I love hearing about people's completionist goals! (And successful completions). Ferrante is definitely on mine, I've read all her fiction but have not read Frantumaglia or Incidental Inventions yet. Every year I set myself the goal of completing one author's oeuvre; this year I'm going for Sigrid Nunez--I only have 3 books of hers still unread. Always such a rewarding goal, thanks for the wonderful post!
I love Sigrid! I’ve only read 2 of her books though. Setting an annual goal for becoming an author completionist is my favorite thing I’ve heard all day!
I love this, too! I have read only two of her books but loved them both. I really loved Sempre Susan, her memoir about dating Susan Sontag's son and getting to know her through him. Have you read it?
this gives me a little thrill seeing all the titles stacked up like that. I read My Brilliant Friend a long time ago and it didn't stick with me, I am thinking of trying again so this guide will come in extremely helpful when I get around to trying another Ferrante!
Congrats on your completionist attainment! So impressive! Days of Abandonment was one the best books I read last year. Admittedly out order, I still enjoyed Lost Child too. Your post is helpful since I hope to find more Ferrante like Days of Abandonment.
Thank you! It's fun now that I know the terminology; somehow it's more celebratory. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed Days of Abandonment so much! If you liked that and The Lost Daughter, you would probably enjoy Troubling Love. They all share many themes.
I am an Elena Ferrante completionist! I first began with the quartet (I picked My Brilliant Friend up in a charity store and had no prior knowledge of this lady and her works, or the present fandom) and what a ride! I have since not stopped ranting about her and re-read my favourite books of hers.
I loved The Story of A New Name, I think really the Quartet has to be my favourites but I can never really separate them. Otherwise I’ve loved all her books, least Troubling Love, second after the Quartet would be The Lost Daughter.
I am on the third book of the Neapolitan quarter. Enjoying the series so far. I actually didn't know she had other books out there. Thanks for overview.
I really like it. I read the first two books quickly then took a break for a few months. Now I am reading the third book. I love complex characters and she does that quite well with these two friends.
I think you're doing it perfectly. It's good you still have the rest of the third book and the entire fourth book to look forward to. The characters truly come alive on the page and like you said, the relationship between Lila and Elena is great. There are so many ups and downs, I wonder how she (Ferrante) mapped that out while writing.
I look forward to hearing what you think when you finish the Quartet!
ME TOO! They are THE best and there's nothing like the first-time read. However, I haven't re-read them yet so I have that to look forward to. The first re-read can be really enlightening!
Thank you Kolina. I LOVED the quartet and am interested in reading more…..do you think the Days of Abandonment would work for a book club even if others have never read Ferrante? It sounds like such a great read.
It’s such a good read! What type of books do you guys typically read? It’s for sure not for everyone. It’s pretty somber and griefy. But for the right person (probably you) it’s fantastic.
I'm on the late freight, and although aware of Ferrante, haven't read her work. However, I look forward to reading some of the titles mentioned. I devoured/binged all 4 seasons of My Brilliant Friend. Was the TV series a good representation of the book(s)?
I’m a completist, and it’s great fun to read your list. Days of Abandonment is one of my favorite books ever. When I first read it I said to myself, “This changes the GAME.” I meant in terms of what could be said. That book rips off the mask!
It TOTALLY rips off the mask! There’s a deluge of women hitting popular books / movies right now but still not enough in my opinion! So happy to connect with a fellow lover of Olga 🥹
Thanks so much for writing this, Kolina! For someone who's been meaning to read Ferrante for over a year (my library hold for My Brilliant Friend has lapsed a couple of times, and my next turn is in March, this is really helpful.
I am so glad!! Definitely let me know when you start it! I'm toying with the idea of re-reading the series but I have SO MANY BOOKS I'm wanting to get to right now that I'm not sure if it'll happen this year.
I know the feeling! I haven’t re-read books in ages because there have been so many amazing new ones, but I want to do that soon. It probably won’t happen generally for a while, but I’ll prioritise Norwegian Wood.
This is so helpful, thank you for putting it together (and congratulations on such a big reading achievement!!!). Last year I read my first Ferrante - The Lying Lives of Adults - and thought it was fantastic. I started My Brilliant Friend the first week of lockdown and just could not stay with it (understandably). But I know that I will love her work and always knew that one day I will return to it.
I will be your rebellious student and read Days of Abandonment next because it sounds like such a me-book. But will then tackle The Quartet, I promise.
OK Petya, had you asked me for a personalized recommendation I would have absolutely said The Days of Abandonment. It is very on-brand for you! LMK if you want to buddy read it. I'm slowly making my way through it in Italian, but my Italian is rusty and I'm not registering everything.
Totally understand being unable to stick with My Brilliant Friend. Who could stick with anything then?
I'm honored you'll take another chance on Queen Ferrante. 🥹
Oh, also want to add that the HBO series so far is excellent!! The actresses are incredible and the show really does a stunning job of capturing the heartaching everyday violences that occur in the neighborhood.
