Discussion questions for My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
- The publisher describes this book as “a meticulous portrait of [Elena and Lila] that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship”. What do you think about the “story of a nation” part of this description? Is this book a small story of two friends, or a larger story of a country? Or both?
- When did you first start to suspect that the “brilliant friend” of the title is Elena rather than Lila?
- Elena Ferrante is a pseudonym, and we don’t know who the person of the author is. Does it change the way you read a book when very little is known about its author? In Frantumaglia: A Writer’s Journey Ferrante’s includes a letter to her publisher, saying: “I believe that books, once they are written, have no need of their authors. If they have something to say, they will sooner or later find readers; if not, they won’t. . . . I very much love those mysterious volumes, both ancient and modern, that have no definite author but have had and continue to have an intense life of their own. They seem to me a sort of nighttime miracle, like the gifts of the Befana, which I waited for as a child. . . . True miracles are the ones whose makers will never be known. . . . Besides, isn’t it true that promotion is expensive? I will be the least expensive author of the publishing house. I’ll spare you even my presence.” What do you think?
- Vogue‘s reviewer characterized the book as having “memoir-like emotional authenticity”. Similarly, other reviewers have suggested that Ferrante chooses to remain anonymous because they suspect this book is autobiographical. Do you think it is? Do you think that’s why she chooses to keep her identity a secret? What elements of the book lead you to think one way or the other?
- This book has been made into an HBO mini-series. Did you watch it? How do you think it compares to the book? If you haven’t watched it, are you interested in watching it?
For more questions, check out the publisher’s resources.