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Neapolitan Novels Boxed Set
Neapolitan Novels Boxed Set | Elena Ferrante
The complete four-volume boxed set of the New York Times-bestselling epic about hardship and female friendship in postwar Naples that has sold over five million copies. Beginning with My Brilliant Friend, the four Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante follow Elena and Lila, from their rough-edged upbringing in Naples, Italy, not long after WWII, through the many stages of their lives--and along paths that diverge wildly. Sometimes they are separated by jealousy or hostility or physical distance, but the bond between them is unbreakable, for better or for worse. This volume includes all four novels: My Brilliant Friend; The Story of a New Name; Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay; and The Story of the Lost Child. "Imagine if Jane Austen got angry and you'll have some idea of how explosive these works are." --The Australian "Nothing you read about Elena Ferrante's work prepares you for the ferocity of it." --The New York Times "An enduring masterpiece." --The Atlantic
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Rissreads
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Pickpick

I picked the first of these as a book to read in Italy based in Italy. I liked them but I didn‘t love them. Probably between a pick and a so-so. Unpopular opinion I know. Where other readers gush about the friendship of Elena and Lila, I found it to be toxic and found myself thinking that I‘m glad I don‘t have any friends like that. But I ended up reading all 4 so 🤷‍♀️

Suet624 Felt the same way. So-so. 1y
CarolynM I‘ve only read the first one. It was interesting and I liked it, but not enough to want to read the others. 1y
MrsMalaprop Same same @CarolynM 🙌 1y
Jeg Well @CarolynM and @MrsMalaprop I‘m the same also. See copies in op shops but never tempted to get. 1y
34 likes4 comments
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Graywacke
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#Alphabetgame #LetterN @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

When that unstable nut-head became the US president my disillusionment was so intense that reading became hard. I needed an escape. This series, beginning with My Brilliant Friend, swept me away unlike anything else has. I adored Ferrante‘s Neapolitan Quartet - my N.

More N‘s in the comments.

Graywacke My shortlist includes the wonderful Zimbabwean novel Nervous Conditions, by Tsitsi Dangarembga, and a book of interviews of literary nonfiction authors: The New New Journalism by Robert Boynton. Also: The Name of the Rose-Umberto Eco; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass & No One is Talking About This-Patricia Lockwood 2y
IuliaC This tetralogy is great indeed! 2y
Bookwomble Thank you for mentioning "Nervous Conditions", which I've reserved at the library for my #ReadingAfrica2022 challenge. Thank you, also, for "unstable nut-head" ? 2y
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batsy Great post! Out of these I've only read The Name of the Rose and I agree it's excellent! 2y
Graywacke @IuliaC 😍👍 2y
Graywacke @Bookwomble I hope you enjoy Nervous Conditions. I read the trilogy for the Booker 2020 longlist and this was better than anything actually on the list. (As was the second book in the trilogy - The Book of Not) … i‘m so done with nut-heads 🤢 (edited) 2y
Graywacke @batsy i had a great experience with The Name of the Rose, which I read blind, knowing nothing of the book or Eco (I picked it up for it‘s curious medieval cover). I‘m going to be bold and recommend specifically to you My Brilliant Friend. (A future NYRB classic?) We should alter-buddy read. I‘ll read Middlemarch and you Ferrante. 🙂 2y
Bookwomble @Graywacke Let's hope the nut-heads are done with us 😊✊🏻 2y
batsy Perfect alter-buddy read! Turns out I have the Neapolitan quartet waiting for me on my shelves 😁 I had a similar experience with the Eco. I'd heard it mentioned a lot but I had no idea what it was exactly about and I love how it surprised me. Due for a re-read I think; feel I'd missed out on a bit back then. 2y
Graywacke @batsy i have Middlemarch around here somewhere too. Let me know how your October or November or December look. 🙂 2y
AnnR Great introductory post! (I still feel the need for reading escapism due to all the ongoing related drama that still deeply concerns me for 2024.) Also, I think you'll be in for a treat with Middlemarch. At least I hope so! 2y
Graywacke @Ann_Reads thanks! I‘m a lot worried about all future elections, including especially the next one. 2y
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jlhammar
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Ferrante‘s Neapolitan Novels are replete with memorable mothers. I read this quartet over the course of one summer several years back and fell in love. One of the best reading experiences I‘ve ever had. The HBO adaptation, My Brilliant Friend, is pretty great as well.

#Memorable #MayMoms
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Sounds wonderful 🤩 2y
Ruthiella Excellent choice for this prompt! I loved this series. 2y
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hilded
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#7Days7Books Day 5

I finally read the Neapolitan series last year, and absolutely loved it ♥️ Now I am watching the brilliant HBO adaption (season 2).

Graywacke 💚🙂 4y
ErikasMindfulShelf I didn‘t know season 2 started. 4y
Ruthiella I like those covers so much more than the US editions! I loved the inside of the books so much. 😍 4y
hilded @irre It‘s superb, just like the first season, so you have something to look forward to 😘 4y
hilded @Ruthiella I absolutely agree, those US covers are quite unattractive 😆 But the inside is luckily the same 😍 4y
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Graywacke
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#7days7books Day 6

Seven books that left a deep impression on me and changed me.

Did these really change me? They carried me off, anyway.

@batsy tagged me. @Louise - would you like to play along?

