Week One, Prologue & Childhood
Welcome to the second week of our Cool Bloggers Book Club (CBBC) on My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. This week we're focusing on the third quarter of the book, Chapters 17-30 in the Adolescence section.
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More photos of books people are reading!
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| Audiobook from Suz and a real physical book from Elisabeth |
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What happened in these chapters?
Elena goes to high school! She does well, but mostly because she's trying to keep up with Lila who is somehow doing the same work while she's working at the shoe shop. Rino is obsessed with getting a fireworks display that's bigger than the Solaras' display, but as the celebration unfolds, violence breaks out. Rino shows the shoes he and Lila designed and constructed to his father and violence breaks out. Marcello Solara begins pursuing Lila and eventually asks her father if he can marry her. Meanwhile, Rino puts the shoes in the shop window to sell them. In the last pages of this section, Lenù gets to go to the sea and has an absolutely marvelous time and then learns that the poet from her neighborhood will be coming to the same place she is staying!
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Hat mentions (why hats?)/last week's homework:
When the couple went by Rino made a vulgar comment on what the young woman in green should do, with the bowler hat, and Pasquale stopped, he was laughing so hard, and leaned against the wall with one arm. (page 194)
Both Rino and Pasquale seem quite unpleasant to be around. We know from the prologue that Lila names her son Rino - why would she name him after her hot-headed brother?
Did you find your scavenger hunt word in the book?
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Lines of note:
Now it seemed that money, in her mind, had become a cement: it consolidated, reinforced, fixed this and that. Above all, it fixed Rino's head...She no longer spoke of money with any excitement, it was just a means of keeping her brother out of trouble. (page 179)
Again, with Rino being out of control. As someone with a troubled relationship with a sibling, I am not certain why Lila has such a loyalty towards Rino.
The image of power had passed in a flash, four young people in a car - that was the right way to leave the neighborhood and have fun. Ours was the wrong way: on foot, in shabby old clothes, penniless. (page 192)
I didn't purposefully pick out quotes with a theme of money/poverty, but lined up with the above quote, it's a bit of a mini-motif.
Gradually I persuaded her to go home, she couldn't stay hiding there forever. I went with her, counting on the fact that my presence would protect her. But there were shouts, insults, some blows just the same. (page 203)
I appreciate that most of references to violence in this book are not graphic, but this really is indicative of how much abuse these girls go through, isn't it? Along with "Every time Lila and I met I saw a new bruise" on the following page.
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Thing I looked up:
Barano: I really just wanted to know how far away the seaside place that Lenù visited was. It's apparently still considered a municipality of Naples, but the island it's on, Ischia, is about 30 kilometers southwest of Naples proper.
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Next week's homework assignment:
Let's do a close reading practice! Lectio Divina ("sacred reading" in Latin) is a close reading practice based on a monastic Christian tradition, but we can apply it to non-theist works. It's a four-part process. This may not be precisely how you'd do this if you were at your local Bible study, but here's the guidance I'm offering you, based on information from here.
First, flip through the chapters and wherever your finger lands on the page, you'll engage that word or phrase at four different levels.
1) Narrative: Look at the quote and describe its place in the narrative.
2) Symbolism: What metaphors are hidden in the text? What symbols do you see?
3) Reflection: How does this text speak to you in your life today?
4) Invitation: What action are you going to take?
Example:
I flipped to this sentence on page 165 in this week's readings: He became red in the face, he swelled up around the eyes and cheekbones.
1) Narrative: This is Rino getting angry with Lenù and Lila when the girls told him that the shoes he had made were damp after going over some water. He became angry because he didn't like the criticism and felt like Lila was holding back the project's timeline with her need for perfection.
2) Symbolism: I think the words "red" and "cheekbones" are super interesting here. We just had Valentine's Day last week, so red is often associated with love and passion and in Asian cultures it can symbolize good fortune and joy. But that same passion can be linked with anger and violence, like it is in this passage. Red as a way to describe blood, seeing red, etc. I also think cheekbones has this same dichotomy of meaning. Frequently people with good cheekbones are seen as attractive, right? But there's also the idea that cheekbones are often broken in fistfights. So the link with light and dark appear with both words.
