My Brilliant Friend
The Neapolitan Novels, Book 1
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My Brilliant Friend
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Narrated by:
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Hillary Huber
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Written by:
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Elena Ferrante
About this listen
Now an HBO series: the first volume in the New York Times bestselling “enduring masterpiece” (The Atlantic) about a lifelong friendship between two women from Naples
Beginning in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Elena Ferrante’s four-volume story spans almost sixty years, as its main characters, the fiery and unforgettable Lila and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, wives, mothers, and leaders, all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflicted friendship.
This first novel in the series follows Lila and Elena from their fateful meeting as ten-year-olds through their school years and adolescence. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between two women.
©2012 GO Team! Enterprises (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.What the critics say
"Hillary Huber's subtly shaded performance couldn't be better as she reveals the complexities that separate and connect the two women.... Huber's delivery of this well-plotted, absorbing story of friendship will leave listeners wanting more." (AudioFile)
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What listeners say about My Brilliant Friend
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Janie N.
- 2019-06-01
Great listen
Great story, but a bewildering number of character names, since so many had nicknames. I needed to go to the print book to check on who was who. But the world of 1950's Naples is compelling and the narrator was excellent.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Peter
- 2019-01-13
Settle in!
Once I settled into the pace another world in amazing detail opened up. An amazing book in simple language.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Sharron padden
- 2023-02-28
My Brilliant Friend
Not the best read I have had. However I didn’t have difficulty finishing it. I kept feeling that the story is for younger people. The ending was very disappointing.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- camallis
- 2021-04-20
The ending was disappointing.
The story, the characters and the reading were all excellent. I looked forward to listening everyday and came to feel that I knew the cast. But the ending was disappointing. There should have been a link at the end to the beginning of the book. Instead, I went to the beginning and Re listened to the initial paragraphs which formed the necessary link.
Leela’s life really emphasized the riches and treasures that are lost when gender or social status and wealth exclude young people from further education. Although she did come to be involved in electronics - a feat unto itself - and no doubt she mastered the task exceptionally - the exclusion of someone like her at such an early age is a loss to all of society - not just to her.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2024-08-16
Excellent
This story is
captivating. The characters and the neighborhood they grow up in are really interesting. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lori V
- 2025-04-01
Just a lovely story
The characters are so relevant. Such a great coming of age story, full of interesting characters.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Elaine Amador
- 2018-03-26
Captivating.
I could not stop until I finished it. The characters reminded me people I once knew. I can't wait to start the next one.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Roberta W
- 2024-05-26
First in a great series
I absolutely loved this book. How these two young girls meet and form a bond in Naples lays the groundwork for a fabulous series. See my review of Book 4: The Story of the Lost Child, as there I comment on the series and why I loved it.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- alexandra e noga
- 2018-07-23
weakest of the series
This is a very interesting book as it deals with a friendship that is 'unusual' from what one usually reads in novels. Of the four neapolitan novels, I found this the least interesting, but it did help to build the 'foundation' for the rest of the novels, and I think as a series it is very good and very interesting.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nitin
- 2019-03-24
Italian words pronounced with Spanish pronunciation
This really spoiled my mood to listen. That should have been the first thing to ensure: pronounce the Italian names right. It’s a book about Naples! She is pronouncing the names with a Spanish pronunciation.
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2 people found this helpful