Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay

I loved the first book of the trilogy and recommended it to pretty much everyone I know who reads serious literature and a fair number of people who might not. It is also the case that I was once a huge student of Italiant culture and lived in the house of some prominant leftist newspaper people as an exchange student in high-school. So, the events of this book speak to a deep (if somewhat cooled) passion of mine that other readers might or might not share. However, all the same, I found the second and third books altogether more difficult to read. While the writing is phenomenal in its minute psychological detail and insights into class and gender and how ideology gets used as a currency in social games, it is difficult and not always pleasant reading — a slog at times– as the inner-conflicts of the narrative become more intense and her personality less pleasant. I was never going to give up, but I didn’t always find joy in this book. In short: read it, but save it for that moment in your life when you have the patience to deal with a literary friend who is difficult, conflicted, and at times even unlikeable.

This is the third of the four books in Ferrante”s (whoever she is) Neapolitan series. It is a dark and totally engrossing examination of a friendship, a culture, a period of time, the role of women in society and marriage. And gorgeously written. I could’t bear to put it down when I finished it and so went right to the fourth book. But only a few pages into it I realized I needed a break.

While to me this is the best of the series, I don’t think one can appreciate it without having read the first two–which is not a hardship. Fortunately each book provides an annotated cast of characters, including (thank God!) nicknames, family relationships, and–if you’ve read the preceding books–brief reminders of what has gone on before, reminders that will only be cryptic to those who haven’t immersed themselves in what came before. After I finish book four I will probably go back and read the first one, “My Brilliant Friend,” again, to give me the benefit of both hindsight and foresight.

I was pretty disappointed when I got to the last chapter. I won’t say what happened because I don’t want to spoil the book for others. Lenu is heading for a big disappointment, I think. I will read the fourth book just to find out what happens. I started reading these books in the first place because the two girls and myself are the same age. I thought a lot about my younger life and compared it to theirs. The sixties were not an easy time to be a young girl or teenager, whether in the US or Italy. My teenage life was certainly not as fraught by danger and violence as theirs. I did not enjoy being reminded of the sexism of the sixties and the overwhelming power of males over females. We have come a long way but we are NOT DONE YET!

What really amazes me about Ferrantes books overall (so far) is how engaging her stories are without a technique that becomes blatant. Not that Im against a style that very much puts itself on stage, like a Karen Russell or George Saunders. If anything, I find myself continually amazed how Ferrante resists the easy route when movement needs to happen. Take the wedding in Book Oneevery moment surprises but also makes sense in terms how the characters grew throughout the book. Ferrante is a powerhouse of fresh direction, offered on compelling prose that expertly moves forward continually. While this book didnt compel me as much as the previous two, I still have every intention of reading the fourth, and a merely good Ferrante novel is better than many writers may hope to attain.

I think the only things that held me at all at bay here at all was that the political concerns that presented themselves since the start became a little less talk and more action. Lila turns a sausage factory on its ear, bringing in students who fight for the workers, and Elena finds success as a writer. I still loved where the book went by the end, but somehow I felt that Id been so compelled by these friends interior lives that I needed no historical moves and was fine with such events being relegated to the background.

But, like I said, I am without doubt going into book four…after a break. Ferrantes emotional immediacy is something I usually need a bit of a break from before resuming.

This trilogy has been reviewed by so many people, that there probably isnt anything new to say. Ill say this though – I think the books leave the door wide open for HBO to improve on this series. Look, I loved the first book. I liked the second one, and I had trouble finishing this, the third. Im just not that interested in the narrator anymore. Her beautiful friend is a lot more interesting, intelligent, and compassionate. And I guess thats the point of it all, that Elena is a bit of a fraud, and her brilliant friend Lila is the real deal. The first book is beautifully written, and I bought the second and third right away. However, unlike say JK Rowling, whose Potter books went from great to incredible, these follow-ups do not live up to the promise of the first. This third one wasnt worth the read. You just might want to watch the HBO show instead of reading the rest.

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