3) Reflection: This definitely made me stop to think about how my body reacts when I'm angry or upset. What physical changes manifest? My heartrate goes up, my body starts shaking as adrenaline surges through my body, and my mouth gets dry. I tend to tear up and cry when I'm sad or angry.
4) Invitation: I'm going to try to react better when I'm angered. I do have a quick temper (I'm also super quick to apologize for being a jerk), but I can and should be better able to control my reactions, both mentally and physically.
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Questions to ponder:
1) Now that these kids are old enough to leave the neighborhood once in a while, we see more of Naples outside of their neighborhood. What role does Naples have in this story? How would this be a different book if it had been set in Amsterdam or Los Angeles? What about the timing of it as post-WWII?
2) We're halfway through the book now. For new readers, where do you think this story is going? For people who are doing a reread, have you noticed or learned anything new on this read?
3) The framing of this book is that Adult Lenù is writing about her relationship with Lila. Why doesn't Adult Lenù reflect more about the events in the book? She is mostly just reciting facts and rarely gives hints as to how she felt about it then (or feels about it now) or what impact it had on their friendship. Do you have an explanation for how little the author makes use of the framing device?
4) Lenù gets to go on vacation! What's the first time you remember going someplace to relax without your parents?
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Upcoming CBBC schedule:
Monday, February 26
Adolescence, Chapters 31-45 (pages 212-270 of the paperback Europa edition, up to location 3575 on a Kindle, timestamp 7:37:34 - 10:06:54 on audiobook)
Monday, March 4 (update: this originally said March 1 - it is March 4 for sure, for sure)
Adolescence, Chapters 46-62 (pages 270-331 of the paperback Europa edition, timestamp 10:06:54-end on audiobook)
Monday, March 11
Wrap up!
Honestly, I have NO idea where this story is going. I usually am pretty good at guessing where things will end up but I have no idea. The setting I think is the thing that's really keeping me going - I find post-WWII Europe to be fascinating in general, and Italy was such a site of fighting, but it's one I frequently kind of forget about when I think about that war. I really enjoyed the part where they were like "fascism bought this and Nazis bought that" - thinking about the true costs of war and where money comes from.
ReplyDeleteI think the way it's written, with very little reflection, reminds me of an older person of that generation, like my grandma Fern. Just facts, no feelings in the retelling. I think it shows a stoicism that a lot of older people (now passed, but I'm thinking people who were older when I was young) would have.
Vacation! I actually WENT to Italy on a school trip when I was in grade 11, without my parents. Not to Naples, but that was the first time I was on a plane!
I concur with Nicole's assessment of the tone. There's a lot of chronological detail, but there's a distance despite it all--I can't tell if that's due to time, space, or translation, honestly!
DeleteOh, this is so interesting about how older people just recite facts. I'm currently reading A Midwife's Tale which is based on a real person who wrote a diary in the late 1700s/early 1800s and the entries in the diary are wild. "The saw mill burned down. Mr. Henderson ate dinner with us. My husband's throat is sore." It's crazy that Mr. Henderson having lunch with them is given the exact same space as their saw mill burning down. So maybe it is a generational kind of thing and that distance is part of character building.
DeleteMaybe it's not a translation issue, but it's purposeful?
Goodness, first comment? (First, a quick note on the date for week 5 - I think you mean Monday, March 4?) I am listening (or, TBH, I *listened*, as I had to return it) to the audiobook, so again, I engaged with this in a slightly different way. I loved listening to it, and imagining the scenes in my head. That said, it was really hard with the many acts of violence (verbal & physical) in this book. I also wondered about Lila's tight connection to Rino, who sounds volatile and, quite frankly, not like anyone I would choose to be around.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that Lenu's academic accomplishments are driven by her desire to keep up with Lila. This seems to be the "thing" that Lenu thinks makes her unique, and yet... she is striving to be more like one of her peers. Is this specific to their relationship, or is this a broader adolescence-related thing? (Speaking of adolescence, omg, so much angst! Also, does anyone remember when people first started pairing off and "going out" with each other? Middle school, in my world...)
