Emily Vance Brown

by Elena Ferrante

4/5

I read this for book club and loved it. I thought it was incredibly interesting and well-written, and I loved the extent to which I did (and didn’t) find it relatable. But only one other person in the group liked it! Everyone else said they found it boring—I was shocked!

I think the main reason I liked it is because of the extent to which it poses itself as a story of two friends, while actually revealing a narrative much darker and more disturbing. My Brilliant Friend is ultimately a story of masculinity and the insidious normalization of domestic violence that Elena and Lila are raised with. The two girls chose different paths to negotiating this inherent social status that comes with being a woman, and their similarities and differences come to light as they embrace these often-conflicting choices. 

I’ve read the second and third books in the series already, and I have the fourth on hold from the library. They’re all a bit slower than the type of writing I usually review, but I would still recommend them!