My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Neapolitan Novels, Book One
This novel tells the story of two friends, Elena and Lila, growing up in a poor neighborhood in Naples, Italy in the 1950s. Their intense, complicated friendship is marked by competition, mutual respect, and deep affection. As they navigate the challenges of adolescence, including family drama, academic struggles, and romantic entanglements, their bond is tested and transformed. The narrative explores themes of female friendship, social class, education, and the struggle for personal autonomy in a patriarchal society.
The 407th greatest book of all time
Purchase from
Bookshop.org or
Amazon
- Published
- 2012
- Nationality
- American
- Length
- Moderate
- Pages
- 330-400
- Original Language
- Italian
- Avg User Rating
-
(4.0)
- Alternate Titles
-
- A Amiga Brilhante
- A Amiga Genial
- A Barátnőm Zseniális
- A minha amiga genial
- Az én zseniális barátnőm
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following 35 lists:
- 1st on 100 Best Books of the 21st Century (NY Times)
- 6th on The 10 best books from the past 25 years (Sydney Morning Herald)
- 7th on The 30 best fiction books of the last 30 years (Los Angeles Times)
- 8th on Readers Pick Their 100 Best Books of the 21st Century (NY Times)
- 9th on 100 Best Books to Read by Women Authors (Good Housekeeping)
- 11th on The 100 best books of the 21st century (The Guardian)
- 14th on The Best Books of the 21st Century (Aladin.co.kr)
- 15th on The 21st Century's 12 Greatest Novels (BBC)
- 21st on The 100 Best Books from 1900 to the Present (Yedioth Ahronoth)
- 27th on Australia’s Radio National top 100 books of the 21st century (ABC Radio national)
- 50th on 100 Best Books of the 21st Century (Book Enthusiast Substack)
- 51st on The 100 Best Novels Of All Time In English (The Guardian)
- 83rd on The 101 Favorite Novels of 'Le Monde' Readers (Le Monde)
- 95th on Honorable Mention - The 25 Masterpieces of World Literature That Will Define the 21st Century (25-250) (Télérama)
- 230th on Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 742nd on The Greatest Books of 2024 - Honorable Mention (The Greatest Books)
- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List (1,000 Books to Read Before You Die(Book))
- 100 Best Books of the Decade so Far (2010-2015) (Oyster Books)
- 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die (BBC Radio Oxford)
- 125 Books We Love for Adults (NY Public Library)
- 19 Best Books from the 2010s (Vox)
- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature (The Center for Fiction)
- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Parade)
- 25 Books to Read Before You Die: World Edition (Powell's Books)
- 25 Novels to Understand Our Reality from 2000 to The Present (elDiario.es)
- A Century of Reading (Lithub)
- A Century of World Literature 1925 - 2025 (Der Spiegel)
- Best Beach Reads Of All Time (Book Riot)
- Boston Public Library: Top Fiction and Non-Fiction Books of the 2010s (Boston Public Library)
- List of the 100 best Italian books of the last 200 years (IL RIFUGIO DELL'IRCOCERVO)
- The 100 Best Books by Women Writers in Translation (biblibio)
- The Best Fiction Books of the 2010s (Time)
- The Top 100 Book Series of All Time (Audible )
- The Ultimate Book Bucket List: The 75 Best Books Of All Time (Refinery29)
- Top 100 Books of the 21st-Century (This House of Books)