RE: the questions. The timing and location definitely play a key role. It would not be the same even if it were another city in Italy - the sea figures so prominently in this book! I am not going to answer question 2, since I am a new reader but have already listened to the end. :) I am really frustrated by the lack of reflection and insight into Lenu's childhood and adolescence, and think that the book could have been, well, more, if it had incorporated this. It's so... detached??? I went on vacation to the Jersey shore with my best friend and her family (basically an extension of my own) when I was, um, 11 or 12? I remember a bird pooped in my friend's hair and I had to help her wash it out. I have such strong memories of that trip!
OMG!! I had March 1 on EVERY POST ABOUT THIS. I fixed all of them. I am really terrible at calendars.
DeleteI am listening AND reading and I find the violence so much easier to listen to. It's like if I'm reading it on the page, I make it out to be so much worse in my head, but if I am listening, I'm focused more on what it says directly and there's not as much explicit violence as I would have thought.
The Lila/Lenu academic relationship is fascinating. I mean, would Lenu do as well without Lila pushing her? But your question of why that's the case is...unanswerable? It seems universal to the human experience in one way - competition works for a lot of people in terms of pushing them out of the comfort zone - but it also seems like it's oddly specific to their relationship in this time and place.
A bird pooped in her hair! AND THAT'S WHAT YOU REMEMBER! There's a lesson in that to all the parents trying to design wonderful travel experiences for their children.
1) I think the timing and the place are so integral to the story; her connection to the post-WWII and Stalin era is something that is inherent in what she and the other kids (kids!!) talk about in a way I don’t think we see with children who haven’t lived through or adjacent to such conflict.
ReplyDelete2&3) I legit have no idea where this is going! Coming in with no preconceptions, I read the prologue / intro like it was going to be a mystery of how/why Lila disappears; instead, it’s more this twisted narrative of one-half an acquaintanceship in a diary format? For writing OF such emotions, it all seems empty; it has no depth or context from recall. I would love if the end switched perspectives and we hear a different summation of it all from Lila’s perspective!
4) As a child, the only time I went away without my parents was in 6th grade when I flew to Florida to visit our former neighbors. I never felt SO FREE and it is a core memory of being more than I was in the house I grew up in.
Just to share, I tracked the word “violence” in a Engie style and it was a wild ride:
Chapter 18: “As I left I had a violent impulse to tell Lila right away, but then I changed my mind” (page 158) and “…and I associated it with our dirty streets, the dusty gardens, the countryside disfigured by new buildings, the violence in every house, every family” (page 160)
Chapter 22: “The Solaras’ explosions were becoming more and more violent, one of their rockets instead of heading into the sky burst against the parapet of our terrace…” (page 175) and “There, amid the violent explosions, in the cold, in the smoke that burned the nostrils and the strong odor of sulfur, something violated the organic structure of her brother” (page 176)
Chapter 23: “But as soon as he started to turn his back his father kicked him violently in the rear, called him animal, idiot and threw at him whatever came to hand, finally even the shoes” (page 181)
Chapter 24: “…the love of Marcello - a young man who was handsome and wealthy, with a car, who was harsh and violent, a Camorrist, used, that is, to taking the women he wanted…” (page 184)
Chapter 27: “After the violence in Piazza dei Martiri something completely unexpected happened that puzzled her.” (page 198)
Chapter 29: “Rino reacted to that turn with a couldn’t fever that kept him away from work for days.” (page 206)
I love these stories of the first vacation without parents! The freedom!
DeleteOoohhhh...violence was such a good choice. Violent impulse, violent explosions, violent kicks, ugh. Really indicative of the environment these girls are growing up in, isn't it?
I definitely think Naples is key to the narrative; it has long had a reputation for extreme poverty and crime so it does make the setting of MBF extra spicy. It wouldn't be as gritty if it were set in... say Florence? Pretty sure Naples is still one of the poorest European cities, and people frequently leave it off their travel itineraries because of the putative crime. It was beautiful when I finally got to visit a few years ago, but *everyone* in the city kept warning me and trying to protect me because I was on my own.
