The Story of the Lost Child
Actual rating 4.5I thought that when I finished all four books, I would be able to write about them and their stories. But now I don't know where to begin. I've been taken on a long and winding journey with too many sights to single out any one for special mention. A big part of this is Ferrante's writing style: contrary to what we have all been 'taught' about good writing, Ferrante doesn't just show us, she tells us. She tells us everything without superlatives or unnecessary adjectives. So while you don't have to work plot wise, it is in the emotional where the reader does the work. You know Elena and Lila so well it is like you are there experiencing everything with them. It is the ultimate literary intimacy. And it works because while aspects of the plot are uniquely Neapolitan, the emotional dramas are universal. If you are thinking of only dipping your toe in and reading only one or two of them, don't. Either read them all or forget about it. The books stand together, not on their own and you will have no real sense of the passage of Elena and Lila's life and friendship.
