My Brilliant Friend: The Neapolitan Novels, Book 1 cover art

My Brilliant Friend: The Neapolitan Novels, Book 1

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My Brilliant Friend: The Neapolitan Novels, Book 1

By: Elena Ferrante
Narrated by: Hillary Huber
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About this listen

The story of Elena and Lila begins in a poor but vibrant neighbourhood on the outskirts of Naples. The two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else, sometimes to their own detriment, as each discovers more about who she is and suffers or delights in the throes of their intense friendship.

There is a piercing honesty about Ferrante’s prose that makes My Brilliant Friend a compulsively readable portrait of two young women, and also the story of a neighbourhood, a city and a country.

©2011 Edizioni E/O (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction

Critic Reviews

"Gutsy and compulsively readable ... One of the more nuanced portraits of feminine friendship in recent memory.... Ferrante wisely balances her memoir-like emotional authenticity with a wry sociological understanding of a society on the verge of dramatic change." ( Vogue)
"Elena Ferrante will blow you away." (Alice Sebold)
All stars
Most relevant  
The story is amazing and the reading is beautiful. However, the reader uses two different pronunciations for one of the main character's names (Lila is pronounced LIE-la and LEE-la interchangeably) which was at first confusing, and later just annoying.

EDIT: The same character has now also, bizarrely, been referred to as Lina and Lilo!?

Pronunciation Issues

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Fantastic book, read for book club. About to download book 2 can't wait to see the progression!!

Only negative was the amount of characters you have to keep up with, who they are related to where they fit etc. Audiobooks definitely arepte challenging in this way. Otherwise fantastic!

Recommended

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Would you consider the audio edition of My Brilliant Friend: The Neapolitan Novels, Book 1 to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version so can't comment.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the engaging narrative in the story. Ferrante writes in a way that is easy to listen to .... conversational and engaging. The story line is more than the friendship between the two girls. It views mafia activities in Naples from a child's perspective, and shows how difficult it was to transcend the social environment in which the girls are born. Although a work of fiction, it felt like I was listening to an autobiography.

Have you listened to any of Hillary Huber’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to any of Hillary Huber's other performances, but I thought she was excellent in this book.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book (and the whole series) was so engaging that I sought every opportunity to listen to it. I was totally captivated, and often found myself reflecting on social issues.

Any additional comments?

This was my book of 2015!!!

More than just about friendship...

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The Ruth Park of Naples Or the Angela’s ashes. Not in a morbid way. A gritty real tale of like.

Fantastic

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This is the best book I’ve ever read (or rather heard). Beautifully written, a truly poetic story.

My Brilliant Friend is more than brilliant

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What an amazing book. Unfortunately I had to stop listening as the narration was unlistenable. Did I just make up a word? The story of two young girls in a tiny impoverished corner of Naples read by a harsh American voice kept pushing me out of being fully immersed. Why oh why was it not read by someone who’s first language was Italian? It felt like it was being read by an awful American tourist. Imagine if they had used someone with a lovely Italian accent. I’m going to buy the book so that the voice in my head sounds like Monica Belluci. Apologies to the narrator but a big slap to the producer.

What an amazing book.

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What an absolute crime to do such a poor job on the audio for such an incredible work of literature. I’m speechless. I’ve worked in audiobook production and this is heinous. Not only is the narration affectless and robotic but the pronunciation is terrible and inconsistent. The narrator even gets the name of one of the main characters wrong consistently. The production should be ashamed of themselves. What a lost opportunity. This story deserved so much better.

Terrible performance, amazing story

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A good description of adolescent girls in 1950's Naples - but should appeal more to romantics.

Adolescence

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narrator good, novel average, story got very mundane, more suitable for an episode of days of our lives.

review

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Would you try another book written by Elena Ferrante or narrated by Hillary Huber?

No voice was a bit grating and writing felt unfinished

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Give an ending or link back to the beginning. I must have missed the point

What does Hillary Huber bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I don't like these questions

Did My Brilliant Friend: The Neapolitan Novels, Book 1 inspire you to do anything?

No

Any additional comments?

I don't like these questions. What happened to just a simple review.

disapppinting

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