ReplyDeleteEngie--the detachment you reference in Q3, is so intrinsic to this novel. I have no clue why it exists and if it's intentional or a lacuna. It's definitely the part I appreciate least.
I am FASCINATED by the detachment. I think it makes the novel, to be honest. If she were overexplaining all of this, I would feel like it was obvious. But because she just states facts, it feels more open to interpretation (how does Lenu feel about all this? is she a fascist? does she think this violence is normal?) and that's what so interesting!!
DeleteI vote lacuna
DeleteMy husband and I are having our own "mini-book club" with this book. He's moved onto the second book, and last night we were each reading our books on the couch together. We think this is a memoir, not fiction, and that's why it's written under a pseudonym. My husband is not actually a big reader, but he LOVES these books. I asked him why, and he said they seem very authentic to him, this is what Italian families are like.
ReplyDeleteI think if the adult Lenu were imposing her interpretation of events in retrospect, it would change the book. We're supposed to experience these events as 14-year-old Lenu did.
I don't know where the story is going, again because I think it's a memoir and that means anything could happen. I am enjoying this part with Lenu on vacation, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when the new guests arrive.
I 100% failed at last week's homework assignment- actually I forgot all about it. I'll try this week's assignment though- I'm intrigued!
Your husband love of these books pleases me so much!! Interesting to think about this as memoir. I want to know more about that!!
DeleteI agree that is an interesting take on it thinking it is a memoire.
DeleteThe Rino relationship is really tough. I also have a strained relationship with a sibling but I do not have to live with/near him or interact with him on a regular basis. And sometimes the relationship is totally fine - it really varies based on circumstances. But if I had to live in close proximity to him, I would handle things completely different... I don't see it as loyalty necessarily - I see it more as her trying to manage his moods/temperament to keep the peace.
ReplyDelete1. I think the setting in post-WWII Naples is key and that the book would be different if the setting or time frame was different.
2. I am not sure where this book is going but I imagine the friendship has to become more healthy as the girls age? But then again, she's gone missing at the start of the book so I'm not sure that is the case. The book reminds me of unhealthy relationships of my youth when I was trying SO HARD to be friends with someone who wasn't vested in the friendship at all...
3. I agree that the tone of the book is kind of disconnected but I don't know if that's the translation or the intended style.
What do you think would be different if the setting and/or time frame were different? Less violence? Would the relationship between these two girls be just as complicated?
DeleteI don't know that the relationship between the girls would be all that different, but the backdrop of the novel would be different in my opinion. I feel like there is such a difference between a post-WWII location that saw terrible violence within its borders versus, say, LA. Yes the war was hard for everyone but in the US, we didn't have the extra challenge of rebuilding. I think there was more violence and desperation.
DeleteBut I think if this were in 1970s LA, a lot of the violent backdrop would be the same. That's what I think is great about this book - it's highly specific, but universal all at the same time.
DeleteTrue Confession: I've gone off the rails. The book started strong but I quickly got to a place where I just couldn't focus or follow the story. That's where I left off last week, and this week got worse and I finally had to admit defeat. I sped read to the end so that I have a reference for the rest of our book club meetings, and then went on an Alphabet series bender. Unfortunately the only way that I'm able to experience this book is through the book club discussion - and wait now that I think of it, it's not so unfortunate because the discussion is fascinating!
ReplyDeleteI am here for an Alphabet series bender. There's never too much Sue Grafton in my life!!
DeleteYup. This is me, too! I ended up reading to the end because I could not stay engaged reading a bit at a time. I read to the end to see how things worked out...and then read synopses of the remaining books.
DeleteI'm like the worst Book Clubber ever, but life is short and one of my "rest" intentions this year is to DNF books more quickly. To be fair, I DID read the book, but I didn't read it according to the schedule I intended.
Third. (I mentioned this, above, but buried it in my (LONG) comment...). For some reason, it just made more sense to keep going. Not just because of the due date, either. :)
DeleteMe too! Total fail, sorry. I just couldn't get into it! I am going to keep popping in to see how everyone else gets on though!
DeleteI am still struggling with this book. I may have to just call it and read the book club synopses to the end, lol. It's just not my style of book at all. At least I feel vindicated in my original DNF.
