My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

 Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020--San Antonio

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante is the first in a series of 4 books which are in the process of being adapted into an HBO series which has broadcast the first two seasons.  All four books do not have to be read; this  one is easily a stand-alone novel.  Written initially in Italian, I read the English translation.  Another interesting fact is that Elena Ferrante is a pseudonym, and no one knows who she really is (somewhat like the British street artist Banksy) although her novels have been printed and acclaimed throughout the world.  This Book One of the series follows two girls living in a poor suburb of Naples.  They hardly interact until they reach school and realize that they are the two smartest children in their class.  The story is told by the one who feels she always comes in second to the other.  There are jealousies, occasional hurt feelings, etc., but the one always coming in second over time realizes that the competition makes her a better student than she would be otherwise, and even when she progresses further in her education, she realizes that her friend who drops out due to not being able to afford to continue in school still continues to be smarter.  The book starts out seeming to be a simple story, but as it progresses there are layers upon layers of complexities that develop and the reader learns about the dynamics of not just the lives of these two girls but also those among most of the families living within the neighborhood.  It is very well written and becomes better the further you get into the story.  I gave it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.