The publishing phenomenon that has conquered the world
Translated into over 40 languages, adapted into an HBO series, cited as one of the most important literary works of our century: the quadrilogy of My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante tells the story of the friendship between Elena and Lila over sixty years, from the outskirts of Naples in the 1950s to adulthood. Here is the reading order and a guide to each of the four volumes.
1. My Brilliant Friend
The first volume covers the childhood and adolescence of the two protagonists in a working-class neighborhood of Naples. Ferrante builds a microcosm of violence, poverty, and the desire for redemption, with a writing style that offers no emotional discounts. It is the volume that lays the groundwork for everything: the relationship between Elena and Lila, the dynamics of the families in the neighborhood, and the obsession with studying as a way out.
2. The Story of the New Name
Lila's marriage marks the beginning of this second volume, while Elena continues her studies and physically distances herself from the neighborhood. It is the book of divergence: the two friends take increasingly distant paths, yet remain connected by an invisible thread of envy, admiration, and mutual dependence.
3. The Story of Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay
Elena becomes a successful writer and moves far from Naples; Lila stays in the neighborhood and faces factory work and political commitment in an Italy marked by the social tensions of the 1970s. The title itself anticipates the central theme: what it means to remain faithful to one's origins, and what is lost by fleeing from them.
4. The Story of the Lost Child
The concluding chapter brings Elena back to Naples, now an adult and a mother, for a final confrontation with Lila and the neighborhood that shaped them both. It is the most painful and ambitious volume, with an ending that has divided readers and critics — but remains consistent with everything that preceded it.
Can they be read separately?
Technically yes, but it is not recommended: the saga is written as a single novel divided into four parts, not as four standalone stories. Reading them in the correct order is essential to follow the evolution of the characters and grasp the continuous references between volumes.
Beyond the quadrilogy
Those who finish the saga and want to continue exploring Ferrante's writing can delve into her earlier novels, which are shorter but equally intense, sharing the same themes of female identity and class conflict.
Track your progress in the saga
With Bookstack, you can add all four volumes to your library, mark which one you are reading, and how much is left until the end.