ReplyDeleteThere is a LOT of violence in this book and it's so hard for me to read. I don't like it at all. I do wonder if I would find the book more palatable if I was listening to it. And maybe I would like the writing better if I was hearing it! Who knows!
I totally forgot about my word! Argh!
I really have no idea where this story is going. I couldn't even venture a guess!
There is so much violence. I feel like it's not graphic violence, but you definitely do see plenty! I think the audiobook narrator does a nice job, but it's hard to know if listening would be easier or even more troubling!
DeleteI think it's the sign of a well-written book that new readers can't predict where it's going! It's an adventure for all of us.
While I’m still not loving the writing style, I am quite invested in the two friends’ relationship. I started watching the series on HBO, and only watch up to where I have read. This has really changed things for me. It’s so well cast, and the two actresses who play Lenu and Lila both as children and adolescents are excellent! The emotion I feel is missing in her writing style, is easily conveyed by the actresses which is making this story much more compelling for me. I rarely prefer a TV/movie translation over the book, but in this case I’m all over it. So much so, I know I will keep reading the rest of the series on my own.
ReplyDeleteMy scavenger word was school which came up 33 times. Makes sense since Lenu was going to school. One of the characters that I am really liking is Maestra Oliviero. She’s got Lenu’s back, always advocating for her to continue her schooling. She is obviously aware that Lenu’s family would not make this choice for her without her intervention. Her mother is not happy about sending Lenu to school but doesn’t want to lose face or contradict what Maestra Oliviero recommends. We all need a mentor or friend who can support us, especially when it doesn’t come directly from our family.
I definitely feel the location of post-WWII Naples plays a significant role in the feel of the book. The grittiness, the anger and poverty of the town.
I have no idea where the story is going or where it will end up. There are 3 more books, so this is a lifelong friendship that I expect will have many twists and turns. I agree that it reads more like facts with little mention of her feelings. I don’t know if that’s a cultural thing, translation thing, or the author’s personal style. It’s not enough to put me off reading, as I feel invested in the relationship between Lenu and Lila.
One of my favourite quotes from this section was on page 211 when Lenu was staying in Ischia and she remarks on how she felt staying there “I felt a sensation that later in my life was often repeated: the joy of the new.” I loved the way she wrote the sentence. To me life isn’t a constant state of happiness, but a series of moments and that line really resonated with me.
The joy of new! That makes me think about how kids get so excited about going for a walk because everything is so new to them. As you get older, it gets harder and harder to find new things and our lives sort of flatten out - it's harder to get excited about things.
Delete33 times in just a few chapters! Imagine if you'd picked school as your word for the entire book. I bet it comes up hundreds of times!
I love that Jacquie is watching the HBO series as well! I have been watching the series since it started, and love it so much, and perhaps that is why I am feeling much more engaged with the book that I might otherwise. The violence, though, is even more gritty when you see it than read it or hear it read to you.
ReplyDeleteI looked up the sand treatment that Lenu's mother does when she takes her to the sea and teaches her to swim. I had never heard of it, but apparently it is a traditional treatment, where you cover your injured (or arthritic) limb/body part in sand on a hot day, and the heat really gets in there and helps with inflammation.
Regarding Lina's brother, he has looked out for her from the very beginning. He wanted to get paid for his work at the shoe store, so he pay for her to go to middle school. He alone in her household was against the idea of her marrying Shithead Solara. He respects her opinions and has faith in her vision regarding the shoes. He knows she is the smartest person in the family, and defends her. This is why she defends him and loves him so unconditionally, even though he beats her and yells at her. I mean, she gets beatings from everyone in her household, why would she hold it against him specifically? This is the world they live in. She is horrified by the changes she sees in him as he becomes more obsessed with getting rich, and she is hoping she can somehow save him.
I loved the chapter of Lenu on the island, with people who only support and love her. No criticism, no beatings, no resentment, no competition even. Even her skin is better. All she needs to make it complete is a letter from Lila.
I'm looking forward to trying the 'deeper reading' for next week, great concept.
