My Brilliant Friend Summary
Elena Ferrante

My Brilliant Friend Overview

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante is a novel that takes place in 1950s Italy, in a small Naples neighborhood. It chronicles the competitive relationship between the fiercely intelligent Lila Cerullo, and the steady, loyal Elena Greco. The narrative, told in flashback, follows them from their first meeting at age six, through the tumult of adolescence, until Lila's marriage to the neighborhood grocer, Stefano Carracci. My Brilliant Friend explores themes of friendship, competition, violence, wealth, and family.