Whoops I forgot to mention the HBO series in the post! I watched the first season and thought it was an incredible adaptation. I don't have HBO anymore so I haven't seen the rest! I love the casting. Lila could not have been more perfect.
I read the Neapolitan Quartet a year and a half ago and I think it genuinely changed my life. i absolutely relished the journey Ferrante takes us on and i felt like i really grew as a reader throughout the months when i was reading those books. i’ve since read Days of Abandonment which i really enjoyed (so many great sentences and scenes that always stick with me through her writing), and i have Lying Life of Adults & Frantumaglia on my shelf but haven’t cracked into them yet. For any other Ferrante fans who are looking for recs of similar reading, i highly recommend Lies and Sorcery by Elsa Morante — a key influence on Ferrante and a melodramatic, masterful work!
YES ISABELLA! It changed my life too! I haven't read Elsa Morante yet but I don't know why the heck not. I know she was a big influence on Ferrante, and in fact she chose her name to sound like Elsa Morante. Elena Ferrante, Elsa Morante. Obsessed with that. Thank you for the recommendation, I'm going to look into Lies and Sorcery now!
Perhaps I can aspire to be a Ferrante completionist in my old age. I just finished reading Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay a week ago and am taking a break before I start on volume four. I've known about the standalone works and considered trying one of those out when circumstances permit.
YES!! I envy the person who gets to read those for the first time. I’ve only read the Quartet once though and I think a re-read would be almost as enjoyable. Enjoy the rest of the series!
I love hearing about people's completionist goals! (And successful completions). Ferrante is definitely on mine, I've read all her fiction but have not read Frantumaglia or Incidental Inventions yet. Every year I set myself the goal of completing one author's oeuvre; this year I'm going for Sigrid Nunez--I only have 3 books of hers still unread. Always such a rewarding goal, thanks for the wonderful post!
I love Sigrid! I’ve only read 2 of her books though. Setting an annual goal for becoming an author completionist is my favorite thing I’ve heard all day!
Her earlier stuff is excellent and quite different from her more recent works, I highly recommend checking it out!
I will! Thank you so much!
I love this, too! I have read only two of her books but loved them both. I really loved Sempre Susan, her memoir about dating Susan Sontag's son and getting to know her through him. Have you read it?
Yes, I loved that book and it finally pushed me to actually read Sontag! I also loved The Last of Her Kind, another lesser-known Nunez.
Wait this sounds fascinating!!
this gives me a little thrill seeing all the titles stacked up like that. I read My Brilliant Friend a long time ago and it didn't stick with me, I am thinking of trying again so this guide will come in extremely helpful when I get around to trying another Ferrante!
Once you begin toying with the idea of trying her again, reach out!!! Also thank you for providing me with the Author Completionist language!
Thank you for the credit ☺️(although I’m sure I didn’t invent it)
Maybe not but you introduced me to it and that’s what matters!
Congrats on your completionist attainment! So impressive! Days of Abandonment was one the best books I read last year. Admittedly out order, I still enjoyed Lost Child too. Your post is helpful since I hope to find more Ferrante like Days of Abandonment.
Thank you! It's fun now that I know the terminology; somehow it's more celebratory. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed Days of Abandonment so much! If you liked that and The Lost Daughter, you would probably enjoy Troubling Love. They all share many themes.
Days of abandonment sounds like a book from my lists. 😂😂
I am an Elena Ferrante completionist! I first began with the quartet (I picked My Brilliant Friend up in a charity store and had no prior knowledge of this lady and her works, or the present fandom) and what a ride! I have since not stopped ranting about her and re-read my favourite books of hers.
AHHH! A fellow Elena Ferrante completionist! I am so happy right now! Do you have a favorite??!
I loved The Story of A New Name, I think really the Quartet has to be my favourites but I can never really separate them. Otherwise I’ve loved all her books, least Troubling Love, second after the Quartet would be The Lost Daughter.
I am on the third book of the Neapolitan quarter. Enjoying the series so far. I actually didn't know she had other books out there. Thanks for overview.
Fantastic! Are you enjoying it? Her standalone novels are great, too.
I really like it. I read the first two books quickly then took a break for a few months. Now I am reading the third book. I love complex characters and she does that quite well with these two friends.
I think you're doing it perfectly. It's good you still have the rest of the third book and the entire fourth book to look forward to. The characters truly come alive on the page and like you said, the relationship between Lila and Elena is great. There are so many ups and downs, I wonder how she (Ferrante) mapped that out while writing.
I look forward to hearing what you think when you finish the Quartet!
The Neapolitan Novels are among my all-time favorites! I envy anyone who hasn't read them yet!
ME TOO! They are THE best and there's nothing like the first-time read. However, I haven't re-read them yet so I have that to look forward to. The first re-read can be really enlightening!