Like Nicole, I find that I don't think of Italy as much when I think of WWII. I tend to think of Germany, Japan, France, and England, which is ridiculous, but there it is. I feel like Naples is a character in the book, because of its poverty and the history of organized crime there. So interesting.
The first time I went somewhere without my family was science camp in 6th grade, which was magical. It should have been called nature camp really, we didn't do science experiments or anything. I loved every minute of it. Extra special, it was our school, so my best friend was there too. Also excellent, we could drink as much milk (whole milk, not powdered) as we wanted with every meal, which was HUGE for me. So indulgent.
Such a good point about Rino, J, that everyone in the household is beating her, so why wouldn't she be loyal to the one person who has her back in a bunch of other ways? I guess I'm just frustrated by how hot-headed he is!
DeleteIt is fascinating to me how little a lot of us think about Italy in terms of its role in WWII. I think Germany (Holocaust) and Japan (atomic bombs) get a lot of attention, but Mussolini certainly deserves some recognition, right? It's interesting to think about the role the war played in this particular neighborhood.
I am loving the little memories people remember from their first childhood getaways. A bird pooped on Anne's friend! You got to drink WHOLE MILK! It's so wonderful to hear about.
I finished the book as it got more interesting! I like the part when Lenu went to the beach and felt like a different person. My first non-parent vacation was with my best friend back in Argentina, she and her family invited me to their beach vacation in Punta del Este (Uruguay) for 1 week. It was super nice to see how other family spends time on vacation and be away from my own family. The freedom and independence i gained in that trip, I think I was 15 or 16.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see how other people live, isn't it? And a week is long enough that you start to see some real difference between your family and other people's families.
DeleteStill behind, but plugging along. Got to chapter 23 this morning. It's not my type of book, but I have a particular time slot of the day I'm listening to it, so my guess is that I'll keep listening to it until the end of book club and then may not finish it. I can do without the fireworks or boys - I'm interested in the progress of schooling and self-schooling competition and the fancy shoes. But the fancy shoe plot line seems to have drawn to a close.
ReplyDeleteOh, Doris, I hate to tell you about the fancy shoe plot line...
DeleteSorry I'm late. I'm caring for my mother in my home this week, and it has not been a good week.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to have to plug away and finish this book--if I can--and catch everyone for the wrap-up. I just really dislike this book.
LOL. I think some of the best discussion comes out of books you don't love. I do hope you stick with it and come back to join us later.
DeleteI do hope you are doing well with your mother. Hugs for both of you.
I also liked the beach setting the best (but then, I should have known, it GETS TERRIBLE. Gah. A sexual predator!!!). She "liked everything" - it felt like a new world, a fresh start. Anyhoo,
ReplyDeleteMy favourite quote in the whole book is in this section:
"...the last ten days of July gave me a sense of well-being that I had never known before. I felt a sensation that later in my life was often repeated: the joy of the new."
I love that. The joy of the new...
The second joy of new comment! It IS a great line.
DeleteI loved it when Lena was able to get away for a little beach vacation. Even if she was 'working' it was still a vacation from her regular life. Sad that she is writing to her friend, all the details of her getaway, only to hear nothing back, which makes her ponder: Is my friend in a terrible spot or is she having the time of her life without me?
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to really enjoy the book more. I think with the friends group leaving the 'hood and seeing that everyone else was dressed nicely, you know, not as poor, it made them feel even more inadequate. Hence the fight with the other group of people in town.
I forgot to pay attention to my special word. (Pizza) It's different when you're listening to a book and not looking at the words. That is my excuse and I'm sticking to it. :)
I have no idea where this story is going, but I'm anxious to find out.
I think it's interesting because sometimes when I listen to the audiobook, I pay more attention to my scavenger hunt word than when I'm reading. Our brains are mysterious and complex.
DeleteI do like that as the girls get older, we're seeing more and more of the world outside of their neighborhood. This happened with Francie, too, in ATGIB, when she started working in office jobs. Again with the universality of this book, but it seems like it's something most people do - most people don't literally live in the exact same neighborhood for their whole lives (I mean, some people do, I suppose, but it must be rare, right?).