My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (2012) (Translated from Italian)

Elena Ferrante is the pen name of a mysterious Italian author about whom nothing biographical is known, since she (surely this is a she) has chosen to remain anonymous. That lack of information only adds to the distinct impression that this might well be a memoir or thinly fictionalized autobiography rather than a work of fiction, mainly because it feels so honest and reflective of real life.

This is the story of the growing up and friendship of two young girls in Naples in the 1950s, but the dynamics of the relationship are universal, or at least I would assume so since I remember many of the exact same feelings as those voiced by the narrator. The complex mix of love, jealousy, and one-upmanship which, I believe, is present in all close female relationships, is portrayed so faithfully that it feels entirely familiar. Women will certainly understand the book better than men, but, make no mistake, this is not chick-lit by any means.

Along with creating a portrait of female friendship, Ferrante has brought completely to life a place and its people -- a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, with its traditions and superstitions and family conflicts and violence. The struggle of the girls -- each in a different way -- to escape the limitations of this closed world becomes the thematic element holding the plot together.

This is the first of Ferrante's four-volume Neapolitan series, which follows the two protagonists through their lives. Obviously, since the books tell a continuing story, it is advantageous to read them in order. I look forward to the next three, because I liked this one very much.