How are you getting on with the Mid Sussex Reading Challenge? If you’re struggling to get hold of a children’s classic for this month’s challenge, feel free to skip to any other month of the challenge, and don’t forget your wildcard – to reread your favourite book.
Last month’s theme was to read a book set in another country, and this theme certainly divided our readers! Some readers loved their March reads while others were less than impressed. Gail from Hurstpierpoint wasn’t keen on her latest read, rating Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend 3 out of 5.
Set in a poor neighbourhood in Naples after the Second World War, this is the first of a series of 4 novels about the friendship of two girls, Elena (Lenu), the daughter of a porter and Lila, the daughter of a shoe maker. Both come from poor backgrounds and live through the violence of the district and family life. Both are intelligent and competitive and the only way to escape their lifestyle is through education, which only one is able to do.
I chose the book as a friend with similar tastes recommended it. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me. Whilst the author depicts the simmering violence between the youths of the district and the domestic violence within the families, I didn’t like either of the main characters. They had nothing endearing about them. Their friendship was almost false, using each other to push each other academically, but not really caring about each other as true friends would.
It was a coming of age story narrated by one of the main characters, which I found tedious and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, despite knowing it has won accolades world wide.
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The views expressed in this review are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of West Sussex Libraries.
Mid Sussex Reading Challenge 2020 