My Brilliant Friend

The Neapolitan Novels, Book 1

By: Elena Ferrante

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

Now an HBO series: the first volume in the New York Times bestselling “enduring masterpiece” (The Atlantic) about a lifelong friendship between two women from Naples

Beginning in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Elena Ferrante’s four-volume story spans almost sixty years, as its main characters, the fiery and unforgettable Lila and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, wives, mothers, and leaders, all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflicted friendship.

This first novel in the series follows Lila and Elena from their fateful meeting as ten-year-olds through their school years and adolescence. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between two women.

©2012 GO Team! Enterprises (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Hillary Huber's subtly shaded performance couldn't be better as she reveals the complexities that separate and connect the two women.... Huber's delivery of this well-plotted, absorbing story of friendship will leave listeners wanting more." (AudioFile)

Fantastic story Fantastic narrator

The narrator pulls you into the story right off the bat. Can hardly wait to listen to the next volume in the series. Audible, please continue with the Italian version too. Can't praise this story highly enough. Highly recommend.

Charming tale

Loved this narration of this beautifully written story. I look forward to book 2

Captivating start ...enough to buy vol II.

Where does My Brilliant Friend rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I picked it up after H. Clinton's review: "It's just hypnotic. I could not stop reading it or thinking about it."
I only find it an average book. The theme of female friendship and description of a bygone era and foreign place captivated me enough to buy the second volume. Towards the end, however, it becomes repetitive.

What other book might you compare My Brilliant Friend to and why?

I would categorize it as a stream of consciousness novel which always bears the danger of becoming boring and repetitive after a while. It falls short of Maeve Binchy's books about friendship.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The reader has a calm, unchanging tone bordering on whining even in scenes when she claims to be angry, frustrated or disgusted. Surely the author could have picked more distinguishable names than: Nino, Gino, Reno, Lelia,Lenu, Maria, Marisa, Elisa, Melina, Pina and Pino to name but a few. It's hard to tell the characters apart since most are not well-formed or significant. The main character is mostly pronounced like Leila but then also as Lila - even in the same chapter. Which is it? An annoying oversight!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are several scenes that contain brilliant psychological and philosophical insights and well-crafted sentences, the bigger part of the storyline and language overall is simple however.

Any additional comments?

The significance of the constantly repeated phrase "she said in Italian" or " she said in dialect" eludes me. Being an Italian speaker myself, I find the sentence structure in its translation from Italian into English stilted at times. A good script writer will make a brilliant movie of it.

it's worth it for the others in the series

just barrel through this however you need to. it's definitely my least favorite of the series but is also integral to setting the scene for the rest of the novels. i'm an artist and like to listen to thrillers while I'm working and this didn't hold my attention for that - but was a good listen while I was doing housework and cooking. it took me a while to get through it but I just finished the fourth book and I'm so glad I didn't give up. this narrator is in my top 5 all time narrators, truly, she could read probably anything and I'd listen.

Just not my favorite type of novel

I really struggled to finish this so I won't plan on reading the following books. The reader was fine but her style just wasn't a style that helped me enjoy the story. I think the book could have at least a third shorter.

good story but didn't like the reader

A very long book that seemed even longer due to the annoying reader, whose voice was slow and dreamy and who barely modified her tone or pace to match the story. She also pronounced the "t' in " often"., which is grating to me. I struggled to get through the whole book.

A marvel

A masterful weaving of very basic human emotions and the complexity of relationships that arise from them. The language in which the story is told (albeit translated) is often straightforward but breathtaking passages occur regularly, organically, reflecting perhaps how it feels to live. The narrator seemed to me nearly perfect for the telling.

great book!

a story of maturation, of friendship, of finding yourself in the world around you. really enjoyed it.

Quite interesting

I enjoyed the story and the multitude of characters. However, there are so many characters I found myself rewinding to keep them straight. Would have enjoyed more scenic descriptions.

Mixed feelings

This is an intriguing story and I look forward to the next book in the series. There is something caustic abput the narrator's delivery and some unfortunate inconsistencies in pronunciation. The story held my interest.