOSE up, thank you! 👍
@ yes! She has a few!
I still haven’t read any Ferrante but I’m counting on really enjoying it once I do. I love a reading domestic and intimate narrative stories. Great review!
Hope you enjoy it whenever you get around to her! I'm looking forward to diving into more of Ferrante's work outside of this series, as well! Thanks!! :)
As someone raised in the NE now living in the SE of the states, give me a freezing blizzard any day. I’ll stand ten frostbitten toes down on that😂. Also lol hood adjacent. IYKYK. I plan to read this before the year is up. Thank you for preparing me for still wanting Lila to catch hands.
YAS! Cold all the way! LOOOOL
I too prefer freezing cold over the stinking summer. I can’t stand the hot weather. HBO has a series based on the four Ferrante’s books. The series (My Brilliant Friend) is in Italian and it’s well acted.
YES! Winter all day! I've heard the series is good!
26F when I woke up this morning.
I prefer to scrape frost off my windshield than having to wear gloves to be able to touch my hot steering wheel.
Omg yes. That steering wheel burn and seatbelt burn in the summer is real.
I haven't read My Brilliant Friend, but it's on my shelf to read. I'm going to read the series.
Hope you enjoy it!
Girl, that intro rambling! 😂🤣
😂
Got to read this one. TBR. Great review.
Thank you! :)
Sup Lana 😎 ive checked this one out before its nuanced and didn't finish it threw it away after being irritated. felt like the author is incorrigible
Sup Lana. Cute. Actually, Lana and Lenu- pretty close. Maybe Lana will narrate a novel about growing up in da hud (fiction, of course). I heard about Ferrante's pedestrian style and I agree. Then, I saw the show and I can't help but love Lila. Of course she's frustrated. As the teacher Miss Olivera says, "You were meant for higher things." Please read ONE CHILD and then TIGER'S CHILD and see how the system fails an American girl with an IQ of 180. I think you might enjoy despite deep despair.
0:54 SWEATA WEATHA
SWEATA WEATHAAAAAA
😊
:)
Hi Alana,
Well…great deal of untapped potential here. Dabbles with great themes that deserve attention. Class, Cold War nuclear paranoia, feminism and changing sexual morays, post-war Italian politics…all there, but just touched upon. Mostly it's just an endless soap opera of high school girl issues. Extremely boring for the fellas.
Could have used a more Isabel Gilbert (The Doctor's Wife, Mary Elizabeth Braddon) kind of vibe i.e. literature as an escape from lousy circumstances. Or possibly a Jude Fawley (Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy) kind of direction i.e. how tough it is to break into academia if you're poor.
Just a very difficult slog for a dude. I couldn't connect with anyone in the book. There were way to many characters all with difficult Italian names. At least it wraps up with a decisive if somewhat depressing ending.
Definitely NOT a dude read 1 out of 5 dude stars.
I can see that! I think this is a fair assessment, based on your taste :)