The Brilliancy of My Brilliant Friend
It is incredibly inspiring to read and watch a friendship blossom between two girls who become women. Elena and Lila grow up together, sharing their love for literature and learning. They are competitive. Constantly comparing and contrasting their lives.
Both want to escape a life of poverty and obscurity. They search for fulfilment in the pages of novels. Elena is the narrator, guiding the reader through the rough streets of Naples. Their lives bleed into one another, creating a bond that defined a lifetime.
It is no wonder that the HBO adaptation is creating a buzz worldwide.
My own mother watched the first episode of the new television series and immediately phoned me to ask if I had a copy of the book. Elene Ferrante is a mysterious writer, literally. There are no photos. No interviews. No voice. Only her words on the page. And a magical story that has stayed in the hearts of so many readers. Now there is more of a debate about her identity, as My Brilliant Friend continues to grow in popularity.
These particular words have stayed in my mind since I turned the last page:
“I feel no nostalgia for our childhood: it was full of violence. Every sort of thing happened, at home and outside, every day, but I don’t recall having ever thought that the life we had there was particularly bad. Life was like that, that’s all, we grew up with the duty to make it difficult for others before they made it difficult for us.’
Isn’t that what every life is?
A constant battle between our need to survive and thrive? To better ourselves? To expand our horizons?
For me, I felt like Elene and Lila were one and the same. They grew up to become mirror images of one another, trying to improve their appearances, their minds and their entire livelihoods. Yet, they were not only allies, but they also became enemies, sisters and soulmates.
My Brilliant Friend is one of those rare classics that transcends translation and it is a tale that can be told all over the globe. That is why it is a timeless work of art.