BarbaraBB I remember your fantastic reviews about these on LT 💚 4y
Crazeedi This was an absolutely riveting series 4y
batsy Stop me if you've heard this before, but this series has been on my TBR and I *really* need to read it. 4y
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Graywacke @Barbara awe, thanks. @Crazeedi agree completely 4y
Graywacke @batsy my only problem is that it seemed like whenever someone reads it with my comments in mind, they ended up not liking it. 😕 So, I want to encourage you...but... hope you give it a try 4y
hilded I finally read the series last year, absolutely loved it 😊 4y
Graywacke @hilded yay! Another fan. Such a great experience. 4y
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Catherine4j
Pickpick

Love it. Mark

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Stephkesey
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Pickpick

I couldn‘t get into the first book of the Neopolitan Novels for some reason, but watched the HBO adaptation and fell in love with the smart, spiteful, wondrous little girls and thought, what the hell, I‘ll give book 2 a try. Dear lord, I could not pry myself away from these pages. Felt them in my gut. So much envy and longing, and doesn‘t make friendship look easy or good, but I do recognize it rendered with this type of brutality and love.

Stephkesey I will add, that I think you gotta either slam these all at once in a binge reading weekend, or else portion them out, whatever works for you—the teenage girl relationship is punishing and petty (also loyal and beautiful!) but can get really tiresome. So either read quick like a tequila shot or else tiny bites...pick your pleasure! 5y
Annashep I‘m half way through this now and absolutely gripped too 👍 5y
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Vansa
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#31bookpics #strongheroine Not one but 2 fabulously strong heroines in Lenu and Lila, as in Half of a yellow sun

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Vansa
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So clever.

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Vansa
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CaroFiuza
Pickpick

THIS SERIES IS AMAZING. Cant recommend enough. The writing is amazing. ALL THE FEELS. Wish i have read these books sooner.

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Heatheringheights
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1. FL 🏝 2. Impossible! 3. The Neapolitan Novels 🇮🇹 4. Annie Hall 🗽5. Twin Peaks ☕️ 6. Okkervil River 🎸 7. 💙8. Sci-fi 🚀 9. High School English Teacher 👩‍🏫 10. Fenrir the 🦇🐖 @maich 💯#meetthelittens

maich O teacher👍❤ 7y
Eyelit Okkervil River 👍 7y
Nat_Reads I'm a teacher deeply in love with Annie Hall and Maddaddam! 👏⭐️👍 7y
night_shift I keep trying to watch Twin Peaks in anticipation of the new season! 7y
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Ncostell
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These are some of my favorite books by #womenintranslation. I have read the first two books in the series and am torn between saving the last two books or racing through them. I just don't want to see them end! #aprilbookshowers

MicheleinPhilly I know what you mean. I read the first 3 last summer and can't quite bring myself to read the 4th yet. 7y
emilyhaldi I read Troubling Love and wasn't that impressed but still interested to read the rest of her books based on other people's reviews!! 7y
Suelizbeth I have been reading them on Kindle, but now I'm suffering from book envy. I see 4 purchases in my future. 7y
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Ncostell @emilyhaldi I haven't read any of her other works outside of this series so I don't know how they compare. I just got sucked into these books right away. 7y
Ncostell @suelizbeth I read the first book on my Kindle borrowed from my library and afterwards hinted for the books for Christmas as I knew I needed to have them all! 7y
bookandcat Love these. I also loved The Other Language (for books by Italian authors) 7y
Ncostell @bookandcat Thanks for the recommendation, just stacked The Other Language. 😀 7y
bookandcat @Ncostell all of Marciano's books are great! 7y
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Hooked_on_books
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I loved yesterday's posts of #bookseveryonebutyouhasread, so here's my contribution. I reread the description of these books numerous times after seeing so many people raving about them and they just don't appeal. So, not gonna do it. #readjanuary

TrishB This was mine too 👍😄 7y
AThousandLives87 I feel the same way! 7y
BookHermit I felt the same way when I read the descriptions. And the covers are so completely mismatched with the stories. But my very own "brilliant friend" loved them and so I dove in. Turned out the series was very, very different from my expectations and I loved it. Not to everyone's taste, to be sure, but the book's "externals" are very misleading. 7y
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Soubhiville Hah, the covers alone were enough to make me turn away. 7y
Reagan Decided not to read based on two factors 1) awful covers 2) when everybody loves it, almost a sure bet I will be let down. 7y
RealBooks4ever @Soubhiville @Rjanke Right?! The covers are horrible! 7y
Caroline2 I tried reading the first one but it was hard work! V boring! I bailed in the end! 😒 7y
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hfpotier
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Went ahead and got the complete set.

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eva_lution
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I'm a bit late getting started with #booktober, but these are absolutely my Most Anticipated Reads... the Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante. @RealLifeReading

SummerRae I can't find the #booktober list. The internet is failing me! 7y
eva_lution @SummerRae I found it at the feed of @RealLifeReading here on Litsy, and I noticed people tagging her, so I started doing the same, thinking maybe she originated it! 7y
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JenniferSpiegel
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Rest of the year plans...

MrBook Nice list 😊👍🏻! 8y
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jetspins24
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Pickpick

My #recommendsday -
Oft-repeated theme of my reading this year I like to call "Righteous Female Rage". This series is among the rage-iest things I've read and I LOVED it! Deceptively simple, amazing writing, engrossing plot, and at least one gasp-aloud worthy moment in each novel. SO. SO. GOOD.

BekahB The more I've heard about this series, the more I want to read them! 8y
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Lyndabb
Panpan

Am I the only one who just cannot get into this series? I just find it meh. I've picked the first one up four times and given up.

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Simona
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So... I'm interested just in last one, but I need to read the first three... I guess

AlexandraKenneth I enjoyed reading the first three novels; but, I'm finding it hard to finish the last one. I still have to read the last 100 pages. 7y
Simona @AlexandraKenneth I'm not a believer in this series but it was interesting view on female friendship. 7y
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