Thank you Kolina. I LOVED the quartet and am interested in reading more…..do you think the Days of Abandonment would work for a book club even if others have never read Ferrante? It sounds like such a great read.
It’s such a good read! What type of books do you guys typically read? It’s for sure not for everyone. It’s pretty somber and griefy. But for the right person (probably you) it’s fantastic.
I ended up choosing a book called Pachinko - have you read it? I thought Ferrante might be a bit sombre.
I haven't read Pachinko but I know about it! How did it go? If you're not into sombre, opting out of Ferrante was a good idea.
I'm on the late freight, and although aware of Ferrante, haven't read her work. However, I look forward to reading some of the titles mentioned. I devoured/binged all 4 seasons of My Brilliant Friend. Was the TV series a good representation of the book(s)?
The series was a great adaptation! They captured the mood and atmosphere so well.
I can't wait to hear if you pick up any of her books!!
I’m a completist, and it’s great fun to read your list. Days of Abandonment is one of my favorite books ever. When I first read it I said to myself, “This changes the GAME.” I meant in terms of what could be said. That book rips off the mask!
It TOTALLY rips off the mask! There’s a deluge of women hitting popular books / movies right now but still not enough in my opinion! So happy to connect with a fellow lover of Olga 🥹
Thanks so much for writing this, Kolina! For someone who's been meaning to read Ferrante for over a year (my library hold for My Brilliant Friend has lapsed a couple of times, and my next turn is in March, this is really helpful.
I am so glad!! Definitely let me know when you start it! I'm toying with the idea of re-reading the series but I have SO MANY BOOKS I'm wanting to get to right now that I'm not sure if it'll happen this year.
I know the feeling! I haven’t re-read books in ages because there have been so many amazing new ones, but I want to do that soon. It probably won’t happen generally for a while, but I’ll prioritise Norwegian Wood.
Ok another book to look into. Thank you!
I’ve never read Norwegian Wood!
It’s so good! It’s supposedly quite different from Murakami’s other books. I’ve just bought his latest book too, so might read them together.
This is so helpful, thank you for putting it together (and congratulations on such a big reading achievement!!!). Last year I read my first Ferrante - The Lying Lives of Adults - and thought it was fantastic. I started My Brilliant Friend the first week of lockdown and just could not stay with it (understandably). But I know that I will love her work and always knew that one day I will return to it.
I will be your rebellious student and read Days of Abandonment next because it sounds like such a me-book. But will then tackle The Quartet, I promise.
OK Petya, had you asked me for a personalized recommendation I would have absolutely said The Days of Abandonment. It is very on-brand for you! LMK if you want to buddy read it. I'm slowly making my way through it in Italian, but my Italian is rusty and I'm not registering everything.
Totally understand being unable to stick with My Brilliant Friend. Who could stick with anything then?
I'm honored you'll take another chance on Queen Ferrante. 🥹
Oh, also want to add that the HBO series so far is excellent!! The actresses are incredible and the show really does a stunning job of capturing the heartaching everyday violences that occur in the neighborhood.
Oh also I named my son Enzo 🥹
Whoops I forgot to mention the HBO series in the post! I watched the first season and thought it was an incredible adaptation. I don't have HBO anymore so I haven't seen the rest! I love the casting. Lila could not have been more perfect.
I read the Neapolitan Quartet a year and a half ago and I think it genuinely changed my life. i absolutely relished the journey Ferrante takes us on and i felt like i really grew as a reader throughout the months when i was reading those books. i’ve since read Days of Abandonment which i really enjoyed (so many great sentences and scenes that always stick with me through her writing), and i have Lying Life of Adults & Frantumaglia on my shelf but haven’t cracked into them yet. For any other Ferrante fans who are looking for recs of similar reading, i highly recommend Lies and Sorcery by Elsa Morante — a key influence on Ferrante and a melodramatic, masterful work!
YES ISABELLA! It changed my life too! I haven't read Elsa Morante yet but I don't know why the heck not. I know she was a big influence on Ferrante, and in fact she chose her name to sound like Elsa Morante. Elena Ferrante, Elsa Morante. Obsessed with that. Thank you for the recommendation, I'm going to look into Lies and Sorcery now!
So glad to find a fellow Ferrante lover!! 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
Perhaps I can aspire to be a Ferrante completionist in my old age. I just finished reading Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay a week ago and am taking a break before I start on volume four. I've known about the standalone works and considered trying one of those out when circumstances permit.
It's a worthy aspiration, I think! Enjoy volume four -- it's sad to finish the series but it's a wonderful story. Happy reading!
I’m on book 3 of the Neapolitan quartet and am absolutely loving it so far! I can’t wait to dive into her other works after I finish.
YES!! I envy the person who gets to read those for the first time. I’ve only read the Quartet once though and I think a re-read would be almost as enjoyable. Enjoy the rest of the series!
I've saved this to read later!
Oh good! Thank you! I hope you enjoy Ferrante 🤓