Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay The Neapolitan Novels, Book Three

Elena Ferrante — 2014

Since the publication of the acclaimed My Brilliant Friend and The Story of A New Name, Elena Ferrante's reputation has grown enormously. Her novels about the friendship between Lila and Elena, about the mysteries of human relationships, are utterly compelling. In Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, the two protagonists are now in their thirties. Lila, married at sixteen, has left her husband and the comforts of her marriage, and has now joined the workforce. Elena has left the neighbourhood in Naples, been to university, and published a successful novel, all of which has brought her into a wealthier, more cultured world. Both women are seizing opportunities to flee a life of poverty, ignorance and submission. Yet they are still very much bound to each other by an unbreakable bond.

Reviews

Amy Thibodeau@amythibodeau

Dec 26, 2022

I'm obsessed with this series. They keep me awake at night and I can't believe that I have to wait until September for the final book.

tina@folklorde

Dec 19, 2022

i cant even tell you how many times i had to close the book just so i wouldn’t know what was gonna happen next that’s how much this book stressed me out ELENA FERRANTE WHEN I GET YOU

Kwan Ann Tan@kwananntan

Dec 7, 2022

minus one star because I hate Nino so much

Hellboy TCR@hellboytcr009

Oct 18, 2022

With her limited number of characters Elena tries to tell a complex story and she literally struggles in this book esp, in the mid parts where the political turmoil of the times are touched upon - coz of the setting everything has to happen in that small circle and some of the characters are present in almost everything that happens in Naples, thats a bit too much. The character of Leela is another problem - the urge to present the lead characters as polar opposites all the time results in many cringe worthy sequences in this book. Writer relaxes when the storyline, finally, returns to Elena Greco and her struggles with writing and her never-too-late love affair and those parts saves the book.